Another attempt at Lightning

mushy

Had a great storm Saturday night in Perth, unfortunately i was a fair way from it and stuck with alot of ambient light. So alot of my photo's came out with just very well lit up clouds but you get that.






all comments or tips for better captures are more than welcome.

GREAPER

No tips from me, they are better than my best attempts.

gus

Good start mushy...what camera & settings did you use ?

Lightning is about the only stuff i know how to set for.
Always be aware that most of the lightning that gets people is well out in front of the storm so never think you are safe with a storm approaching from maybe 5 or even more miles away.

Gus

mushy

Humungus wrote:

Good start mushy...what camera & settings did you use ?

Lightning is about the only stuff i know how to set for.
Always be aware that most of the lightning that gets people is well out in front of the storm so never think you are safe with a storm approaching from maybe 5 or even more miles away.

Gus

The camera is an Olympus C8080WZ on between 10 and 15 second exposures with an f stop of about 2.4 to 3.2 .I was a little worried if i went for a much higher f stop I'd end up missing some of the lightning which just didn't have the punch since most was either far away or partially hidden by clouds.

gus

mushy wrote:

The camera is an Olympus C8080WZ on between 10 and 15 second exposures with an f stop of about 2.4 to 3.2 .I was a little worried if i went for a much higher f stop I'd end up missing some of the lightning which just didn't have the punch since most was either far away or partially hidden by clouds.

Thats a good camera.

I would close the app to min (i think f/8 on my olympus anyway is it) & keep the ISO (maybe iso 50) as low as possible for the longest exposure with the lowest possible noise & greatest depth of field.

I dont know if you are doing this already but mate i so wish i had started shooting in raw earlier with my olympus..you wont ever go back to Jpeg again. Thats my opinion anyway.

Download Rawshooter prog (its free) & shoot in raw so you can adjust the white balance & exposure. You can bring in a fill light also if the shoot cannot be corrected enough just through setting the exposure in raw to light some foreground.

Always use the cameras self timer as just your finger pressing the button will start a little shake happening & you really dont want any in a long exposure.

Keep 'em coming. Lightning is a powerful subject for photography.

Gus

rahmonster

I think they are great. I haven't had geat success shooting lightning, but have given it a go. The only advice I can offer is that someone told me the thing to remember is f/8, sit and wait. lol

I like that last shot.

Harryb

I'm going to ask you for tips because I ahven't been able to get a decent lightning shot yet. Cool shots.

wxwax

Harryb wrote:

I'm going to ask you for tips because I ahven't been able to get a decent lightning shot yet. Cool shots.

Yeah, where you live there should be plenty of opportunities. But be safe!

mushy

Humungus wrote:

Thats a good camera.

I would close the app to min (i think f/8 on my olympus anyway is it) & keep the ISO (maybe iso 50) as low as possible for the longest exposure with the lowest possible noise & greatest depth of field.

I dont know if you are doing this already but mate i so wish i had started shooting in raw earlier with my olympus..you wont ever go back to Jpeg again. Thats my opinion anyway.

Download Rawshooter prog (its free) & shoot in raw so you can adjust the white balance & exposure. You can bring in a fill light also if the shoot cannot be corrected enough just through setting the exposure in raw to light some foreground.

Always use the cameras self timer as just your finger pressing the button will start a little shake happening & you really dont want any in a long exposure.

Keep 'em coming. Lightning is a powerful subject for photography.

Gus

You are right about the settings i just forgot to mention (ISO 50). I could be very wrong here but, if i shot at f8 then unless its a powerful strike or at least close to me then i'd not pick it up? just thinking out loud.
As far as raw mode goes unfortunately my Olympus is just way too slow at storing shots that have been taken in Raw mode, especially if you don't want to miss anything like lightning (takes about 15 seconds per shot, depending on file size)
Instead of the self timer i have a remote control with a home made modification for doing 'BULB' shots where you need to hold down the button to keep the shutter open.

gus

mushy wrote:

if i shot at f8 then unless its a powerful strike or at least close to me then i'd not pick it up? just thinking out loud.
.

no glory without pain...got be almost under them to get the good ones.

They recon you get about 2 seconds warning you are about to get blown to kindom come..you will hear a very high pitched noise in your head. Some that have been hit say it isnt true & some do. Most people that survive are hit with the leaders...the small half dozen or so bolts that come up from the ground to each offer a good path for the main bolt as it sits for milliseconds waiting to chose which one & that one leader then becomes the main bolt (bolts go up a lot more than they go down BTW)...i seriously doubt anyone survives the main bolt very often.

The higher f/stop will do 2 good things for lightning...slow the shutter speed right down to allow several strikes to come into the camera over a period & also give a greater depth of field so that everything in the shot is in focus from the power lines in fromt of you ..the bolt itself & the hills off in the distance behind.

I would easily anyday sacrifice time over quality in a good storm re your writting speed of RAW. A good storm will often give you 2 or 3 strikes in 30 seconds so if you can keep the shutter open for that long....let it write & miss the odd strike. White balance is just so important in this type of shot. Im not familiar with the 8080 but i used to do 15 seconds with my old c-5050 quite ok except for the RAW bit (i always used jpeg). I recon that your camera would out do it hands down.

If you want i can do that one of mine (posted in this weeks 'weather' photo challange) in several diff white balance scenes to show you just how much it can make a difference.

Gus

mushy

Humungus wrote:

no glory without pain...got be almost under them to get the good ones.

They recon you get about 2 seconds warning you are about to get blown to kindom come..you will hear a very high pitched noise in your head. Some that have been hit say it isnt true & some do. Most people that survive are hit with the leaders...the small half dozen or so bolts that come up from the ground to each offer a good path for the main bolt as it sits for milliseconds waiting to chose which one & that one leader then becomes the main bolt (bolts go up a lot more than they go down BTW)...i seriously doubt anyone survives the main bolt very often.

The higher f/stop will do 2 good things for lightning...slow the shutter speed right down to allow several strikes to come into the camera over a period & also give a greater depth of field so that everything in the shot is in focus from the power lines in fromt of you ..the bolt itself & the hills off in the distance behind.

I would easily anyday sacrifice time over quality in a good storm re your writting speed of RAW. A good storm will often give you 2 or 3 strikes in 30 seconds so if you can keep the shutter open for that long....let it write & miss the odd strike. White balance is just so important in this type of shot. Im not familiar with the 8080 but i used to do 15 seconds with my old c-5050 quite ok except for the RAW bit (i always used jpeg). I recon that your camera would out do it hands down.

If you want i can do that one of mine (posted in this weeks 'weather' photo challange) in several diff white balance scenes to show you just how much it can make a difference.

Gus

Cheers for all the info and pointers Gus, just spotted your entry too, thats a very impressive shot you have there. Next time lightning strikes i'll be heading in its general direction rather than staying put.
When i do get another opportunity to shot lightning I'll do it in RAW, then I'll most probably being looking in your general direction for some more pointers re- white balance.
Thanks again
Mushy

gus

mushy wrote:

Cheers for all the info and pointers Gus, just spotted your entry too, thats a very impressive shot you have there. Next time lightning strikes i'll be heading in its general direction rather than staying put.
When i do get another opportunity to shot lightning I'll do it in RAW, then I'll most probably being looking in your general direction for some more pointers re- white balance.
Thanks again
Mushy

Mate im self taught so i am open to pointers also. Its funny but to me lightning is so easy but do you think i can get a good 'bird in flight' ? I have learnt a great respect for those that can do birds in flight in the last few days ive been trying on one particular eagle.

But i must say that RAW is so much easier & better to do.

Good luck.

PS...seriously keep away from trees..they are the real killers as they are just a HUGE earth stake to a bolt of lightning.

Gus

pepper44

Humungus wrote:

no glory without pain...got be almost under them to get the good ones.

They recon you get about 2 seconds warning you are about to get blown to kindom come..you will hear a very high pitched noise in your head. Some that have been hit say it isnt true & some do. Most people that survive are hit with the leaders...the small half dozen or so bolts that come up from the ground to each offer a good path for the main bolt as it sits for milliseconds waiting to chose which one & that one leader then becomes the main bolt (bolts go up a lot more than they go down BTW)...i seriously doubt anyone survives the main bolt very often.
Gus

I can't say much about capturing pictures of lightening, because I have yet to be successful at it. But I can tell you about getting struck by it...I've come really close. I was standing on the porch of a trailer once when lightening struck the porch light...I did hear a really loud noise in my head, my ears were ringing for hours afterwards and I didn't even get touched! Up close it's hot and every color but white..it was blue and orange and red. Amazing, but crazy stuff...lightening scares me to death now.

gus

pepper44 wrote:

I can't say much about capturing pictures of lightening, because I have yet to be successful at it. But I can tell you about getting struck by it...I've come really close. I was standing on the porch of a trailer once when lightening struck the porch light...I did hear a really loud noise in my head, my ears were ringing for hours afterwards and I didn't even get touched! Up close it's hot and every color but white..it was blue and orange and red. Amazing, but crazy stuff...lightening scares me to death now.

Wow..thats close pepper. I have had one hit a pole about 20 yards in front of me once also & yes i saw the blue as well.