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Oct 10, 2026

Aurora tour photos included: why our guides carry a camera for you

Guests often ask us why the photos from our Northern Lights hunting tours look brighter and more colourful than what they remember seeing. It is a fair question, and the answer is not a trick of editing: a camera and the human eye simply record faint light in very different ways.

That difference is the reason our hunting guides are also photographers, and why professional photos are included on our Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed. Below we explain the science first, then exactly how the photography works on our tours.

In short: in low light the human eye picks out brightness before colour, while a modern digital camera can record the aurora’s colours even when it is too dim for us to see them. On our guaranteed hunting tours, a professional Northern Lights guide and photographer takes DSLR photos of you under the auroras, delivered securely online within 2–3 business days. The small-group tour starts from 199 €; if we do not capture the Northern Lights, you get a 100% refund.

At a glance

• From: 199 €
• Experience type: Northern Lights tour
• Duration: Total duration of tour is usually 4-10 hours depends on conditions of the day
• Difficulty: Easy
• Book in Advance: Cut off: 1 hours before start time
• Included: Small group 2-8 persons; Professional Northern Lights guide & photographer in English (other languages available on request: (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German & Finnish. PLEASE NOTE LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER LANGUAGES) If another language is required. Please send us an email or WhatsApp after booking.); Winter clothing (Adult & Child size), overalls, boots, gloves, socks; Information about the Northern Lights; Pick-ups and drop-offs are included in the price in 10 km radius from Rovaniemi city center; Professional DSLR photos (delivered securely online); Air conditioned car; Northern Lights guarantee, if we don’t capture Northern Lights you get 100% your money back!; Hot drinks & light snacks; Unlimited mileage & time (typically 4–10 hours)
• Cancellation: Free cancellation 24 hours before the activity. We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled less than 24 hours before the activity.
• Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible

Why the aurora looks paler to your eyes than on camera

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA SWPC) addresses this directly. People often report that the aurora looks pale white, but according to NOAA that is not its real colour: it is a result of human night vision, in which the eye first picks out brightness without distinguishing colour.

Cameras work differently. NOAA notes that modern digital cameras are often more sensitive than the human eye and can detect the aurora, and its colours, when it is too dim for humans to see. This is why our product pages state plainly that the Northern Lights appear stronger on camera than to the naked eye. When the display is strong you will see colour and movement with your own eyes; on quieter nights the camera often reveals far more than you can.

Where the colours come from

The colours in your photos are real, and they come from different gases at different heights. According to NOAA SWPC:

• Green comes from oxygen and typically occurs from 120 to 400 km above the Earth’s surface.
• Red also comes from oxygen, but is restricted to altitudes above 300 km.
• A purplish lower border sometimes appears, from molecular nitrogen between about 120 and 200 km.

Because the eye struggles with colour in the dark, the reds and purples in particular are often much clearer in a photograph than they were to you on the spot.

Why a hunt needs dark, clear skies

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) says auroras are quite common in Lapland at all times, even during solar minimum; at Lapland’s ski resorts, such as Ylläs, Levi and Saariselkä, they occur on roughly 50% of nights. Seeing them, however, needs a dark and cloudless night. FMI adds that the typical time for auroral displays is around midnight, give or take a couple of hours, and NOAA notes that the aurora near midnight is most active and brightest.

Clouds are the real opponent, and that is why our hunting tours do not go to one fixed spot. Each evening our guides study cloud forecasts, weather conditions and aurora activity before choosing the direction for the night. For more on timing across the winter, see our overview Northern Lights season 2026–2027 in Rovaniemi.

How the photography works on our hunting tours

On the small-group tour your guide is both a professional Northern Lights guide and a photographer. When the auroras appear, we focus on capturing the moment properly, with photos of you under the Northern Lights, so you can concentrate on watching the sky rather than on camera settings.

• Photos are professional DSLR photos, delivered securely online.
• Please give us your email address so we can send the photos after the experience.
• Photos are delivered within 2–3 business days.

The photos are also the basis of our guarantee: if we do not capture the Northern Lights during the tour, you get a 100% refund.

How this shows up on our tours

Professional photos are included on three of our aurora hunting tours, each with the same guarantee:

• Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed, from 199 €: a small group of 2–8 people, unlimited mileage and time (typically 4–10 hours), hot drinks and light snacks, winter clothing, and pick-up within 10 km of the city centre.
• Professional Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi by Bus, from 109 €: the same approach in a bus group, usually 4–5 hours, with professional DSLR photos and hot drinks and light snacks.
• Professional Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed (PRIVATE), from 1990 €: only your own group, up to eight guests in a premium minivan, with no fixed time or distance limits.

On our fixed-location evenings, such as the Northern Lights Tour At The Campfire, the focus is the campfire and the forest, and photos are taken with your own device. If photos matter a lot to you, one of the hunting tours above is the better choice. You can see all our tours on the activities in Rovaniemi page.

What to expect on the night

Start times vary between 17:00 and 21:00, and we confirm yours by email by 14:00 on the day. The route changes every night: sometimes the best sky is close to Rovaniemi, sometimes the hunt needs a longer drive. Aurora hunting involves a lot of driving and waiting, so patience is part of it.

Please bring your passport, because the hunt can take us across the border into Sweden or Norway. The tour length depends on conditions and can vary between 4 and 12 hours on the small-group tour. The tour may be cancelled or rescheduled if the group is smaller than 4 people, or smaller than 6 on public holidays.

Tips if you also want your own photos

Your guide will be busy photographing the group, but you are welcome to take your own pictures too. Based on the NOAA and FMI information above, two things matter most: a dark, cloudless sky, and patience around midnight, when displays are typically most active. On a quieter night, a photo may show colour your eyes cannot pick out, so it is worth taking a test shot even when the sky looks pale.

If you would like a longer introduction to photographing the Arctic, read our article on photography tours in Rovaniemi.

Frequently asked questions

Are photos included on StayLapland aurora tours?

Professional DSLR photos are included on our Professional Small Group, Bus and Private Northern Lights hunting tours. On our campfire tours you take photos with your own device.

Why do the Northern Lights look stronger in photos?

According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the human eye picks out brightness before colour at night, while modern digital cameras can detect the aurora and its colours when it is too dim for us to see.

When will I receive my photos?

Photos are delivered securely online within 2–3 business days. Please give us your email address so we can send them.

What happens if there are no Northern Lights?

On our guaranteed hunting tours, if we do not capture the Northern Lights you get a 100% refund.

What time does the hunting tour start?

Start times vary between 17:00 and 21:00, and we confirm the time by email by 14:00.

Why do I need a passport?

The hunt follows the clearest skies and can cross the border into Sweden or Norway, so please bring your passport.

Ready to book?

You may also like

• Professional Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi by Bus — from 109 €, Total duration of tour is usually 4-5 hours depends on conditions of the day
• Professional Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed (PRIVATE) — from 1990 €, Total duration of tour is usually 4-10 hours depends on conditions of the day

Sources

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center: Aurora Tutorial
• Finnish Meteorological Institute: Auroras in Finland