Capturing the Northern (or Southern) Lights is a bucket list item for many photographers. But when your once-in-a-lifetime shot turns out blurry, underexposed, or just so-so, the disappointment can be overwhelming. Whether you’re just starting or have a few aurora shoots under your belt, you’re bound to make some mistakes—and that’s totally normal. The good news? Many of them are fixable, and most are preventable.

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This guide breaks down the most common mistakes in aurora photography and gives you practical, real-world solutions to fix or avoid them altogether. If you’ve already read our article Aurora Photography: A No-Nonsense Guide to Capturing the Northern (and Southern) Lights, this piece dives deeper into the troubleshooting side of things.

A Reminder: Practice Makes Proficient

Don’t wait until aurora night to start troubleshooting. Practice on stars, dusk scenes, and other low-light situations whenever you get the chance so you’re comfortable making quick changes in the field.

Common Aurora Photography Mistakes

#1 – Ignoring Aurora Forecasting Tools

Planning Ahead to Avoid Disappointment

Nothing ruins a shoot like driving for hours to your location only to discover the aurora has faded to nothing. Relying on Facebook reports or news blips to plan your aurora shoots isn’t a reliable strategy. Use the following apps and information to give yourself the best shot at capturing the aurora lights when they are truly active.

Best Apps and Sites

• My Aurora Forecast App
• SpaceWeatherLive.com
• NOAA’s KP Index
• Soft Serve News is a handy website that compiles up-to-date aurora data

What the KP Index Tells You

The KP Index is a scale from 0 to 9 that measures geomagnetic activity, helping predict how far south the aurora borealis might be visible. Higher values signify more significant geomagnetic storms and potential for aurora sightings.

• KP 0–2: Minimal chance unless you’re far north.
• KP 3–4: Possible aurora near the Arctic Circle.
• KP 5+: Good chance for widespread visibility.

What the Bz Tells You

The Bz is a measurement of the solar magnetic field’s direction. When it’s negative (southward), it more easily connects with Earth’s magnetic field, allowing more aurora activity to reach us.

• Bz -5 nT or lower: Strong potential for vibrant auroras.
• Bz 0 or positive: Less likely to produce visible auroras, even with a high KP.

Pro tip: A negative Bz combined with a KP of 4+ is often more promising than a high KP alone. Keep an eye on Bz values for real-time insight into aurora potential.

#2 – Ignoring Weather and Environmental Conditions

Cloud Cover, Moonlight, and Light Pollution

Even a faint cloud layer can block the aurora. The moon, even if it isn’t completely full, can wash out the scene. Light pollution from cities also dulls the aurora’s glow.

Scouting Locations in Advance

• Look for areas of dark sky, such as mountain passes or other remote locations. But keep in mind that in some cases, especially when the aurora is very strong, adding a cityscape or other bright objects to your aurora images can add interest.
• Use light pollution maps to plan your potential locations.
• Check your favorite weather app to make sure cloud cover or fog won’t be an issue at your shooting location.

#3 – Blurry or Out-of-Focus Aurora Shots

Common Causes of Focus Errors

• Autofocus can’t lock onto dark skies.
• You didn’t check the focus after setup.
• Your lens drifted due to temperature shifts.

How to Nail Focus in Low Light

• Use Live View and zoom in digitally to find a bright star.
• Manually focus until the star is a crisp point and looks as small as possible.
• Lock the focus with tape or a lens collar to avoid slipping.

Tips to Help You Keep A Sharp Focus

• If your camera has it, use focus peaking, an in-camera tool that highlights areas of high contrast in the live view with a color overlay, making it easier to see what’s in focus.
• Bring a small flashlight to illuminate distant objects during setup.
• Re-check focus throughout your session.

#4 – Camera Shake and Motion Blur

How to Identify It

• It can be hard to notice blurry images in the camera’s live view. Zoom in significantly on the live view to check for blur.
• Stars or aurora show streaks instead of crisp lines.
• Foreground elements are doubled or fuzzy.

Fixes: Stability, Tripods & Remote Shutters

• Tripod: Always use one.
• Use a remote shutter release or exposure delay mode.
• Avoid touching the camera during long exposures. If you are on a surface with some give, such as a bridge or a deck, avoid walking around, as well.
• Consider hanging a weight from your tripod to increase stability.
• In windy conditions, secure or remove the camera strap to prevent movement and consider shielding your camera from the wind.

Managing Shutter Speed and ISO

• If it’s windy, shorten your exposure to 5 to 8 seconds to minimize motion of any clouds or foreground elements.
• Raise the ISO to compensate if you shorten the shutter time.

#5 – Underexposed Aurora Images

Why Underexposure Happens

Auroras are tricky—they dance, flicker, and change brightness in seconds. It’s easy to end up with dark, nearly black images if your settings aren’t just right. Often, this happens because:

• Your shutter speed is too fast.
• Your aperture isn’t wide enough.
• ISO is too low.
• You’re not using manual mode.

How to Correct Exposure In-Camera

• Shutter Speed: Start with 5 to 15-second exposures. Too short, and the camera won’t catch enough light. Too long, and the aurora can appear smeared or washed out.
• Aperture: Go as wide as your lens allows to let in as much light as possible—ideally f/2.8 or lower.
• ISO: Don’t be afraid of going higher—1600 to 3200 is a good starting point, or even higher depending on the light levels.
• Use Manual Mode: This lets you fine-tune everything and adjust quickly based on the aurora’s brightness. Most cameras have a built-in light meter. Use it while adjusting your settings.

Fixing Underexposed Images in Post

Don’t give up if you get home and find you have underexposed images. They may still be salvageable.

• Boost exposure and shadows gently in Lightroom.
• Use noise reduction sparingly to clean up any graininess that appears with boosting the exposure.

#6 – Washed-Out or Overexposed Foregrounds in Aurora Photos

What Causes Foreground Blowouts

• Using artificial lights overaggressively to illuminate the foreground.
• Bright moonlight or ambient light illuminating the foreground.
• High ISO plus long exposure adds excess brightness.

How to Balance Exposure

• Use shorter exposures or a smaller aperture for scenes with bright elements.
• Try exposure bracketing to merge later in post-processing.
• Light paint the foreground sparingly with a dim flashlight.

Fixes in Post-Processing

• Use highlight reduction and masking tools in Lightroom to decrease the exposure of overly bright objects.
• Dodge and burn with care—avoid making it look too fake or processed.
• Use HDR blending if you bracketed shots.

#7 – Missed Focus on Foreground Elements

When and How to Focus Stack

• Shoot one frame for the sky, and one for the foreground.
• Layer and blend later in Photoshop for a fully sharp image.

Depth of Field Tips

• If the aurora is bright enough, try using a smaller aperture (higher f-stop) for more depth of field.
• If you are struggling to get the foreground subject in focus, try positioning yourself further away.

Tips for Managing Sharpness

• Use manual focus and zoom in on the live view to double-check.
• If your camera has focus assist, turn it on.

#8 – Poor Composition and Framing

Mistakes to Watch For

• Aurora without an interesting foreground subject. In some cases, where the aurora is particularly spectacular and unique, you can get away without a foreground subject, but in most cases, an interesting subject will take an aurora shot from meh to great.
• Cutting off subjects awkwardly.

Leading Lines, Anchors & Rule of Thirds

• Use lakes, trees, cabins, or old barns to give scale and interest.
• Position the aurora or landscape using the rule of thirds grid.
• Don’t be afraid to shoot vertically for tall aurora curtains.

Reviewing Shots on Location

• Zoom in to check the details and focus.
• Recompose if something feels “off.”
• Try both wide and tight shots—you’ll be glad for the options when you start editing.

#9 – Using the Wrong Lens or Gear

Common Lens Mistakes

• Using a lens that doesn’t have a wide enough aperture.
• Wide-angle lenses that distort or don’t stay sharp at the corners.

Wide vs. Telephoto Tradeoffs

• Wide (14–24mm): Great for epic skies and including the landscape.
• Telephoto (50–85mm): Good for isolating aurora details or distant peaks.

Check out our article Aurora Photography: A No-Nonsense Guide to Capturing the Northern (and Southern) Lights to learn more about the gear you need.

#10 – Relying Too Heavily on Auto Settings

Why Manual Mode Matters

Auto mode can’t read the dark sky well—it often overcorrects, misjudges light levels, and selects poor shutter speeds.

Key Settings to Learn

• Aperture: in most cases, f/2.8 or wider
• ISO: 1600–3200 or higher, depending on the light levels
• Shutter: 5–15 seconds depending on the aurora activity
• Focus: Manual, ideally on a star

#11 – Shooting in JPEG

The issue with JPEG

JPEG compresses data—you lose color and dynamic range.

Shoot in RAW Formats

• A RAW photo format is an uncompressed and unprocessed image file format that captures the raw data from a camera’s sensor, offering maximum flexibility and detail for post-processing.
• RAW formats may use different names depending on your camera brand. For example, Nikon’s RAW format is called NEF (Nikon Electronic Format).

#12 – Incorrect White Balance (WB)

Why WB Matters for Aurora Colors

White balance affects how your greens, purples, and reds look. If it’s off, the aurora might look blue, yellow, or orange.

Best Settings for Northern Lights

• Set WB manually between 2800 K and 4000 K.
• Avoid Auto WB—it tends to neutralize those gorgeous green colors.

Correcting White Balance in Lightroom

• Use the eye dropper tool on snow or neutral elements.
• Adjust the temperature and tint to get the aurora colors back to natural.

#13 – Not Reviewing Shots During the Session

The Habit That Saves The Shoot

So many ruined photoshoots could have been avoided by simply checking your first few shots closely and checking again from time to time during the shoot.

What to Check On-Location

• Zoom in on the camera’s live view to check focus. See Mistake #3 – Blurry or Out-of-Focus Aurora Shots and Mistake #4 – Camera Shake and Motion Blur for more tips.
• Check the histogram for exposure.
• Look for framing mistakes.

Using the Histogram and Zoom-In Feature

• A histogram leaning too far left = underexposed.
• Too far right = overexposed.
• Use the zoom-in feature even with gloves—it’s worth the effort.

#14 – Forgetting About Battery Life and Cold Management

Why Batteries Die Fast in the Cold

Low temperatures can cause batteries, even fully charged ones, to die incredibly quickly.

Cold Weather Tips

• Bring 2–3 backup batteries at a minimum.
• Store extra batteries inside your coat to keep them warm.
• Use a battery grip if you have one.
• Use hand warmers wrapped near your camera battery slot.
• Avoid taking the camera in and out of warm vehicles—it causes fogging.

#15 – Over Editing

Too many effects and too much saturation

• Use your eyes, does it look natural or like a neon light show? Unless you are going for over-the-top, edit your images to look more natural.
• Avoid cranking clarity or texture sliders all the way up, as this can add odd artifacts to your final images.

Mistakes with Noise Reduction and Clarity

• Too much noise reduction = plastic-looking skies.
• Overusing clarity = unnatural textures and halos.

Striking a Natural Color Balance

• Reference what the aurora looked like with your eyes.
• In most cases, avoid overly exaggerated photo editing trends—aim for authentic colors.

Best Practices for Post

• Work in layers so you can dial things back if needed.
• Use Lightroom’s history panel to undo oversteps.
• Apply changes non-destructively in apps like Photoshop, using masks and adjustment layers.
• Take a break and review your edits later with fresh eyes. You might be surprised how much difference stepping away for a few hours can make to your editing.

If you want to learn more about the basics of editing aurora photos, check out my article, How To Edit Aurora Photos Like A Pro.

FAQs About Aurora Photography Mistakes

1. Why do my aurora photos always turn out too dark?

Most likely, your exposure settings are too conservative. Try increasing your ISO or using a longer shutter speed. Check out Mistake #5 – Underexposed Aurora Images for more info.

2. How do I focus correctly when everything is pitch black?

Use manual focus and zoom in digitally on a star or distant light. Set your lens to infinity and then adjust slightly until it’s razor-sharp. See Mistake #3 – Blurry or Out-of-Focus Aurora Shots.

3. Can I fix a blurry aurora photo in post?

Minor blur can be softened in editing or clarified with AI processing tools, but if the photo is completely out of focus, it won’t be salvageable.

4. Should I use a flash for aurora shots with people in them?

Only if absolutely necessary—and use it very subtly. A better option is to light paint the subject with a dim flashlight.

5. Is it okay to shoot in auto mode if I’m not confident with manual mode?

It’s better to learn manual mode—it gives you full control and avoids unpredictable results in tricky lighting. See Mistake #10 – Relying Too Heavily on Auto Settings for the key settings to learn.

6. What’s the best way to edit aurora photos naturally?

Use gentle contrast and color adjustments. Avoid oversaturating. Use graduated filters in Lightroom to control the sky and foreground separately. See Mistake #15 – Over Editing and Over Saturation for what to avoid.

Final Thoughts

The Northern Lights are unpredictable, inconsistent, fleeting, yet stunning—and capturing them right takes practice. But here’s the thing to remember: every mistake is part of the learning process. Underexposed? You’ll dial it in next time. Blurry? You’ll check focus more often. Overedited? You’ll start aiming for natural beauty.

Keep shooting, reviewing, adjusting, and improving. The more time you spend under the stars with your camera, the better your aurora photography will be.

And if you haven’t yet, check out our article Aurora Photography: A No-Nonsense Guide to Capturing the Northern (and Southern) Lights to master the fundamentals before you hit the field again.

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Resources

Good Aurora Apps and Sites

• My Aurora Forecast App
• SpaceWeatherLive.com
• NOAA’s KP Index
• Soft Serve News is a handy website that compiles up-to-date aurora data

Related Articles

Aurora Photography: A No-Nonsense Guide to Capturing the Northern (and Southern) Lights

Essential Aurora Photography Gear: What You Actually Need To Shoot The Northern (Or Southern) Lights

How To Edit Aurora Photos Like A Pro