Ridin' the Storm Out ...

Last night we had some amazing light here in Divide as the setting sun lit the underside of a large thunder storm brilliant orange. Unfortunately I watched it from my deck, too late to do anything.

Tonight it looked like the same conditions were building so I kept my eye on it, but got distracted. My wife started exclaiming how orange Pikes Peak was and I looked out to see a great glow on the peak and the same cloud underglow starting to the west and northwest. I ran downstairs, grabbed my gear, jumped in the car, and drove to the top of a nearby hill to try to get something to shoot.

I was excited as I jumped out and started getting my tripod set up, maybe I could catch the light on the peak! I was reaching in to get the camera when lightning struck and the thunder followed about 3 seconds later. Standing exposed on top of a hill, next to my car with tripod and camera suddenly didn't sound like the best idea. I quickly collapsed the tripod enough to get it in the car and got back inside. The light on the peak was gone.

I ended up deciding most of the activity was north of me and moving away so I stayed out but took shots handheld from my car.

I've never captured lightning before. I definately need to learn the technique. Faster speed and a tripod would probably help. I played with exposures and rapid exposures, shooting when I saw something in frame. Only these two are anything to show and they aren't really show worthy, but I thought it might be fun to share.

So what is the general lightning technique? I know Stan has put up some cool lightning shots.

Maybe someone else got something worth showing!

Here is the first one I got. The shot was at 1/250th but not fast enough to get crisp lightning.

This one was looking east. Rampart range and Colorado Springs were getting a good show!

Longer exposures, not shorter.

I really like the second image. That's a fine bolt. Todd's right about a longer exposure. The problem with the first image is not that your shutter speed was not fast enough to capture the lighting. Rather, it was slow enough to capture some camera shake. But as I said, that second shot, with that great purple in the sky, is killer!

Hmmm, interesting. A tripod is a must then. Standing with a tripod set up in the middle of an electrical storm didn't sound wise. But I can see how a long exposure would work. That would certainly help with timing the capture! I was firing away every time I saw a bolt hoping to get something with the sustained ones being the only ones that I got.

I've seen a trigger devise advertised that detects lightning and trips the shutter. Do those work?

Kalin, i used between 2-10 seconds yesterday with a tripod and remote trigger and F22, but ive used the quick-shot and hope for the best technique as well. It often works because of multiple return strokes and the usual tendency for strokes to follow up on each other, and in daylight it's often almost necessary. Ill have to check into that trigger idea--ive been chasing storms a lot longer than shooting photos so im still learning the technique. Incidentally, the tripod in the lighning storm will not increase the risk of being hit (the fact that it has metal parts will have zero influence on where the lightning hits) Generally, lightning is gonna hit the highest object (though not always) so unless your tripos is really tall, your as unsafe with it as without. An ideal setup, if your lucky enough due to the position of the storm, is to set up a tripod inside your car and shoot from the window, since the car will give you quite a bit more safety! Hopefully we'll get some more opportunities this summer--today and tomorrow should have quite a bit of lightning, but also a lot of rain which might make things a bit tricky.

If it's dark out, I just set my camera to bulb, use a remote cord, and expose the shot until lightning strikes. Or I'll wait until several bolts strike. If the lightning is close, I'm able to fold the back seat down in my Avalanche, set up the tripod there and shoot from inside the car.

It WAS amazing last night. I stood in the doorway for a good half hour watching the show. Last time I shot lightning up here, it was from my doorway - tripod and all. Just call me next time, and come shoot from my deck! If these storms keep up, we'll be shooting rainbows and bolts in the same frame.

I like to do what Grant suggested. Be patient and you'll eventually get something. If the clouds aren't moving, I'll throw on a filter too - to lengthen the exposure (esp. at sunset).

We watched that same storm from the french doors in the kitchen. I was about to get my camera when a bolt landed so close the flash and sound were instantaneous. I thought better of it. What a light show though we got here in Monument!
John