Storm Photography

dtzitko · Jul 8, 2010

Anybody do a lot of storm chasing or dedicated to shooting storms? They have been picking up lately and I've been wanting to get out and try my hand at getting some shots of some of these good summertime storms.

So, any tips? How do you find them? Best way to capture lightning?

Lastly, post up your storm shots!

Morpheuss · Jul 8, 2010

I haven't really done any storm chasing but I love to take pictures of storms expecially if you are able to get a picture of some lightning. I have always just used a point and shoot in the past though... I would definately say have your camera in a ziplock bag or buy one of those covers for it so if your out in the rain you don't have to worry about the rain destroying your camera

GoNorthWest · Jul 9, 2010

Hi,

I'm just getting into storm photography as well. Living in Tucson, I have been shooting lightning for a couple of years, and have even started a website to capture the best locations for lightning/storm photos. Check it out :

Lightning Shot Spots

I intend to put some resources on that site soon that provide tips for lightning photography. My general technique has been to set my camera to about a 20s exposure (or less if the lightning is more frequent), and just let 'er rip! I try for a low ISO (around 400), and wide open aperature. You can view some of my images here :

Lightning - Summer 2009 - GoNorthWest's Photos

Thanks!

Mark

smokinphoto · Jul 9, 2010

Mad props to you if you actually do storm chasing.

When some people find out you're a storm chaser, they say, "That's a cool job!" But it's a job for very few chasers. Only scientists and a few photographers and tour operators can make a living chasing storms. Some chasers sell some video or photographs to help pay for the hobby, which can be very expensive after chasers pay for gasoline, car maintenance, hotels, food, Internet connections, data-gathering equipment and so on. Yes, there's a lot of gasoline involved, and that's because a storm chaser can cover hundreds of miles a day, or three or four thousand miles a week! Storm chasing rarely involves an easy drive. On one day, a chaser might be in Iowa. The next, in western Nebraska. The next, in the Texas panhandle. And there is no guarantee of seeing anything. Many hours of driving can result in nothing but a blue sky or a few little rain showers. A tornado is a rare event and may appear in only one of every five or ten chases, unless it's a truly extraordinary day. And along the way, there are cheap hotels and bad convenience-store food.
Thumbs up for this.. I look forward to seeing some great storm shots.