The Intervalometer: Why Aurora Photographers Let the Camera Run Itself

One of the most common mistakes in aurora photography is being the person who manually triggers every frame. You're watching the sky, you fire the shutter when something looks good, you wait to see the result, you fire again. In the meantime, a substorm onset begins, accelerates, peaks, and partially fades — and you've captured fragments of it rather than the full progression. An intervalometer solves this problem by running the camera automatically at a set interval, freeing you to watch the sky and respond to developing conditions rather than managing the shutter.

What an Intervalometer Is

An intervalometer is a camera accessory or built-in camera function that triggers the shutter automatically at user-defined intervals — every 5 seconds, every 10 seconds, every 30 seconds, or whatever interval suits the conditions and the intended output. Once set, it fires the shutter continuously without manual input until you stop it or the memory card fills.

What helped me picture the value of this: imagine you're trying to document a weather event — clouds forming, a storm developing, clearing skies after rain. You could photograph manually each time something interesting happens, but you'd miss the transitions between interesting moments. An intervalometer captures everything, including the transitions, producing a complete record that manual shooting always has gaps in. Aurora — particularly during substorm sequences — behaves similarly. The most photogenic moments are often the rapid transitions, and manual shooting misses them.

Most modern mirrorless and DSLR cameras have intervalometer functionality built into their menu systems, which eliminates the need for an external accessory in many cases. External intervalometers connect to the camera's remote shutter port and offer more flexibility in some situations, including the ability to set exposure count limits and work with older camera bodies that lack the built-in function.

Why Intervalometers Matter for Aurora Photography

Aurora photography involves two distinct output types: single still images and time-lapse sequences. For single images, manual triggering works adequately — you fire when the aurora looks good and review the result. For time-lapse, an intervalometer is not optional. A time-lapse sequence that shows the full arc of a substorm — from quiet green arc through rapid onset, peak corona or curtain activity, and gradual recovery — requires continuous, consistent framing across potentially hundreds of images. Manual triggering produces uneven gaps that break the sequence.

Beyond time-lapse, intervalometers are valuable for still shooting during fast-moving events. During active substorm onset, when curtains are moving rapidly and structure is changing by the second, having the camera fire every 5 to 8 seconds gives you coverage of the full sequence without requiring you to keep your eye on the viewfinder. You can watch the sky, assess conditions, and adjust settings periodically — while the camera captures everything between your interventions.

What Intervalometers Mean for Aurora Travelers

Travelers who are new to aurora photography often underestimate how quickly conditions can change during a substorm. An onset that begins subtly can produce a full-sky display within three to five minutes and then fade or shift within another ten. Without continuous shooting, the peak of that sequence is easily missed. An intervalometer running at 8-second intervals captures the entire event — and in the field, knowing the camera is continuously running frees attention for the experience of watching rather than managing equipment.

Setting up the intervalometer before it's needed — before activity begins, while conditions are still quiet — is the most important habit. Trying to configure it during an active onset costs exactly the time you most want to be shooting. Our Northern Lights Tour in Fairbanks covers the basics of aurora camera setup during the trip, including intervalometer use, so guests can focus on the experience rather than troubleshooting equipment during active displays.

Practical Settings for Aurora Intervalometers

Interval length depends on the intended output and current conditions. For time-lapse sequences of slow-moving aurora — quiet arcs, gradual structural changes — intervals of 15 to 30 seconds work well and produce smooth motion when the sequence is compiled. For active substorm sequences where structure is changing rapidly, intervals of 5 to 8 seconds capture transitions more completely. For pulsating aurora in the pre-dawn hours, intervals of 2 to 4 seconds are needed to resolve individual pulse cycles clearly.

Exposure length and interval length need to be coordinated: the interval must be longer than the shutter speed plus the camera's processing time. For a 10-second exposure with 2 seconds of processing, a 13-second or longer interval prevents the intervalometer from trying to trigger while the previous exposure is still being written.

Return to the full Northern Lights Glossary to continue through the Photography-Specific Terms section.