Help with photographing lightning

VelvtRide

I am a complete n00b with my Canon 10D. I know only the basic features and am willing to learn more, if only I could find an easy description of how each function on the camera works and why.

What I'm most interested in shooting is lightning. I can never figure out what setting to have it on or if it needs to be on a tripod. If any of you could give me some helpful suggestion, I'd really appreciate it. I'm shooting with a 17-40 L Canon lens... I also have a Tamron 28-300.

Any other suggestions, like dump the camera you doof, would work, too. :lol3


VR

(apologies if this has been covered - I searched, but missed it)

joshhuntnm

there are some dvds out there that really make it easy to learn as you see and hear at the same time. Here is one example

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000NP2AHS/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1210740681&sr=8-1

VelvtRide

joshhuntnm wrote:

there are some dvds out there that really make it easy to learn as you see and hear at the same time. Here is one example

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000NP2AHS/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1210740681&sr=8-1

Thank you so much! Never thought to look that route.

SloYerRoll

Hey VR, Welcome to dgrin!

Most of those cool lightning shots aren't just perfect timing. They are long exposures.

NOTE:
The following is NOT the end all of knowledge on this topic. This is just to get you started in the right direction and show you how these shots are taken.

What you need to get this done:
A camera and tripod.

Set your camera on Manual. This way you control the Av (aperture) and Tv (shutter speed) manually.

Then set your camera lens to manual focus (not sure how to do this on Canon) But you want to set your focus to infinity. Infinity is the furthest point your lens can focus on. *the symbol for focus infinity is a sideways 8.

Set your Aperture (Av) to f8.

Set your Shutter Speed (Tv) to 20 seconds or longer. Your camera can probably only go to 30 seconds before you have to use a function called BULB. *Exposure times depend on how far apart the strikes are.

Then the waiting begins. When you press the shutter, the camera will take a 20 (or whatever) second exposure. EVERY flash of lightning that pulses during this 20 second period will be recorded on this one exposure.

Another thing to consider:
Don't shoot towards a city or any lit area. The faint glow of light you see in the horizon (if there is one) will appear to be VERY bright after a 20 second exposure.

davidweaver

Welcome!


Since you an see what you just shot do a test shot at f8 at 20 seconds. Keep the ISO low. 200 to 400. The longer the exposure the more noise...advanced stuff...

Ditto on tripod.
Add a cable or wireless shutter release. Look for third party manufacturers selling and shipping from Hong Kong on ebay.

Play, play, play. Shoot, shoot, shoot.

I'll also stop down to f11 or f16 depending upon ambient lighting, time of day, etc. Always do a test shot.

Learn how to read the histogram for a shot with no lightening bolts.

Don't shoot where you will get hit.

Carry foul weather gear for you and your gear.

pyry

Shooting lightning at night is easy

Set manual, a long exposure of at least several seconds and use aperture to set the ambient light a stop or two underexposed using normal metering. It's actually like shooting with a flash. Aperture controls both the lightning and the ambient, shutter speed ambient only. So wide open and long preferably. Am I making any sense here?

Underexposing the ambient light increases the contrast against the lightning.

Use a tripod and I'd recommend a remote shutter release, so you can set the camera, start shooting, sit back and enjoy the fireworks.

Shooting lightning by day is much more difficult because of the amount of ambient light. You can get a lightning trigger or try shooting with just reflexes or just try dumb luck
The latter is the only way I know of that can capture more than just the main channel, because there's some lag in the camera and re-strikes don't usually light more than the straightest path to the ground. Btw. use mirror lock-up if you do triggering to reduce the lag.

About the lenses, usually wider is better, but it depends on how far the active cell is.

Here's a couple I've managed:


(missed composition - should show a bit more ground - could have set the ambient lower too.)




A more distant strike, I was kinda hoping the main office building of the country's largest energy company would've got a jolt, but nope...

And then, also, if there's a hit close by, go see what the aftermath looks like.


My 0.02 €

VelvtRide

SloYerRoll wrote:

Hey VR, Welcome to dgrin!

Most of those cool lightning shots aren't just perfect timing. They are long exposures.

NOTE:
The following is NOT the end all of knowledge on this topic. This is just to get you started in the right direction and show you how these shots are taken.

What you need to get this done:
A camera and tripod.

Set your camera on Manual. This way you control the Av (aperture) and Tv (shutter speed) manually.

Then set your camera lens to manual focus (not sure how to do this on Canon) But you want to set your focus to infinity. Infinity is the furthest point your lens can focus on. *the symbol for focus infinity is a sideways 8.

Set your Aperture (Av) to f8.

Set your Shutter Speed (Tv) to 20 seconds or longer. Your camera can probably only go to 30 seconds before you have to use a function called BULB. *Exposure times depend on how far apart the strikes are.

Then the waiting begins. When you press the shutter, the camera will take a 20 (or whatever) second exposure. EVERY flash of lightning that pulses during this 20 second period will be recorded on this one exposure.

Another thing to consider:
Don't shoot towards a city or any lit area. The faint glow of light you see in the horizon (if there is one) will appear to be VERY bright after a 20 second exposure.

Thanks

I appreciate your spelling it out for me - I can understand somewhat better now about what's needed. Now I just need to figure out why this, why that and I'm sure that will come in time.

Thanks, again.

nvisiblephoto

VelvtRide wrote:

Thanks

I appreciate your spelling it out for me - I can understand somewhat better now about what's needed. Now I just need to figure out why this, why that and I'm sure that will come in time.

Thanks, again.

I think the key to shooting lightning is long exposures. You don't want to chase lightning, you want the lightning to come to you. Find a good shot of a landscape you like then shoot continuous, long exposures until you get lucky.
It's definitely a waiting game tho.

VelvtRide

nvisiblephoto wrote:

You don't want to chase lightning, you want the lightning to come to you.

I think that statement will help me more than anything.