Lightning critique

Here's a lightning picture taken just outside my front door a few nights ago. There is an orange street light just out of the frame on the right. Did I over process this picture or does it look ok? I know the composition isn't good, but I had to stay under the porch because it was raining a little. This was my first attempt at lightning so I really just wanted to see if I could capture anything.

30 sec, f/11, iso 200, 18mm

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Dealing with the lightning will be much easier without the distraction of street lights messing up your exposure. That said, there isn't that much wrong with your original. I think you got too heavy handed with the edited version.

I prefer the original. Cropping off the roof at the left would improve it

Awesome feedback. Thanks guys!

Idk if it was because you didn't wanna get rained one, but the positioning seems kinda off. The edge of the house on the left side is distracting and unnecessary. Lightning is very tough, and you seem to have done ok, but a darker, ambient light would have been much more dramatic.

If you're shooting lightning getting wet should be the least of your concerns.

If you had Image Editing OK turned on, I'd play with the image in PP and give you my opinion. As it is - not bad but not good.

David

Woodworker wrote in post #12762290
If you had Image Editing OK turned on, I'd play with the image in PP and give you my opinion. As it is - not bad but not good.

David

Sorry, I thought I clicked that box when I signed up. It's clicked now. By all means, edit it away!

The building on the left is very distracting.

I've corrected the verticals and played about with the brightness and contrast in levels but this is very much a matter of taste.

When taking such images with buildings, try to keep your camera level both horizontally and vertical to avoid convergences.

David

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GorgeShooter wrote in post #12762829
The building on the left is very distracting.

But what about the contrast and brightness? Like I said earlier, this was more of an experiment in the technical aspects of taking a lightning picture...I've never done it before and I've only had a dslr for about 8 months now. For this picture, composition was less important to me.

Woodworker wrote in post #12765264
I've corrected the verticals and played about with the brightness and contrast in levels but this is very much a matter of taste.

When taking such images with buildings, try to keep your camera level both horizontally and vertical to avoid convergences.

David

Hmmm...the brightness and contrast doesn't look drastically different from the top picture. I mean it's certainly closer to the top picture than the original.

Thanks for the tip about keeping the camera level vertically, I didn't realize that.

spyderpig wrote in post #12766134
Hmmm...the brightness and contrast doesn't look drastically different from the top picture.

But that's very subjective and down to your own personal preferance according to how you want to present the picture.

David

Another view?

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