first time lightening, C&C

[farmerj]

Our first real series of thunderstorms. This was the best of the bunch. Tried using the bulb setting for the first time.

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[swmocity]

very nice

 

[farmerj]

thanks,

Looking at it again several hours later, it's a little OOF. Harder to focus at night on manual with nothing to really aim at.

 

[Steph]

Looking at it again several hours later, it's a little OOF. Harder to focus at night on manual with nothing to really aim at.

Really easy actually. Set your lens to infinity and be done with it.

 

[Josh220]

I had a feeling that you captured more than you thought, so I did a little digging.
As per your signature, here's what I did: Lowered the exposure, and boosted the contrast/clarity/saturation in the mid area of the shot. I also straightened the horizon a little.

 

[Josh220]

My second concern is if you were standing in the middle of a field with a tripod and camera gear during a lightning storm...

 

[B Kennedy]

as far as focusing for the lightning, just set the manual focus to infinity and if you shoot around f14 something you will be in focus

 

[farmerj]

My second concern is if you were standing in the middle of a field with a tripod and camera gear during a lightning storm...

This storm was 35 miles NORTH of where I was at.

I am also a Skywarn weather watcher as well...

 

[farmerj]

as far as focusing for the lightning, just set the manual focus to infinity and if you shoot around f14 something you will be in focus

The camera was on Infinity and I did switch the focus to manual.

I like the idea of the f/14 aperture.


We are supposed to have T-storms all week.

 

[farmerj]

I went back and re-cropped it.
Adjusted the Birghtness/contrast different, Adjusted the Shadow/Midtones/highlights. Resized it.

 

[Steph]

as far as focusing for the lightning, just set the manual focus to infinity and if you shoot around f14 something you will be in focus

The camera was on Infinity and I did switch the focus to manual.

I like the idea of the f/14 aperture.

Most of the subject is quite far away from the camera; you don't need such a small aperture to get adequate DOF. If anything, at such a small aperture, you are going to lose some sharpness because of diffraction. Setting the manual focus at infinity and f/8 or thereabouts is the way to go IMHO.