Fall Lightning - Huge WI, IL Storm 10-3

I use to use set exposures before I got a shutter release. Depending on the amount of lightning is how you set your shutter lengeth and how many bolts you want per photo. The shoter your exposure the less noise you will have tho. I have some more images that will top the previous ones once i get them uplaoedd from this morning on the way to Kewannee IL. This storm this a.m. was even larger moving thru the Quad City area. I even did a few hand held thru an open jeep windowsince it was raining.
If you dont have any lights in the desired image you can hand hold and get lightning fairly decent, otherwise a tripod is a must. For most storms a 15-30 second exposure does fine typically around f9 to f11 depending on distance from the bolts of lightning. ISO for me is always 100, or 200 for father away storms. I rarely use 400 because there is too much noise for my taste and wanting clear longer exposures.

Thanks for the comments everyone. -new mutli-strike images coming soon.

Paul

Here are a few images from this a.m. on my way to work. I stopped for 5 mins at two different spots. I captured 32 decent shots in that short of time frame. The storm front was huge averaging 5 to 6 huge strikes per minute. The farm house in a few shows how large these lightning bolts were.
If only I had the whole hour to shoot I could have gotten well over a hundred photos. Id tell everyone all my secrets but I am finishing up an article to a couple Photography magazines in hopes of betting images and an article published.

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Good luck with the articles, Paul. Be sure to let us know when they're published!

awesome shots!

Thanks, Looks like the article is on hold til May. Backlog of articles to the two magazines I submitted too but very interested.

How on earth did you get so many good shots?! All my shots are too dark, or too bright or none at all. Good job!

ags007 wrote in post #2109558
How on earth did you get so many good shots?! All my shots are too dark, or too bright or none at all. Good job!

Yeah, what do you meter off of in the middle of the night?

It all comes from practice !!! My first few images came out blown out or so dark you couldnt see anything. Once you get the hang of it it comes natural to guess within a stop or two. The tricky part is guessing where the lightning will be at so you know to adjust your settings as the storm moves. By next year I should have a chart compiled from all of my data to give you more exact settings. The hard part is when a bolt of lightning pulses once versus pulsing 8 or 9 times is where you get blown out photos. The key is a shutter release cable. Set you camera to ISO 100, f9 thru f11 depending on distance of lightning, and actuate the shutter open, leaving it open for no longer than 25 sec. if no lightning was present. IF lightning does strike close the shutter imediately so you get less noise on the image, Unless you want a muliple strike image and the lightning is close enough apart.
If the storm is too far away you have to drop ISO to 200 or 400. If you have to go to 400 you are too far away and should move closer or wait if you are in the path of the lightning.

Thanks everyone for looking and commenting at my photos,

Paul

more lightning images here http://www.pasphotogra​phy.com/portfolio/ligh​tning.html

PAS Photography wrote in post #2110857
It all comes from practice !!! My first few images came out blown out or so dark you couldnt see anything. Once you get the hang of it it comes natural to guess within a stop or two. The tricky part is guessing where the lightning will be at so you know to adjust your settings as the storm moves. By next year I should have a chart compiled from all of my data to give you more exact settings. The hard part is when a bolt of lightning pulses once versus pulsing 8 or 9 times is where you get blown out photos. The key is a shutter release cable. Set you camera to ISO 100, f9 thru f11 depending on distance of lightning, and actuate the shutter open, leaving it open for no longer than 25 sec. if no lightning was present. IF lightning does strike close the shutter imediately so you get less noise on the image, Unless you want a muliple strike image and the lightning is close enough apart.
If the storm is too far away you have to drop ISO to 200 or 400. If you have to go to 400 you are too far away and should move closer or wait if you are in the path of the lightning.

Thanks everyone for looking and commenting at my photos,

Paul

more lightning images here http://www.pasphotogra​phy.com/portfolio/ligh​tning.html

So you shoot these outdoors with your cameras? I'm scared about water, aren't you worried about rain? Is a carbon fiber tripod a necessary? I have an alu tripod, but I guess that'de be a lightning risk?

Yeah , I shoot outdoors as the storm rolls in and once it starts to rain I go inside. I can shoot out my sliding glass door which faces west, and then as the storm passes over I switch to shoot out the garage facing east. It works out well being under the roof overhangwhile its raining.
I even used a plasitic bag covering my whole camera except for the end of the lens for light rain/sprinkles. Having a shutter release cable you dont need to touch the camera so you can completely cover/protect it.
As far as tripods... theres larger things that are metal sticking up and if lighting should strike Id think it would go to them first. As with any extreme sport or activity... "If your not living on the edge your taking up too much space!" If you want good images it pays to go the extra mile to get them.

Paul

PAS Photography wrote in post #2117488
Yeah , I shoot outdoors as the storm rolls in and once it starts to rain I go inside. I can shoot out my sliding glass door which faces west, and then as the storm passes over I switch to shoot out the garage facing east. It works out well being under the roof overhangwhile its raining.
I even used a plasitic bag covering my whole camera except for the end of the lens for light rain/sprinkles. Having a shutter release cable you dont need to touch the camera so you can completely cover/protect it.
As far as tripods... theres larger things that are metal sticking up and if lighting should strike Id think it would go to them first. As with any extreme sport or activity... "If your not living on the edge your taking up too much space!" If you want good images it pays to go the extra mile to get them.

Paul

And get struck by lightning .

haha, well thats not the goal. Statistically you have a better chance of getting killed by 100,000 other ways, I figure if I make it thru 99,999 other ways, Id be doing OK. Honestly I am very safe in how I photograph storms. Usually when the heart of the storm is upon you the rain and wind is too intense to get good images I stop. Once the eye of the Storm has passed I resume with my work. If its raining too hard you dont get as good images. The rain tends to create noise in the photos, plus your gear is in danger and I dont have $$ to replace camera equipment from water damage. A little sprinkle isnt going to hurt a camera if its protected. I barely get wet when shoot photos with an umbrella and camera protection. The tripod legs/feet is all that gets wet typically. The best photos are of the approaching storm and the images from a distance of the leading edge storm front. I keep a few of the weather channels active on my pc and tv while im shooting to achieve the best angle. A good feel for how storms move... like sniffing dirt ( Twister movie ) are a key too. Next year I plan on chasing some Tornados in Kansas to get the Ultimate Storm images.
I guess once you start getting good images you cant get enough. I have acouple photographers here that have seen my work printed in large format and are hooked now after a couple of storms and feel the rush of getting what most can not accomplish.