Yellowknife (Feb 02/05) - Perhaps the one great solace to living in the cold of the North is the opportunity to witness one of the most spectacular natural phenomena on the planet: the aurora borealis.

But capturing the elusive northern lights on film - or a digital memory card - can be difficult.

It takes the right combination of lighting, camera equipment and patience, according to those in the photography business.

"Do not expect great results the first time," said Andrea Bell of Yellowknife Foto Source. "They are one of the more difficult things to photograph."

The quality of your aurora pictures will depend largely on your camera, Bell said. While small, hand-held digital cameras and disposable film models are useful in a variety of situations, most do not offer the photographer enough control over settings like aperture size and exposure time, which are essential to capturing the lights.

"I have seen people take some great photographs with disposable cameras, but that was more a fluke," she said.

Single Lens Reflex Cameras - or SLRs - are your best bet for capturing the aurora, Bell said. Prices for these begin at about $500 for film versions and $1,200 for the digital variety. They allow you to manually control how much light enters the camera.

"The idea is to let as much light in as long as you can," Bell said.

The light conditions and the type of film you are using - Bell recommended an ISO 400 as a starting point - will determine how long you should leave the shutter open. The time can range anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute.

To keep the camera steady for the extended exposure time, you will need a tripod, Bell said.

"You can't possibly hold the camera still for long enough," she said.

Photographers also recommend using your camera's widest aperture - or smallest F-number - because depth of field is not an issue when shooting the aurora.

Several Web sites offer tables outlining aperture settings, film speeds and exposure times, but ultimately all recommendations are just a starting point, said Bell. "Experimentation is a big part of shooting the lights," she said.

Technical aspects aside, photographers recommend you take time composing your picture and have something in the foreground - like a tree or a building - to add perspective to the shot.