Photographers share insight into capturing the northern lights

DULUTH, Minn. – It's one of the most awe-inspiring natural phenomena. The northern lights were on full display across Minnesota and Wisconsin Labor Day weekend, and photographers got little sleep trying to capture it in its beauty.

"This weekend was by far like the best I've ever been able to see them," Duluth photographer Reece Hickman said.

Hickman stayed up until 4 a.m. Sunday morning to capture the northern lights from the North Shore. She said she uses an app to let her know when the viewing is good. She also is part of several Facebook groups where members discuss viewing the lights.

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are collisions between electrically-charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. They usually display in a greenish color, although shades of red, yellow and blue are also possible. 

The best time to see the lights are typically in the winter, when the region experiences more dark, clear skies – though the lights can be seen year-round depending on conditions.

Tanner Charles drove 45 minutes west of the Twin Cities to capture the lights.

"A sense of awe and fascination, especially when they're dancing and they're super bright," Charles said.

Photographing the lights can be as easy as using an iPhone, or as advanced as using a fancy camera.

"You need a sturdy tripod, you need to be able to get a good focus and just enjoy it," said Rod Baakkonen in Lake Hubert.

The northern lights have many spiritual and cultural meanings.

"It felt very magical," Hickman said. "It was just really fun to just sit and listen to the like waves crash against the rocks and then just being able to watch like the auroras over the cliffs."

"It's really an awesome thing to sit out there and watch," Baakkonen said. "It's kind of moving in a way that you're able to see such a spectacular thing and not have to travel to Iceland to see it."

Auroras are most frequent every 11 years during high solar sunspot activity. The next peak year is expected to be 2024.