Experiences
Northern Lights Photoshoot in Norway
A northern lights photoshoot in Norway is a night-time portrait session under the aurora, usually around three hours from Tromsø or Lofoten between late August and early April, with a local photographer who drives to clear skies, arranged through Fjordly from NOK 7,900.
Pricing
From NOK 7,900
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Edited photos
- ~40
Starting price. The exact price depends on photographer, place, date, time and add-ons, and is stated in your proposal before you book.
Quick answers
- How much does it cost?
- Northern Lights Photoshoot starts from NOK 7,900. The final price depends on the place, duration, date, time of day, travel and any add-ons such as video, and is stated in your proposal before you book.
- How long does it take?
- A typical session lasts 3 hours and you receive around 40 edited photos.
- What is included?
- Around three hours in the starting package, including driving to the spot
- Cloud and aurora forecast monitoring on the day, and the decision where to go
- Transport from an agreed pick-up point in Tromsø or your Lofoten base, where offered
- Soft portrait lighting so your faces are sharp and natural against the sky
- Where does it take place?
- Popular places include Tromsø and Lofoten. Your photographer suggests the best spot for your date, the light and the crowds.
- Who is it for?
- Couples on a winter trip to Tromsø or Lofoten
- Proposers who want to ask under the aurora; see proposal photography
- Honeymooners who chose the Arctic over a beach
- Solo travellers who want one proper photo of themselves under the lights
- How does booking work?
- Send a free request with your place, date and plans. Fjordly checks which photographers are available and replies with a proposal stating the photographer, the package and the exact price. Nothing is booked until you accept.
Phone pictures of the northern lights rarely show the people standing under them. A northern lights photoshoot is a portrait session first: the photographer finds a dark place with a clean foreground, places you in it and makes sure your faces are as sharp as the sky.
It is not an aurora-watching tour with a photo at the end. The whole evening is planned around you: the photographer studies the cloud forecast, chooses where to drive, sets up the lighting and tells you exactly when to hold still. Most sessions start from Tromsø or Lofoten, both inside the auroral zone and with mountains and water close to the road.
Fjordly matches you with an independent photographer reviewed for night photography, winter driving and local knowledge. You receive a proposal with their name, the package, the price and the terms for a cloudy night before anything is booked. Our northern lights photoshoot guide explains the whole evening in more depth.
How it works
- 1
Send a free availability request
Tell us your travel dates, where you are staying and how many nights you have. More nights mean more chances of clear skies. The availability request is free and places you under no obligation.
- 2
We match a northern lights photographer
We check which reviewed photographers are free on your dates and reply personally, pointing out what affects the plan, such as a full moon, the polar night or a long drive inland.
- 3
Proposal with weather terms
The proposal names the photographer and sets out the duration, the price, the payment terms, the delivery time and what happens on a cloudy night: usually a move to another evening during your stay. The booking is confirmed when you accept.
- 4
The decision on the day
In the afternoon the photographer checks the cloud forecast and confirms the plan or proposes another night. If you go, you are picked up or meet in the evening and drive to wherever the sky is clearest.
- 5
Under the aurora
At the spot, the photographer sets up, places you and lights you with a soft lamp. Exposures last a few seconds, so you hold still while the shutter is open, then move, warm up and try another pose.
From the portfolio
Where the session happens
Around Tromsø photographers often drive west onto Kvaløya, to Ersfjordbotn or the beaches towards Sommarøy, where mountains rise straight from the water. When the coast is cloudy, they may head inland or towards the Lyngen Alps, where the weather is often different, which can mean a longer drive. Our page on northern lights photoshoots in Tromsø covers the area in detail. In Lofoten the beaches at Haukland, Uttakleiv and Skagsanden and the villages around Reine and Hamnøy give strong foregrounds, and the islands are small enough that you can often move to the side with clear skies. The aurora is also seen further south, but much less often, so a session elsewhere in Norway is not something we plan around.
Preparation tips
- Book on one of your first nights and keep the following nights free, so a cloudy evening can move.
- Dress for standing still in the cold: thermal base layers, a warm mid-layer, a long insulated jacket, a hat, mittens and warm winter boots with good grip.
- Choose a jacket in a solid, mid or light colour. Black disappears into the night sky, and busy logos show in the light.
- Bring hand warmers and a spare phone battery; batteries drain fast in the cold.
- Eat before you leave. The session runs late, and there are few places to stop once you are out of town.
- Clear skies matter more than a high Kp index. A modest aurora over a clean sky gives better portraits than a strong one behind cloud.
- Avoid the weeks around midsummer: from roughly late May to late July the sun does not set in Tromsø, and there is no darkness for the aurora.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a northern lights photoshoot cost?
Northern lights sessions through Fjordly start from NOK 7,900 for around three hours, including driving. Longer chases, extra people, private transport from further away or a proposal planned into the evening can raise the price. The exact figure is in your proposal; see our photographer cost guide for what drives it.
When is the northern lights season in Norway?
Roughly from late August or September to early April, when the nights in the north are dark enough. Mid-winter gives the longest nights; September, October and March often combine dark evenings with milder temperatures. Our best time guide compares the months.
What happens if it is cloudy?
Nobody can promise the aurora will appear, and cloud is the most common reason a night fails. The photographer checks the forecast in the afternoon and usually moves the session to another night of your stay if the sky looks closed everywhere within reach. The exact rescheduling and cancellation terms, including what happens if no clear night comes during your trip, are stated in your proposal before you book.
How do you get sharp portraits in the dark?
The camera sits on a tripod and the shutter stays open for a few seconds to record the aurora. The photographer lights you with a soft, low-power lamp or flash so your faces are exposed correctly, and asks you to hold completely still during each exposure. Between frames you can move, laugh and warm up.
How cold will it be?
It depends on the month and the place. On the coast around Tromsø and in Lofoten winter nights are often a few degrees below zero, with wind; inland valleys can be much colder, sometimes well below minus 15 °C. You will be standing still for long stretches, so dress warmer than for a walk. Our what to wear guide has an Arctic packing list.
Can I propose during a northern lights session?
Yes. Tell us in your request, and the photographer plans the spot, the signal and the lighting so the moment is caught even if your partner thinks it is an ordinary aurora shoot. See proposal photography and proposals in Tromsø.
Can you photograph the aurora with a drone?
Ask in advance. Drone rules from the Civil Aviation Authority (Luftfartstilsynet) and local restrictions apply, including no-fly zones around airports such as Tromsø’s, and flying at night has extra requirements. Most aurora portraits are taken from the ground in any case.
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Planning guides
The best time for a photoshoot in Norway: a month-by-month guide
Midnight sun, polar night, aurora season, road openings and cruise crowds month by month, with sunset times by latitude and the places that suit each season.
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Northern lights photoshoot in Norway: how a portrait session under the aurora works
What actually happens on a northern lights portrait session: forecasts, the drive to clear skies, how you are lit and kept sharp, what to wear and what it costs.
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How much does a photographer cost in Norway?
Starting prices for every kind of photoshoot in Norway, from a 30-minute city portrait to a wedding day, and the factors that move the final price up.
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