Another Storm

[BoblyBill]

This time a different part of the subject: Lighnting!

It wasn't hitting very often, but I gave it my best.

1.

2.

3.

Tell me what you think. Please.

 

[gravy]

the sky in the first photo is awesome! nice captures!

 

[LaFoto]

That lightning in Photo 2 ! Amazing.
Does lightning always come from the clouds down to the ground or can it also go the other way round? From the ground up towards the clouds? For Photo 2 looks like it.

And yes, well YES: that sky in Photo 1!!! :shock:

Just WOW!

 

[deanlewis]

Theese are great captures and the sky in the first shot is amazing, like something out of the war of the worlds lol !!

Deano

 

[tpe]

Great work capturing the lightning, how many seconds exposure and how many shots did you take without catching the flash? The sky is wonderfully dramatic too and lots of contrast, usually here the lightning is so infrequent you have to use a 30 sec exposure and then about 1 in 20 have flashes in that the clouds become blurred and indistinct.

tim

 

[BoblyBill]

Thanks a lot guys!

That lightning in Photo 2 ! Amazing.
Does lightning always come from the clouds down to the ground or can it also go the other way round? From the ground up towards the clouds? For Photo 2 looks like it.

And yes, well YES: that sky in Photo 1!!! :shock:

Just WOW!

From my understanding:
1. lightning is electicity going from the sky from the ground; however, there is what they call a leader that comes from the ground to the sky that somewhat primes the air, if you will, for the lightning strike that you actually see.

2. You can get hit even if the lightning that you see is up to 10? miles away. Basically, if you can see lightning in the distance there is a slight possiblity that you could get struck.

3. Thunder is caused because the lightning heats air to some crazy high temperature (I think it becomes a plasma if I remember correctly) and it expands at sonic speeds.

4. I would like to get pictures of ball lightning. It is one of the most mysterious types of lightning there are.
[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=rfRtbB8juTc&mode=related&search[/ame]=

 

[BoblyBill]

Great work capturing the lightning, how many seconds exposure

Thanks for the complement!


Here's the EXIF data:

Shutter speed: 1/50
F-Stop: 2.8
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 17mm
Lens: Sigma 18-50mm 3.5-5.6 DC

Shutter speed: 1/160
F-Stop: 2.8
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 17mm
Lens: Sigma 18-50mm 3.5-5.6 DC

Shutter speed: 1/60
F-Stop: 2.8
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 17mm
Lens: Sigma 18-50mm 3.5-5.6 DC

how many shots did you take without catching the flash

Like a billion... ok... lets see... 16 before my 1st (not shown), 4 between my 1st and 2nd one, 1 between the 2nd and 3rd, and 1 between my 3rd and 4th (not shown). I started realizing a pattern in the strikes and was able to capture them with better consistancy.

 

[John_05]

awesome pictures BoblyBill. ive been trying to catch some lightning strikes recently, but have had less than lucky timing.

from what i gather from one of the storm videos i have, the leader you spoke of in another post moves (they called it a negatively charged step(ped?) leader) towards the ground and draws a positive charge from the ground, called a positive streamer. when the 2 connect, you get the flash of lightning. im led to believe that its the positive streamers people feel when they get "struck" by lightning thats miles away, but i could be wrong. my memory isnt what it used to be.....

again, very nice shots.

 

[LeighAnn]

GREAT images, Bill.

 

[BoblyBill]

Thanks guys. John 05 thanks for the info. I'm not that knowledgable about lightning as much as I am with supercells and tornados (and even then not that knowledgable).

 

[Tangerini]

Wow. I love your storm photos! The first is simply amazing. Did you have to travel far for these this time, or did you stick close to home?

 

[BoblyBill]

Wow. I love your storm photos! The first is simply amazing. Did you have to travel far for these this time, or did you stick close to home?

I was about 200 yards from my house .

 

[Antarctican]

Wow, good job! Back in my film-shooting days I went through a LOT of rolls trying to get a good lightning strike shot (without much success). The first shot has amazing clouds in it, and I love how you can see the areas of rain falling from the clouds. The 2 lightning bolt shots are wonderful too, with that eerie colour to the sky.

(Love the shot in your signature as well, btw)

 

[Lackoffunding]

Why are you shooting so fast? Seems like a time exposure would be so much easier. Great work BTW.

 

[Irminsul]

Incredible shots, BoblyBill! I live in South Florida which is said to experience more lightning strikes than any other location in the U.S., yet I never even dreamed of trying to capture a strike. (I even got hit by a secondary flash once, but that's another story.) What surprises my unlettered mind, though is that you were shooting at 2.8. Pardon my ignorance, but is that wide an aperture recommended when you are trying to focus on infinity for a shot of a faraway strike?