Friday, June 13, 2008

Summer Storm


I've been trying to take lightning pictures for years. I've never had much luck. Tonight, there was a pretty dramatic storm and I worked at it for at least a half hour... one after another... 2 second exposures. I got this one which isn't half bad. It's not all that special but it's something!

10 comments:

Peruby said...

It's great. I was trying to mow in the stupid lightning storm. I quit. I don't have the patience or the nerve to photograph lightning strikes.

Anna said...

I love that and especially the purple!

Maisyday said...

It's gorgeous!

Charleston Catholic / Clay Center Project said...

Not that special? You're kidding, right? That's awesome!!!!

Joanna said...

Cool! I've also tried several times and failed. I finally got one last month: link.

Rick Lee said...

Not that special? You're kidding, right? Well... compared to some really dramatic ones you see.

Charleston Catholic / Clay Center Project said...

Well, okay... you can't compete with the tornado picture... ;P But it's still a great shot, especially with the coloring.

I have never been able to catch lightning. I don't have your ninja reflexes.

bryan said...

I agree, great shot! I particularly like the color.

Rick Lee said...

Becky, it's not really about ninja reflexes... it's more like dogged patience. You set the camera up on a tripod and aim it in the general direction of the lightning and then start doing time exposures one after the other. The exposures should be short enough that they are pretty much black if no lightning happens during the exposure. I was using 2 seconds at f8 and ISO 100. It's very similar to doing fireworks pictures. That shot that I posted was actually a horizontal shot and the lightning was way over on the right hand edge of the picture so I just cropped out the left of the shot and made a vertical out of it.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it scare the crap out of you if you set your camera up, did the two second exposure thing 15 times, and nailed 15 lighting flashes in a row? If you beat the odds that bad it'd be almost horrifying, as if spirits were sending a message.

(Yeah, I have an overactive imagination.)

Nice photo.