The recent magnetic storms and beautiful auroras inspired me to write this post and share my journey of experiencing the northern lights. My first time seeing the aurora was in January 2024, during a trip to Finnish Lapland.

So let me tell you about experiencing the northern lights. About watching forecasts, reading predictions, and trying to capture this natural phenomenon as a beginner. Because that is exactly what I am. A novice. I only use my Android phone to take these photos. I know I still have a lot to learn. That will come with time, night by night, as I keep going out, waiting, and letting the sky do its thing.

My first time – January 2024, Finland, Ruka, -32°C

I always dreamed about seeing the northern lights. Until recently, aurora sightings in Estonia were rare. So when we took a winter trip to Finnish Lapland, it felt like the perfect chance to finally see the northern lights.

When the aurora appeared, the sky turned soft green. The light was dim and spread through a thick fog. Even with snow on the ground, it was dark. It felt quiet and subtle rather than dramatic. Honestly, even though it felt great seeing the green lights in the sky, it was a bit underwhelming. I still felt lucky, but this experience gave me a realistic starting point – not all of the aurora sightings will be as mind-blowing and magical as you have seen online.

Also, I didn’t have any idea how to photograph them. I knew I had to do some research on capturing the aurora before next time. Have a look towards the end of the blog post for capturing the aurora with your phone.

5th of October 2024, Estonia, Türisalu

One evening, while staying near Tallinn, the aurora predictions looked strong. We had just arrived at one of our favourite places in Harju county to view the northern lights – a cliff overlooking the gulf of Finland. It is a popular place and for a good reason.

There are a couple of options in the area, but I’ve marked down this one on google maps for you: Türisalu cliff

8th of October 2024, Estonia, Türisalu

A few nights later, we returned to Türisalu cliff. This time, we invited a friend who had never seen the northern lights before. We were so lucky with the timing, as soon as we arrived, the show began.

Clouds are a constant distraction in Estonia, often hiding the aurora just when you think the sky is clear.

11th of January 2025, Finland, Ylläs -25°C

In January 2025, we took another week-long trip to Finnish Lapland. We rented a cottage in the forest, spent our days hiking and skiing, spent lots of time in sauna and watched northern lights in the evenings. We booked the cottage through Lomarengas.fi, a local site many people use to rent cottages. You can check out Rämeä mökki, where the aurora surprised us on our doorstep several times during the week we stayed.

I could not ask for a better experience!

16th of January 2025, Finland, Ylläs

We were still on that trip to Finnish Lapland, but the weather that week was stormy, followed by a warm spell that melted much of the snow. Despite that, we were lucky enough to catch a few more glimpses of the northern lights.

What do you think? Snow or no snow on the trees? Which is more magical?

25th of February 2025, Estonia, Väimela

We had never seen the aurora this far south in Estonia. You could see the northern lights dancing on the horizon – they seemed distant, yet it was thrilling to catch them so far from the north. Clear skies make all the difference.

28th of September 2025, Finland, Varikko

In September 2025 we took our tiny camper van to southern and central Finland to see all the beautiful autumn colours in nature. The weather forecast looked almost perfect, and from Estonia it is only a two-hour ferry ride away, so it was an easy decision.

During the days, we explored amazing landscapes and vibrant forests, but at night we stargazed and were treated to some of the most incredible northern lights.

It started modestly at Varikko beach near Jyväskylä, but I was over the moon!

29th of September 2025, Finland, Tuusniemi

This time the aurora predictions were fair, but at around 8 pm I started to get notifications on my phone (check the end of this post for the app I use). We decided to drive a few kilometers from our campsite at Seinävuoren Rotkolaakso to get out of the forest and find a clear view of the horizon. Within about five minutes, we spotted a quiet, dark spot, perfect for watching the sky’s epic display of lights.

When we arrived back to our campsite, the aurora was already on top of our heads. These next ones are just from the parking lot.

The first colours besides green and yellow.

30th of September 2025, Finland, Tuusniemi

We decided to stay at the same spot as the night before. It was a quiet parking area, and we liked the vibe – there was a lake, a BBQ hut, great hiking trails all around, and, of course, the chance to spot the aurora. It did not disappoint.

1st of October 2025, Finland, Koli National Park

We rented a cottage from Kolin Lotus Cottages for a night to enjoy some sauna since it was getting colder and you could really feel it after hiking all day. Btw, Koli National Park is totally gorgeous!

At around 9.30 pm I went to the lakeside and spotted some cute bouncy aurora, I was so happy to see them again and soon headed back to the cottage, because it was quite cold.

This evening we were driving towards north to meet up with our friends. The whole drive was insane, you could see the aurora playing in the sky despite the lights from other cars. We had to make a couple of stops for the photos.

After this trip to Finland I felt so joyous and had a healthy dose of aurora in me. Little did I know they would follow me back home, so in couple of weeks we would meet again.

18th of October 2025, Estonia, Haanja

That evening I was not supposed to end up on a hilltop gazing to the sky, I just thought I would go for a look, then drove 15 km to get my tripod and on a hilltop I was. There was a good chance to see the aurora according to the prediction, but the play of green and red was so much more I could hope for.

29th of October 2025, Estonia, Haanja

This time I went aurora hunting on purpose, the prediction was good. I ended up seeing a faint aurora on the horizon, but additionally saw multiple shooting stars. Wow. Expect the unexpected.

12th of December 2025, Estonia, Haanja

Another fantastic surprise at our small village in Southern Estonia.

19th of January 2026, Estonia, Haanja -15°C

This was the night of G4 magnet storm, where the KP index was 8.67, the highest I have ever witnessed. You could see the northern lights all over northern and central Europe.

We were just about to go to sleep around 11 pm, when I spotted something glowing behind the curtains. This is very unusual for the place where we live at the moment, so I opened the curtains and saw a huge glowing green arch over the sky.

So I told my beloved I needed to go outside. In 5 minutes, he followed. I am so glad he did and we could share this moment, because it was magnificent!

It was out of this world!

20th of January 2026, Estonia, Haanja -15°C

The second evening of the G4 storm was more peaceful, also more cloudy, but we still spent a nice hour in the cold.

Well, so far so good. This has been the last two years for me and I couldn’t be happier!

TIPS

Predictions

1. My Aurora Forecast app

This free app I find to be quite reliable. If there is a possibility of viewing the aurora it will alert you in advance. I’ve been using it since the beginning. Google Store link

2. Aurorainfo.eu (same as Estonian version Virmalised.ee)

You can check the forecast, look at the live cameras and check the graphs.

They also have a Facebook group Virmalistekütid where people post their photos often in real time!

3. Believe your own eyes and your intuition

So, all the predictions are saying that there’s not a lot of chance for you to see aurora? That may be, but there have been times that I’ve gotten this weird feeling in my gut that I need to go out and check for myself. And these have been some of the greatest sightings, when I have spotted some beautiful northern lights. So in the end, check the sky just in case. It might just be worth it!

Capturing aurora

Here are practical settings you can start with on your phone if it has a pro photo mode plus what to pay attention to when hunting auroras:

Basic Pro mode settings (start point)

• ISO: 800–1600 (raise toward 3200 if the aurora is faint), higher ISO makes the sensor more sensitive but adds noise, find a balance.
• Shutter speed: 5–15 seconds (for slow aurora), longer shutter lets the sensor collect more light from faint auroras. If the aurora is fast or bright, shorten shutter to 2–5 seconds to keep shapes sharp.
• Focus: manual focus set to infinity (tap and drag to ∞ if manual slider is available), manual infinity focus prevents blurry stars and aurora glow.
• White balance: 3500–4000K (keeps greens truer).

What else to note

• Use a tripod or stable surface. Handheld long exposures blur easily.
• Use a timer or remote shutter to avoid camera shake. I have this camera shutter remote control connected to my phone via Bluetooth, which works well for this. I have had this small device for years, it is great for taking photos of yourself on travels if you want to have all your friends on the photo and an amazing background. You can use a timer, but the remote control is so much more comfortable and it costs around 5€.
• Clean your lens often – moisture and fog ruin long exposures.
• Shoot during dark skies (no moon, low light pollution) if possible.

You can tweak settings based on what you see on the live preview. Take a test shot, then adjust shutter or ISO one step at a time. It totally depends what you are seeing with the naked eye, how much light there is and other circumstances. You will learn by doing.

Photo editing

Some light photo editing can go a long way. You can use the built-in photo editor of your phone, or my favourite free version of Adobe Lightroom (Google Store link), which has a preset called “Natural”, which changes the photo only a bit to have it more clear and vivid, but not changing it so much that it would look overly processed. I think that’s the best balance while making photos with your phone.

What is next for me?

I will definitely keep looking for aurora and sitting in the cold as much as I can, it is one of my favourite hobbies. So if you follow us on Instagram @kaisartravels, you’ll see more photos along the way.

I would love to learn how to photograph the aurora with my camera. I do have one, about 15 years old, which should still work fine. I’ve just been a bit lazy using it over the past few years, especially since phone cameras have gotten so good.

What I really want to learn next is how to film the aurora or make a timelapse. That feels like the natural next step for me.

Looking ahead to 2026, when more amazing northern lights are predicted, I’ve been thinking of setting up an alert for family and friends who want to come aurora hunting with us. That way, I can let people know and we can enjoy the show together at different local spots.

Did you like this post? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram!