With another opportunity to witness the aurora on the horizon and stunning images of its displays already lighting up our social media feeds, it’s important to remember that what you see in photos can be vastly different from what the naked eye perceives. According to Jim Zavislan, a professor at the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, human vision has evolved to function best in light. Consequently, our eyes are less effective in dark conditions, limiting what we can see. In contrast, cameras are much more adaptable than the average human eye.
“When it’s dark, we experience what’s known as scotopic vision, which doesn’t provide us with a good color response,” explains Zavislan. “Our eyesight has evolved primarily for survival, meaning that at night, our main concern was spotting potential predators. As a result, color vision wasn’t a priority in low-light conditions.”
Cameras, however, aren’t bound by the same limitations and can continuously improve without waiting for evolutionary changes.
“Cameras have electronic adjustability, allowing them to vary exposure times. They can capture images over several seconds and increase their sensitivity, enabling them to adapt to the lighting conditions they’re photographing,” Zavislan notes.
Moreover, modern cameras have become significantly smarter. The better the sensors and processors in your device, the more effectively it can capture and enhance light.
“Today’s smartphones take numerous images and then process them. It’s this processing that enhances the final result,” says Zavislan.
To illustrate this point, Professor Zavislan conducted an experiment where he used a specialized filter to reduce light from a projector by 2,000 times. To the naked eye, the scene appeared almost invisible, but when captured with an iPhone camera, vibrant colors emerged dramatically. You can watch this in the video above.
He also shared some valuable tips for capturing the aurora, whether with a smartphone or a DSLR camera.
“For most modern Android and iPhone cameras, I recommend first focusing on a distant object with a sharp edge. Cameras can sometimes struggle to focus in low light, so establishing a focus lock is crucial,” Zavislan advises.
“For amateur photographers using a DSLR, increase your ISO setting to at least 800 or higher, and take trial photos with exposure times of 1 to 2 seconds. If you’re using a DSLR, a tripod is strongly recommended to stabilize your shots.”