People have been talking about the Northern Lights, which come around every once in a while, the most recent occurrence being this week. But how do you see them? How do you take a photo? You’re in luck; it’s really not that hard.

The first step is to go to a place with little light pollution. This is likely going to be in the middle of nowhere, even just down the road from USI, has less light than on campus.

If you have a tripod for a phone, that will come in handy, but don’t worry if you don’t have one.

A big red blob to the north is all the naked eye can see of the Northern Lights. Depending on the strength, you will see more or less of this blob.

Once you’re in a place with minimal light, take out your phone. For iPhones, find night mode and turn it to the highest setting, likely 10 seconds. For Android phones, go to Pro or Manual mode and adjust the shutter speed to the slowest time setting.

A tripod will help keep the phone steady while you take the picture. Without a tripod, keep your hands and phone steady or prop it up with something else. You can play around with the exposure to make the photos brighter or darker. These tips also work for capturing the stars!

Remember to have fun and be safe taking photos, especially out in the middle of nowhere.

If you manage to take some great photos, feel free to send them to The Shield along with your name, major and year (for non-students: name and title) to be featured in an upcoming gallery!