Often when I have posted an aurora shot on social media, I get comments from people who had missed it because they didn't know it was happening. I feel their pain, as until this year I had missed many opportunities as I didn't know it was happening until I saw all of the photos posted to social media the next day!
So, I thought it might be helpful to give you an idea of what I now do in order to make sure I know when an aurora might happen. There are loads of resources available, but below are the ones that I currently use, and that have helped me to make sure I didn't miss the last couple of big displays!
1. The Glendale App is the most comprehensive prediction app that I use (it's not in the app stores, you need to get it from https://aurora-alerts.uk/). A word of warning though, it's really complicated and I don't pretend to understand much of it, however it does have a map which literally shows where people have reported seeing the aurora and you can sign up to Telegram alerts when something is happening.
2. If trying to understand Glendale is not really for you, then the best way not to miss out is to follow a guy called Wil Photography on Facebook (see https://www.facebook.com/wilphotographer) - not only does he interpret all of the aurora forecasts for you, he posts when something major is happening, and you can sign up for message alerts which will keep you updated throughout an aurora event.
Some other things that i've learned this year include:
- It needs to be properly dark looking north from where you are (unless it's a really big storm, you won't get it looking out of a suburban house window with streetlights around you)
- It needs to be pretty cloud free (although having a few clouds can add interest to photos)
- You normally won't see the aurora with the naked eye; you might see some streaks across the sky or vague colours, but you need a camera shot to really bring out the colours
- Apart from the major display in May which went on for more than 24 hours, most storms only last an hour or so, and so you need to be properly prepared (kit packed, and an idea of where you might go for a good composition which isn't too far away!)
- It's all very well having alerts on your phone, but as displays usually happen in the middle of the night, you might have to be really keen and leave your phone sound alerts on if you want the best chance of knowing when it's happening!
Want to improve your photography skills?
Don't forget that if you want some direct help with your photography, I offer a range of 1-2-1 photography courses for Devon based folks. If you're not nearby then I also offer residential weekends for beginners or improving photographers.
About me
I first got into photography after walking the beautiful South West Coast Path: I was so disappointed that my photos didn't do justice to the beautiful coastal scenery that I decided to walk all 630 miles all over again, but this time to also teach myself photography along the way!
A few years later and I find myself as a professional photographer, widely published and with landscape photos which have won national awards. But I do much more than landscapes, providing photography training to businesses & individuals on how to take beautiful photographs, and providing professional photography services to businesses across the South West. My commercial specialisms are property photography, business photography, people photography & aerial (drone) photography.
I’m also an author with a number of published books and I give regular talks about my passion for photography, and for Devon, to camera clubs and other groups.
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