Living in the UK we don't get an awful lot of thunderstorms, but the next time we do I wanna get out and shoot it! Anyone shot some lightning with a digicam and what were your results like? What camera did you use and how did you achieve the result? My guess is to sit the camera on a tripod and just keep pressing the shutter (there's around a 5 or 6 second window) and hope that the lightning strikes at the right moment. Comments?
If there are no other lights on the horizon, and your camera can do it, its best to leave the shutter open for a very long time, to give yourself the best chance of catching a fork. Also its best to use a remote or a timer so that you dont get camera shake when you press the button.
I know it can be done , I seem to remeber seeing it here in the Challenge archives. Cant seem to locate it now. My camera will only shoot as long as 15 seconds. If it had bulb that would be the best way .
I don't think I have any time exposure on my camera. I think I'd do repeated shots using the self-timer since I have no remote either.
It's not the same, but you could also set up a video camera and save thousands of frames to tape (or disk if you have a DV camcorder). You'd probably only get enough data to make a print about 2x3", but it would probably be fine for screen display.
I know this is overkill, but I saw an add in Outdoor Photograper selling a "Lightning Trigger". It activates the shutter when a lightning bolt is detected. Isn't that wild. The site is
Here is a lightning shot I took. I used a 15 sec shutter speed. I just aimed at the horizon and it took me about 6 shots to get this one, then I had to get outta there quick. My camera does have a remote, however, which helps.
I just happen to have caught a few bolts with my camera. It's about as simple of a camera as you get. I'd have to look up the settings, but it's all automatic. Auto flash, auto everything...here are a couple bolt pics I got...
Lightning That was one of my better ones. Hand held, all auto settings.
The next one, here...lightening 2 Happened when I was hand holding the camera, and stupidly tried to turn toward a bolt at the same time trying to take a shot of one in front of me, then turned to get the one beside me. This was the result. Kind of freaky. Looks like an alien beeming up our barn. lol. Anyway, I just stood on our back porch, hand held camera, flash off, and kept pressing the button, and then the delete button. LOL till I got a few that were ok. They aren't great, but it was my first try, so I was SO imporessed. LOL
The best advise I can give from my lightning picture experience is have LOTS of patience and fresh battries. I will go to the 7th level of the parking garage at my work because it is covered and I dont get rained on. I usually just set the camera on auto mode and press the shutter button halfway down to engage the autofocus, then I wait and wait and hope a bolt will come into view where i have the camera pointed, then i press the shutter button the rest of the way, this method is actually pretty fast once you get the hang of it with your camera.
Without a bulb feature on the camera you'll probably have to wait for a really good storm or be very lucky. You also have to think about the rain. We were driving home one night when it started storming so I got out and tried to take some shots handheld (thus the blur). We had an umbrella, but I still started getting wet.
I'll try not to cover any ground covered by previous posters; following is what has worked for me:
- Use a moderate f-stop (not too wide open!)
- Use 100 ISO, and turn on noise reduction if available
- Tripod is a must; use a remote release if you can.
- For most lightning a moderate wide angle works best. Wide zoom setting on most digicams works fine.
- Use about 5 sec. shutter opening, or use "bulb" if available.
- Turn off the "auto-off" setting on your camera if you can.
- Wait patiently, trip shutter manually upon onset of lightning stroke. Usually there's plenty of time to catch subsequent discharges.
I've found that cloud-to-cloud lightning often provides the most spectacular images. Most of my work with lightning was done with film, but I'm hoping to get the time to shoot more storms digitally next summer. Luckily I do live in the Midwestern US, so I have plentiful opportunities.
Marklane I was jumping around and really excited about it. Its very hard to catch lightning (well for me it was) I have probablly taken about 600 pics in an attempt to capture it, and I have only 10 pics of lightning, but it is well wort it when you get a nice shot.
James
Originally posted by Marklane:
James, Indigo...if I get a shot half as good as these I'll be jumping around making joyful noises!
I almost forgot, but I was flying back from a trade show in Chicago in September, 2001 when we passed over an extensive lightning storm. These were the best I was able to get shooting through the window. There were no real "bolts" visible, but it was great looking down as the clouds lit up from the inside.
Lightning Off The Starboard Wing
it is easyer to get a lightning shot while it is very dark, But the best looking lightning shots by far are the ones that are taken with somekind of light, At dawn or dusk or even in the day, under the glooming clouds. but they are not too easy to get like that. thats why they are so cool
Franz, interesting article but call me mad but before I got into photography I used to go and stand on the sea wall to watch lightning. It's the danger element that makes a storm a whole lot more exciting...!
