How to: Photograph Lightning

[steamtrainfan]

Thanks very much for these tips PRWIN. At least it is the blind leading the blind and not one of us on their own. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas.

This afternoons promise of a thunder storm has fizzled out.

Will post here if ever I get anything.

[ExFmem]

I have a great interest in this topic as I have struggled mightily with lightening pics. May I add the following that I have found useful: (as will be evident in my post, I really don't have technical skills, but think this suggestion may help):

USE A REMOTE CABLE- avoids camera shake, but mainly enables you to control the shutter speed, as you never know when, (or if), the strike will occur.

Put the camera in "Manual" mode, use a wide angle lens, manually focus on the horizon, I use a low ISO for noise reduction, f 5.6, and then just use the remote switch to open the shutter and keep it open until a strike occurs, then manually close the shutter. You will certainly get a lot of "empty" shots, but your success ratio will improve.

I believe controlling the shutter speed and WHEN it opens and shuts via remote switch is crucial to getting a higher ratio of successful shots.

The following is a thunderstorm at Kieliekrankie at sunset (6 sec. exp. @f5.6 ISO 100, 80mm, manual exp. using remote switch)

[steamtrainfan]

Hi ExFem. Thanks very much for the additional tips. Your photo above is a real winner. WOW - if only I could do that.

I think another must is to be out in the wide open somewhere.

Please can you put some more of your lightning pics on this thread.

and then just use the remote switch to open the shutter and keep it open until a strike occurs, then manually close the shutter. You will certainly get a lot of "empty" shots, but your success ratio will improve.

I am a bit unsure of what you mean here. I have a remote switch but it works in conjunction with the shutter speed I set. How do you open and close the shutter with the remote?

[Flutterby]

Great pic!!

STF, my remote switch has a little goodie you can slide over the switch to keep it depressed.

[PRWIN]

I don't realy like doing this but here is a great example at what we are looking at.

Photo taken by
Dylan Gehlken
St Kilda,
South Australia

This is how it is done, take a look at the settings
CameraCanon EOS 600D
Focal Length: 10mm .I was thinking max focus distance, but the photographer wanted the forground in focus as well
Shutter Speed: 30 sec. What I was thinking about
Aperture: f/7.1. same here
ISO/Film200. I would have gone up to 1600 ,just makes one stand back and rethink



here is his comments


Last night we had a fair bit of lightning so I rushed down to St Kilda to capture the action.
This is a combination of 15 separate strikes blended together. Another exposure was taken for the foreground at the start of the storm before it got too dark.

[steamtrainfan]

PRWIN - Wow that is quite a process and a lot of photo shop work. Very interesting settings though. I am not into the photo shop area yet and want to rely on taking a good photo of just one strike.

Flutterby - when I use my slide button my camera will continue to fire off shots at the shutter speed at which I set it i.e the same has holding the button down.

just use the remote switch to open the shutter and keep it open until a strike occurs, then manually close the shutter.

I understood from the above that ExFem says that he can push his remote button down, hold it down until a lightning strike and then release it i.e. he has complete control over the shutter speed. Can any camera or remote do this?

[Dewi]

STF, adjust your shutter speed dial down until it shows the letter B rather than a number. You can then keep your finger on the remote button for as long as you want to.

I've never tried to photograph lightning, so some good tips here.

[PRWIN]

Dewi I see this goes for star photography as well which I will be doing quite shortly, only difference is you use a high ISO, speed stays about the same 30 sec as a slower speed will give you motion blur on the star, as I have had

[steamtrainfan]

STF, adjust your shutter speed dial down until it shows the letter B rather than a number. You can then keep your finger on the remote button for as long as you want to.

Hi Dewi - Ah Ha I see. My camera Nikon D9o goes from 1/4000 to 30 seconds and then shows "bulb" and this is the one to hold and then let go.

Thanks so much for the info Dewi.

[Amoli]

just use the remote switch to open the shutter and keep it open until a strike occurs, then manually close the shutter.

I understood from the above that ExFem says that he can push his remote button down, hold it down until a lightning strike and then release it i.e. he has complete control over the shutter speed. Can any camera or remote do this?

I think ExFmen is an angel and not a him ...