The Hunt for the Northern Lights: My Adventure in the Far North

Some experiences leave an indelible impression. For Bastian Klein, it was the moment he saw the Northern Lights for the first time—not in Scandinavia, but in Germany. He wanted more. And so began his great adventure: a road trip through Scandinavia in search of the mystical lights of the north.

Cold nights under a clear, starry sky hold magic. The air is still, almost solemn, and the darkness wraps around you like a blanket. This is when the Northern Lights begin to dance—sudden, unexpected, and always captivating. I had already been lucky enough to see—and photograph—auroras in Germany. But as a passionate landscape and astrophotographer, I had long dreamed of capturing this magical spectacle in Scandinavia. Now, that dream was about to come true.

My plan was to spend three to four weeks on the road—from Cologne to the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands in northern Norway. But if you want to witness the Northern Lights, you quickly realize that plans are mere illusions. You chase the weather, keep an eye out for clear skies, and cling to the hope that the next moment will be magical.

So, I unexpectedly found myself in Sweden, far from my original destination. While I saw only faint auroras in Norway, Sweden revealed how the green veils danced intensely across the horizon under a clear, starry sky.

But my journey veered even further from my plan—the clear skies led me all the way to Finland, where I witnessed another magical display of light, mountains, and reflective lakes in the tranquility of Lapland. These moments truly took my breath away.

My faithful companion on this trip was the TAMRON 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD, a lens perfect for aurora photography. Its wide aperture of F/2.8 was ideal for capturing the fleeting lights, while its compact design and weather resistance made it perfect for harsh conditions. From wide skies at 17mm to the distant lights at 28mm, this lens gave me all the freedom I needed.

Patience. That is probably the most important lesson I learned on this trip. There were nights when I stood under a starry sky, camera in hand, only to have the auroras refuse to appear. Then, there were those moments that more than rewarded the wait—like in Andøya, when the lights suddenly exploded above me, transforming the sky into a kaleidoscopic spectacle. I stood there, overwhelmed, the camera clicking, knowing that no photo could ever fully capture the magic of the moment.

Scandinavia in the fall means icy temperatures, wind, and sometimes merciless rain. When I arrived on the Lofoten Islands, despite the clear nights, the auroras were faint at first. But I wasn’t discouraged. A spontaneous decision took me to Abisko in Sweden—a five-hour drive that paid off in full: a gigantic aurora fireworks display unfolded under a starry night sky.

Green, purple, pink—the sky became a stage, and nature put on a show that made me forget everything else. I pressed the shutter release over and over, hardly believing how perfectly the Tamron lens captured the magic.

The next day, I drove back to the Lofoten Islands. This time, I was lucky enough to experience the highlight of my trip: The auroras broke through the clouds and delivered an incredibly dynamic and colorful display, even surpassing the previous night. I finally captured the shot I had dreamed of before starting my journey.

After this experience, I made my way home, but the aurora hunt didn’t end there. In southern Norway and northern Denmark, the sky once again lit up in magical colors. While the lights were more subtle there, I was able to capture them on camera—an unforgettable farewell gift from the north.

But the real surprise came shortly before the end of my trip: A solar storm brought the auroras all the way to Germany. Near Hanover, I witnessed the most intense red auroras of my life—an unexpected finale that left me speechless.