Hey Phil, thanks for the link to my site. Unfortunately here in Dallas this year, we haven't had many storms that produced good lightning. It seems like every time I go out of town, there is an excellent one, though.
Here's a few of mine from the last few years. Some were taken with my old F707, some with my 10D:
Hey Phil, thanks for the link to my site. Unfortunately here in Dallas this year, we haven't had many storms that produced good lightning. It seems like every time I go out of town, there is an excellent one, though.
Here's a few of mine from the last few years. Some were taken with my old F707, some with my 10D:
James
James,
Those are truely amazing. Thank you so much for posting them! You have some great stuff there. Welcome to dgrin!
Great stuff James and welcome to dgrin. Any technical tidbits for us lighting noobs.
Thanks for all the comments folks. : Here's a few suggestions for shooting lightning:
1) Include an interesting forground/background for your shot. I actually scout out and note locations ahead of time in a notebook of what I think would be a good spot. Buildings, skylines, silhouettes of tress and mountains all make great forgrounds.
2) Use Doppler radar to plan ahead. Certain types of storms are better than others. Small, isolated cells are easy to photograph, while large rainy areas are very difficult due to the reduced visibility from the rain.
3) Shoot lightning as the storms are moving away from you. Typically, the better lightning will be on the backside of the storm as it moves away. This is why planning ahead using the radar is important. This is also safer. Be sure to pay attention to what other storms are doing around you. Safety is always my main concern. Storms can build up behind you quickly while you are focussing on what is happening in front. :uhoh
4) Try to find a safe location to shoot. I like to shoot from the mid levels of parking garages (not the top), as you stay out of the rain and lightning.
5) Use a sturdy tripod. I also use Mirror Lockup on my 10d. The vibration from the mirror can blur some of the brighter lights in a scene when shooting buildings. Make sure you lock your tripod down good and tight.
6) Determine the proper exposure to expose the scene without the lightning in it. This will give you dramatic pictures, as the lightning will blend into the scene well. Take a few practice shot and examine using the LCD and Histogram. Remember that in the histogram, any nightime scene is going to be wayyyy over on the left. This is normal, as most of the scene is going to be at around -2 to -1. Don't try to expose the scene for the middle of the histogram, as you'll blow out the sky and highlights.
7) Determine your aperature by how far away the lightning is. If it is close and very bright, shoot at F8 to F10. If further away, maybe F4 to F5.6. Sometimes, if the lightning is faint, I will raise my ISO. Just depends on the situation.
8) With my 10D, I have a remote intervalometer that repeatedly takes the picture for me. I like to setup my 10d on one scene where there is lightning, and then repeatedly shoot that scene. Later, in software, I can combine several lightning shots into one since I haven't moved the camera.
4) Try to find a safe location to shoot. I like to shoot from the mid levels of parking garages (not the top), as you stay out of the rain and lightning.
Excellent tips, James! And of all of them, this is the very best. If you can see lighting, you can be hit by lightning.
Thanks, H. I've seen the shot you posted, and was quite impressed. It's hard to resist when nature gives such a show, eh?
Yep...i can feel it getting hotter now. Cant wait for the storms to start.Im just going to throw caution to the wind this year & take my chances...no hiding this time round.
Here's one I took at the Outer Banks. Technically not very good, but I shot it in pitch dark and just lucked out on the timing. Some of the other shots are amazing! Dani - I loved your story about standing outside in your pj's. Great picture!
Here's one I took at the Outer Banks. Technically not very good, but I shot it in pitch dark and just lucked out on the timing. Some of the other shots are amazing! Dani - I loved your story about standing outside in your pj's. Great picture!
Wow...that's cool seeing it hit the water. Nice shot! Thanks for posting it.
Last night we caucht the edge of the thunder storms, that affected most of the UK yesterday. The red lights in the center are the TV mast, I was hoping for a strike on it but got one either side instead
Last night we caucht the edge of the thunder storms, that affected most of the UK yesterday. The red lights in the center are the TV mast, I was hoping for a strike on it but got one either side instead
F/8 30 sec
Cheers
Stan
Nice catch stan...you would think that a massive earth rod going straight up into the sky screaming 'come get me' would be the icing on the cake for a bolt like that.
Proves my point to myself...its a game of chance & impossible to predict.
People say dont stand under a tree...well if im in a lightning storms path with 100 000 trees in front of it...why would my lump of flesh make the tree im under a better potential.
Here you photographed an almost purpose built lightning conductor & the +ive charge builds up under it & lets rip from beside it on flat ground not up through it ..totally random.
I sent the pic to the weather station, I thought they might like the idea of them still broadcasting and being immune to lightning.
I reckon if you are on a plain (Paddock) and it is slinging it down with rain in a thunder storm and there is one 400 year old oak tree for shelter, go and stand under it, if it hasn't been hit in 400 years, what are the chances...
But I prefer my Land Rover, it works well as a Faraday Cage.
Those first two photos: Look at the area above the cloud tops, zoom in, do all kinds of editing. You never know.
Taking distant shots of thunderstorms like that sometimes captures those elusive JETS and SPRITES--lightening phenomena that shoots off into space
(one is red and the other is blue. I forget which color is which).
We had a really impressive thunderstorm in the desert here recently... At one point it averaged 2-3 strikes per second. Luckily the storm was about 50 miles away when I took these pics. Most of these were 1-2 min exposures at an ISO of 400 or 800 to capture multiple quick flashes. Because of that you can see some artifacts of the noise reduction I had to put them through...
Thought I would post some anyway...
Anyone have some lightning pics they'd like to share?
Comments
Howdy All,
Hey Phil, thanks for the link to my site.
Here's a few of mine from the last few years. Some were taken with my old F707, some with my 10D:
James
Langford Photography
http://www.langfordphotography.com
james@langfordphotography.com
Yea man, love those shots...
http://philu.smugmug.com
TML Photography
tmlphoto.com
Those are truely amazing. Thank you so much for posting them! You have some great stuff there. Welcome to dgrin!
http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
I wish I had the guts to go do lightning photos...I tried once here in Tucson as a storm was approaching and I wimped out!
awesome lightning photos all, awesome lightning photos...
Adrienne
Thanks for all the comments folks.
1) Include an interesting forground/background for your shot. I actually scout out and note locations ahead of time in a notebook of what I think would be a good spot. Buildings, skylines, silhouettes of tress and mountains all make great forgrounds.
2) Use Doppler radar to plan ahead. Certain types of storms are better than others. Small, isolated cells are easy to photograph, while large rainy areas are very difficult due to the reduced visibility from the rain.
3) Shoot lightning as the storms are moving away from you. Typically, the better lightning will be on the backside of the storm as it moves away. This is why planning ahead using the radar is important. This is also safer.
4) Try to find a safe location to shoot. I like to shoot from the mid levels of parking garages (not the top), as you stay out of the rain and lightning.
5) Use a sturdy tripod. I also use Mirror Lockup on my 10d. The vibration from the mirror can blur some of the brighter lights in a scene when shooting buildings. Make sure you lock your tripod down good and tight.
6) Determine the proper exposure to expose the scene without the lightning in it. This will give you dramatic pictures, as the lightning will blend into the scene well. Take a few practice shot and examine using the LCD and Histogram. Remember that in the histogram, any nightime scene is going to be wayyyy over on the left. This is normal, as most of the scene is going to be at around -2 to -1. Don't try to expose the scene for the middle of the histogram, as you'll blow out the sky and highlights.
7) Determine your aperature by how far away the lightning is. If it is close and very bright, shoot at F8 to F10. If further away, maybe F4 to F5.6. Sometimes, if the lightning is faint, I will raise my ISO. Just depends on the situation.
8) With my 10D, I have a remote intervalometer that repeatedly takes the picture for me. I like to setup my 10d on one scene where there is lightning, and then repeatedly shoot that scene. Later, in software, I can combine several lightning shots into one since I haven't moved the camera.
Well, that's about all I can think of now.
James
Langford Photography
http://www.langfordphotography.com
james@langfordphotography.com
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
That's why you're the Hall of Wisdom guy.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
We had another storm here Sunday night. This one was one of the most impressive electrical storms I think I've ever seen.
Here are some attempts at capturing it:
The rest of the series is here.
http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
Wow...that's cool seeing it hit the water. Nice shot! Thanks for posting it.
http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
F/8 30 sec
Cheers
Stan
Proves my point to myself...its a game of chance & impossible to predict.
People say dont stand under a tree...well if im in a lightning storms path with 100 000 trees in front of it...why would my lump of flesh make the tree im under a better potential.
Here you photographed an almost purpose built lightning conductor & the +ive charge builds up under it & lets rip from beside it on flat ground not up through it ..totally random.
I reckon if you are on a plain (Paddock) and it is slinging it down with rain in a thunder storm and there is one 400 year old oak tree for shelter, go and stand under it, if it hasn't been hit in 400 years, what are the chances...
But I prefer my Land Rover, it works well as a Faraday Cage.
Cheers
Stan
Taking distant shots of thunderstorms like that sometimes captures those elusive JETS and SPRITES--lightening phenomena that shoots off into space
(one is red and the other is blue. I forget which color is which).