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08/24/2006 02:13:39 PM · #1 |
Well all summer I had planned on getting some nice lightning shots, All summer we went with only one lightning storm. I unfortunately missed every shot. Finally lastnight we had a wicked storm roll through the area and I went for a ride to see if I could get a shot. Clouds rolled through and blocked most of the streaks so I didnt get a shot. However soon as I got home the show started so I hung out my bed room window and took about 400 shots over the course of 5 hours. I managed to get about 20 shots of actual bolts but only 4 worthy of showing to everyone. So here they are my first cool lightning shots.
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08/24/2006 02:21:02 PM · #2 |
| Those are great photos ... really intense colors ... it's been my observation that if you come out of a storm with a few great shots you've done really well! I usually "miss" when trying to get those kinds of shots ... we haven't had much rain or very many storms recently so my opportunities have been limited |
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08/24/2006 02:46:46 PM · #3 |
I sorta feel like I'm giving away the magician's secrets here, but once you know it, it's hard to "miss" the bolts unless you just can't see them.
Put the camera on a tripod and just open the shutter with bulb (or 30" if you don't have bulb). Set the aperture to something small f/22 or the like and wait for the lightning to come to you. It acts like a flash and exposes what would otherwise be a black canvas. If it's dark enough, you could keep the lens open for 5 minutes waiting for a bolt. The only trick then, is pointing it where the bolts are.
Dang, now shooting lightning seems easy.
Message edited by author 2006-08-24 14:47:20.
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08/24/2006 02:49:04 PM · #4 |
Cool shots Rocky!
I've always wanted to try shooting lightning, but, for some reason, we hardly ever get any at my house.
How did you shoot these? Do you take long exposures or...?
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08/24/2006 02:54:27 PM · #5 |
I normally would use a tripod but the angle I had to get into to get the shots allowed no room for the tripod So I settled for bracing the camera on the window frame. I used Bulb Setting, We have 2 street lights and a neighbor with 2 bug zappers in their yard so I couldnt expose for too long without picking up either a orange or purple hue. I think i had shutter open for about 4-5 seconds for each shot.
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I sorta feel like I'm giving away the magician's secrets here, but once you know it, it's hard to "miss" the bolts unless you just can't see them.
Put the camera on a tripod and just open the shutter with bulb (or 30" if you don't have bulb). Set the aperture to something small f/22 or the like and wait for the lightning to come to you. It acts like a flash and exposes what would otherwise be a black canvas. If it's dark enough, you could keep the lens open for 5 minutes waiting for a bolt. The only trick then, is pointing it where the bolts are.
Dang, now shooting lightning seems easy. |
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08/24/2006 04:05:08 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I sorta feel like I'm giving away the magician's secrets here, but once you know it, it's hard to "miss" the bolts unless you just can't see them.
Put the camera on a tripod and just open the shutter with bulb (or 30" if you don't have bulb). Set the aperture to something small f/22 or the like and wait for the lightning to come to you. It acts like a flash and exposes what would otherwise be a black canvas. If it's dark enough, you could keep the lens open for 5 minutes waiting for a bolt. The only trick then, is pointing it where the bolts are.
Dang, now shooting lightning seems easy. |
Oh, cool ... now I'm hoping for a storm! Thanks a million ... gonna try it and I'll post when I get some! |
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08/24/2006 04:10:14 PM · #7 |
I really like this one. |
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08/24/2006 04:48:28 PM · #8 |
The real art of a good lighting shot IMHO (I haven't done any :)) is to combine the bolt with a nice landscape scenery. Bu that requires a fine balance of the "flash" exposure provided by the lighting (that only depends on the aperture) and the ambient light exposure (which depends on both aperture and shutter speed). So if you happen to be in an interesting spot during a storm, make sure you use a small aperture, but keep the shutter open long enough to properly expose for the ambient light.
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I sorta feel like I'm giving away the magician's secrets here, but once you know it, it's hard to "miss" the bolts unless you just can't see them.
Put the camera on a tripod and just open the shutter with bulb (or 30" if you don't have bulb). Set the aperture to something small f/22 or the like and wait for the lightning to come to you. It acts like a flash and exposes what would otherwise be a black canvas. If it's dark enough, you could keep the lens open for 5 minutes waiting for a bolt. The only trick then, is pointing it where the bolts are.
Dang, now shooting lightning seems easy. |
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08/24/2006 05:11:45 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by LevT:
The real art of a good lighting shot IMHO (I haven't done any :)) is to combine the bolt with a nice landscape scenery. Bu that requires a fine balance of the "flash" exposure provided by the lighting (that only depends on the aperture) and the ambient light exposure (which depends on both aperture and shutter speed). So if you happen to be in an interesting spot during a storm, make sure you use a small aperture, but keep the shutter open long enough to properly expose for the ambient light. |
Good point, and I agree 100%. IMHO, a lightning bolt by itself isn't very interesting. It's all in the setting.
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08/24/2006 05:26:01 PM · #10 |
I agree with LevT also. I was out driving around lastnight in the country nice open areas lots of farms and hills dark and no wires or power lines to shoot around. problem was the rain and shooting from the car and me being a wuss worrying about melting. Didnt feel like drying off my camera after every shot either.
takes a bit of luck to get the shot too.
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