Lightning

BrandonS

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Oklahoma City, OK
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www.topspeedphotography.com
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Finally got a chance to go photograph a storm. I've been wanting to do it since I've gotten home. Headed out after work 2330. I drove about an hour because I had to catch up with the storm front that had gone through while I was still at work. I gave up because it seemed to be raining wherever the lightning was. Turned around in defeat and on the way home saw lightning and no rain on my windshield. Got off an exit and by luck the sky flashed and I saw a small pond. Set up the tripod and framed it quick, set it for F/22 and a 30sec shutter speed. Well got the below. It scared me half to death. One struck off to the left at the same time as well (we didn't even see the one caught on frame). The one to the left was close enough I could hear an "electricity" sound. Not wanting to push my luck I packed it up and headed home.

Sorry for the long story, I'm just excited to get out and finally get to do this.

DSC_1977.jpg
 
Nice capture! I like the pond in the foreground. Don't worry about the long story...makes it interesting to hear what goes along with an exciting chase.

And I've almost p!$$ed myself a few times out there...I know that if you don't see the top of the bolt in the frame, it usually came from right above your head!!!

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114461

Be careful.
 
^Yea it's the closest lightnings ever been to me. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up; that's for sure. How are you going about capturing yours? Are you closing your aperture down all the way and going in bulb? My thought process for at least tonight was going to go with a tripod, and delayed mode since I don't have a remote yet. Then put it on F/22 and 30s exposure and just keep taking them until I get one. If it didn't expose right I was going to just adjust the aperture. That would lower my chance of multiple strikes, but that was the best method I derived in my head for what I have.
 
That is a great shot you got there BrandonS. When I shoot lightning, I put it on bulb and get out my shutter release, lock it, and wait. I have to experiment with the aperature because the farther the strikes are the more open the aperature. So the fact that you were are f22 to get a nicely exposed lightning bolt says something about how close it was. Most of these where shot at f10 and they were going right over my head.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124328
 
That is a great shot you got there BrandonS. When I shoot lightning, I put it on bulb and get out my shutter release, lock it, and wait. I have to experiment with the aperture because the farther the strikes are the more open the aperature. So the fact that you were are f22 to get a nicely exposed lightning bolt says something about how close it was. Most of these where shot at f10 and they were going right over my head.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124328

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize I had to change the aperture to get the lightning in focus. You're actually the one that made me want to go out and shoot storms. I love your work. I just don't know how to track storms to find wall clouds and such yet. I just headed towards the lightning; lol.
 
Thanks for the info. I didn't realize I had to change the aperture to get the lightning in focus. You're actually the one that made me want to go out and shoot storms. I love your work. I just don't know how to track storms to find wall clouds and such yet. I just headed towards the lightning; lol.

I'm the one that inspired this great picture?!?!?! I'm honored. I'll PM you later with some info about storm chasing if you would like. I don't change the aperature to get the focus per say but the exposure. The closer lightning is the more you have to stop down or you get a very overexposed lightning bolt. Also if it's far off and you stop down you'll not see any in the picture for you will not let enough light in to expose the lightning, at home I have excamples of this (i'm at work right now).
 
I'm the one that inspired this great picture?!?!?! I'm honored. I'll PM you later with some info about storm chasing if you would like. I don't change the aperature to get the focus per say but the exposure. The closer lightning is the more you have to stop down or you get a very overexposed lightning bolt. Also if it's far off and you stop down you'll not see any in the picture for you will not let enough light in to expose the lightning, at home I have excamples of this (i'm at work right now).

Wow thats great info...thanks...and to the OP that is a tremendous shot. I love how you incorporated the pond into the shot. I too love shooting lightning and we get plenty of lightning storms here in Texas. Here are a few of my shots.
http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124298
 
I'm the one that inspired this great picture?!?!?! I'm honored. I'll PM you later with some info about storm chasing if you would like. I don't change the aperature to get the focus per say but the exposure. The closer lightning is the more you have to stop down or you get a very overexposed lightning bolt. Also if it's far off and you stop down you'll not see any in the picture for you will not let enough light in to expose the lightning, at home I have excamples of this (i'm at work right now).

Gotchya. That makes 100% sense. I'm looking forward to the PM.

Wow thats great info...thanks...and to the OP that is a tremendous shot. I love how you incorporated the pond into the shot. I too love shooting lightning and we get plenty of lightning storms here in Texas. Here are a few of my shots.
http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124298

John, those are nice shots! I like the one that has the street light in it! Neat how you got both exposed well.
 
Oh my gosh! That is just FANTASTIC. Really an amazing capture of the lightning. You can see all the little bolts coming from the big one. This is REALLY a shot to be proud of!
 
Very nice indeed. Great capture, it makes me want to go storm chasing.
 
:thumbup::thumbup: Killer shot. Very well done!!
 
That is just a FANTASTIC capture! I hope to capture something like that someday (and hopefully not just in my dreams)!

Erin
 

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