Northern Lights Photography
Northern Lights Photographer in Abisko
A northern lights photographer in Abisko photographs a couple or a solo traveller at night under a possible aurora, on Torneträsk or in the birch forest, using a tripod, long exposures and soft added light, as an independent professional we match you with, from 4,990 kr.
Quick answers
- How much does it cost?
- A northern lights session in Abisko starts from 4,990 kr, VAT (moms) included.
- How long does it take?
- 1 hour. Expect to be out for about 90 minutes of actual shooting inside a much longer window.
- What is included?
- A planning call about your dates, the moon and your room location
- Forecast checks for aurora and cloud during your stay
- A chosen shooting position, set up before you arrive
- Long-exposure night portraits, with soft added light where it helps
- Where does it take place?
- Torneträsk shore; The shore towards Lapporten; Birch forest near the tourist station; Abiskojåkka canyon by day
- When is the best time?
- Aurora can appear at any time after dark, and it is often strongest in the hours around midnight, but it follows no schedule.
A northern lights portrait is a long-exposure photograph with people in it, and that one fact decides nearly everything about the evening. The sky needs seconds of exposure. A person holds still for those seconds, or gets lit for a fraction of them. This page explains how that works in Abisko, what you will actually see, and what you are paying for if the sky does not cooperate.
Nobody can promise you the aurora, and you should be wary of anyone who does. It takes solar activity and a clear sky at the same time. Abisko is one of the most favourable places in Sweden, because it lies under the auroral oval and in the rain shadow of the mountains to the west, but cloud still arrives and quiet nights still happen. The honest thing is to plan several nights and a plan B.
Sessions here are usually for couples or a single traveller, with no proposal involved. If you are planning a proposal, see proposal photography in Abisko instead, as the planning is quite different. For the area itself, read our guide to Abisko and the wider Swedish Lapland.
Where the shoot happens
- 01
Torneträsk shore
The open north-facing horizon is what you want on a quieter night, when the aurora stays low in the north. A snow-covered shore also returns light, so a soft lamp goes further. In September and October, before the ice, open water can carry a reflection.
Best time: Clear nights from September to March; water reflections in autumn
- 02
The shore towards Lapporten
Lapporten is south-east of the village, away from where a quiet aurora sits. On a stronger night, when the aurora moves overhead, you can turn around and get the mountain gate and the sky in one frame. On weak nights the same frame shows only the mountain.
Best time: Active nights, when the aurora is high in the sky
- 03
Birch forest near the tourist station
Low mountain birches give a foreground with shape and a little shelter from the wind. The trees block part of the sky, so this works best when the aurora is high. It is also where you wait out a cold gust without walking back.
Best time: Active nights; moonlit nights for a visible forest
- 04
Abiskojåkka canyon by day
The plan B. The canyon has layered rock and ice right next to the station area and works under a completely grey sky. A short daytime or twilight portrait here means you go home with pictures even if the night fails.
Best time: Around midday in winter; afternoons in spring and autumn
Typically included
- A planning call about your dates, the moon and your room location
- Forecast checks for aurora and cloud during your stay
- A chosen shooting position, set up before you arrive
- Long-exposure night portraits, with soft added light where it helps
- Guidance on standing still and where to look
- Professional editing of the selection
- A private online gallery with high-resolution downloads
- A daylight or twilight plan B agreed in advance
Preparation
- Stay at least three or four nights: this is the single most effective decision you can make.
- Check the moon for your dates, because moonlight gives a visible landscape but hides a faint aurora.
- Dress for standing still in temperatures that can fall below −20 °C, with insulated boots and mittens.
- Keep your phone screen dim and avoid white torches, which spoil other people’s exposures and your own night vision.
- Practise holding still together for around five seconds, which is harder than it sounds in a hug.
- Wear something with shape and colour: dark clothing disappears into a night background.
- Expect to hear your photographer say the camera sees more than you do: that is normal.
Time of day
Aurora can appear at any time after dark, and it is often strongest in the hours around midnight, but it follows no schedule. A typical plan goes out when the forecast and the cloud both look promising, which may be nine in the evening or one in the morning. The sky is dark enough from about late August to early April; from about 25 May to mid-July the midnight sun rules it out completely. Activity tends to be slightly higher around the equinoxes, which adds a small argument for September and March.
Weather
Cloud is the deciding variable. A strong aurora above thick cloud is invisible, and a weak aurora under a clear sky is still worth going out for. Winter brings temperatures below −20 °C in cold snaps, often on the clearest nights, and the wind off Torneträsk makes standing still harder. Batteries fail fast, so a photographer keeps spares warm. Bringing cold gear straight into a warm room causes condensation, so cameras are sealed in a bag before they come indoors. In September and October it is much milder.
Getting there
Fly to Kiruna, then take the train or the E10 to Abisko, about an hour and a half; or take the night train from Stockholm, which takes around 17 to 18 hours and is run by SJ from December 2026. Check at sj.se that your train stops at the station you need. A room close to the shore matters more than a car, because you will be going out late and possibly at short notice.
How the photograph is actually made
The camera sits on a tripod with a wide, fast lens, typically at a wide aperture and a high ISO. The sky usually needs exposures of a few seconds, and fast-moving aurora needs fewer, because long exposures smear its structure into a green haze.
You have two options for staying sharp:
- Hold still. You stand for the length of the exposure, usually a few seconds, and the sky and your outline come out together. A hug, a held hand or a look upward is easier to hold than a smile.
- Get lit briefly. A small dimmable light, set well to one side, adds a soft warm tone to your faces for part of the exposure. It is kept low so that it does not overpower the sky, and it stays off unless the frame needs it.
Some photographers blend two exposures, one for the sky and one for you, to keep both clean. Ask what yours does, and ask them to tell you if a final image is blended; it should still be the same sky you stood under that night.
What you will see with your own eyes
A camera collects light for seconds at a time, and your eye does not. A faint aurora often looks like a pale grey or whitish band to the naked eye and shows up as clear green on the back of the camera. A strong display is unmistakable, bright and moving, and you may see colour without any help.
Knowing this in advance prevents disappointment. If a photograph looks more vivid than your memory of the moment, that is normal camera behaviour rather than a trick, and a good editor will keep the colour believable.
Plan B, decided in advance
Settle this before you travel, so the decision is not made in the cold at midnight.
- Book your session around a stay of several nights, and agree which night is the first attempt.
- Agree a blue-hour or daytime portrait as a fallback, in the canyon or the birches.
- Ask whether a clouded-out evening moves to another night and what that costs.
- Consider booking a guided visit to the Aurora Sky Station as a separate evening, without a photographer, for the experience alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can you promise we will get photos with the northern lights?
No. Aurora needs solar activity and a clear sky at the same time, and neither can be booked. Staying several nights gives the best chance, and an agreed plan B means you still leave with portraits.
How long do we have to stand still?
Usually a few seconds at a time, repeated. The exact length depends on how bright and fast the aurora is. Your photographer tells you when to stop moving, and a hug or a held hand makes it much easier.
Will the aurora look green to us?
A faint aurora often looks pale grey or white to the naked eye, while the camera records it as green because it gathers light for several seconds. Strong displays can show clear colour and movement you can see for yourself.
Is a flash used?
Usually not a direct flash, because it flattens faces and overpowers the sky. A small, dimmable light set off to one side is more common, and it is often used only for part of the exposure.
What is the best month for northern lights in Abisko?
September, October, February and March are the strongest choices, combining darkness with more bearable temperatures and a slight tendency for higher activity around the equinoxes. No month is certain. Avoid the midnight sun period from about 25 May to mid-July.
How much does a northern lights photographer in Abisko cost?
Sessions in Abisko start from 4,990 kr, VAT included. Extra waiting time, a reserved second night or an added film move the price. The final figure and how a cloudy night is handled are stated in your proposal.
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Guides for planning
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Plan a night under the northern sky
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and who is in the picture. We reply personally with a plan, an honest view of the odds and a proposal from a reviewed photographer.
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