Lightning Strikes Twice

Art Morgan

My first lightning captures! I'm pretty happy with them except I wish I had the camera panned a little more left. Anyway, I thought I'd post both of these to show how the bolts hit in nearly the same spot the second time...just a couple minutes time difference between the two captures!

I think it is so cool to look at these at 100% and see all the little fingers of the flash that the eye cannot pick up. :wow

bradpowellphoto

Beautiful captures! I'm envious. We don't get much lightning up here on the Island so don't get many chances to try this. Just a suggestion but I think the lightning would be much stronger in the image if you cropped away some of the sky above it.

cbbr

Great catches! Did you use a trigger?

Art Morgan

Thanks Brad! I'll try cropping a little of the upper sky.


Thanks Chad! No trigger, but I'd like to have one.

byoshi

I agree, there is a bit of dead space at the top, but a stunning image nonetheless.

Art Morgan

Thanks for the input, byoshi.

For the sky crop, where do you all think it should start? The top image has a light finger that runs above the main bolts. Should that be chopped off so the image begins with the main bolts?

Art Scott

Great captures....I like the sky above ... I like that it shows that the whole area was not in the electrical storm ...

Art Morgan

Thanks, Art. I agree some of the upper sky should remain to show where the lightning starts.

bgarland

Nice Scott! Capturing lightning is a ton of fun and Tucson sure has it's share. Congrats on your first captures.

Art Morgan

Thanks, Brad! Looks like it was close to your place...your hair was probably standing on end! :yikes

schmoo

These are incredible! Great job.

Art Morgan

Thanks, schmoo. I'm posting this via my iphone because we just had another monsoon storm roll thru here, knocking our power out. I wanted to try and get some more lightning shots but it was really pouring!

choudhrysaab

Superb shots!

Eia

Awesome and dramatic...really shows the force of nature! Nice to see the mountains and full sky that gives a sence of scale!

Art Morgan

Thanks for the nice comments choudhrysaab and Eia.

I've been thinking that once I learn Photoshop, I could fix the left side of the lightning where it runs out of the frame. I'll put that on my list of things to do.

I should also brighten the mountains a bit, especially around the bolts. And do a little sky crop.

Lightsearcher

Great pictures
Nice lightning pictures, somebody is suggesting to crop the sky and I agree with that.

Regards.

Marcelo