Some Lightning From Last Night
DaddyO
Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
Was out without a tripod lastnight when I noticed lightning, very near, while at my mothers home.
I took right off heading for the hotspot and a location.
No idea where to set up but I knew I needed to find something fast.
I also knew I was going to have to use my truck toolbox to set the camera on yet once again.
Trusty toolbox. That and a small cooler lid to get an up angle of any kind and quickly.
Camera strap for padding.
Found a handy open spot behind the parking lot of a close truck stop.
Not the best spot but time was out. Rapid camera settings and focus.
5 sec f20 to quick start. Moving over time to lastly 15 sec and f32 as time and location change allowed.
Not much to write home about but it was both scary and thrilling at the same time. :wink
I hate to even think about just how dangerous. This close.
This one and another blew out the main bolt. But the front under belly was
so neatly illuminated in this one.
Detail of what was in that blow out. Didn't see it till doing the PP.
Another of what was in a blow out.
Then came the high winds and rain. I moved inside the truck on the fast covering the lens with my hand.
I moved while it rained to where there were fewer industrial lights. This was the last decent one I got from there as I shot handheld from inside the cab with the seat back and rain pouring down. For scale notice the distant mountains to lower right.
I shot a bunch but I kept missing while the shutter was open.
I took right off heading for the hotspot and a location.
No idea where to set up but I knew I needed to find something fast.
I also knew I was going to have to use my truck toolbox to set the camera on yet once again.
Trusty toolbox. That and a small cooler lid to get an up angle of any kind and quickly.
Camera strap for padding.
Found a handy open spot behind the parking lot of a close truck stop.
Not the best spot but time was out. Rapid camera settings and focus.
5 sec f20 to quick start. Moving over time to lastly 15 sec and f32 as time and location change allowed.
Not much to write home about but it was both scary and thrilling at the same time. :wink
I hate to even think about just how dangerous. This close.
This one and another blew out the main bolt. But the front under belly was
so neatly illuminated in this one.
Detail of what was in that blow out. Didn't see it till doing the PP.
Another of what was in a blow out.
Then came the high winds and rain. I moved inside the truck on the fast covering the lens with my hand.
I moved while it rained to where there were fewer industrial lights. This was the last decent one I got from there as I shot handheld from inside the cab with the seat back and rain pouring down. For scale notice the distant mountains to lower right.
I shot a bunch but I kept missing while the shutter was open.
Michael
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Comments
Tom
Jeeze Tom, that had to be one hell of deal. I can well imagine what resides
in your memories and thoughts from that ordeal. I certainly appreciate your
cautionary words of concern and thank you for them. They do not go
unreflected or unrespected. Thing is I was willing to take the chance
knowing full well the complete seriousness of the hazard. It takes little
to imagine just how many excellent photographers + are putting their
lifes on the line today doing serious work so the people will know.
These particular shots are not particularly good in the vein of things though
I appreciate your saying nicely otherwise. Kind of you good buddy.
Very kind.
Good shots though ! Be careful out there !!!!
Doug and Cathy
www.goldenstarphoto.com
http://www.facebook.com/artist.goldenstarphoto?ref=hl
Lightning this close is so dicey. Its almost like just
stay in the cab and maybe take pictures. Or forget em altogether and just
watch the display. Likely the smarter thing to do in any event. My next
search is to see what I can really do to insure absolute safety while
taking pictures this close and even not so close. If such a thing exists.
Am thinking Faraday cage or some similar thing. Will look into what Tesla used.
Thats funny. Yes, I wasn't using my toolbox. Not at all.
Appreciate your thoughts on the pics.
Thank you Gary.
I went back after the effort and looked online for some quick notes
others use for camera settings. It was an interesting read. Also there
seems to be a device that will detect lightning and fire the shutter for
you in when it can detect. My guesses of when to open the shutter via
camera timer (no time to set up cable release) missed a bunch of shots.
Maybe you should just keep a spare tripod in the toolbox for emergency pictures like these. haha Even without a tripod they turned out great! I wish California would get a good storm like that every once in awhile. I miss them.
Nikon P80
Nikkor 22-300 VR
Nikkor 18-55 VR
one free spot where it would fit nicely.
Perfect, it hadn't really dawned on me to get with the program and do that for the just in case.
Pleased you like these. Thanks for saying. Highly appreciated.
So far we have been lucky this year. Not too many fires starts from
lightning. Some but most are out I believe. I recall the Redding area lightning and its fires in 2008 just getting started as we past through to the west coast. What a mess that turn out to be for California.