I took this last night, though I was probably 30 minutes late to get the best of the show. I have a hard time finding interesting foregrounds for lighting shots. This was taken at a scenic overlook at Cheyenne Bottoms, which has nice water levels right now to provide reflections. Cheyenne Bottoms sits in a huge depression, so the back "wall" is the far edge of the depression, many miles away. Most of the lightning was cloud to cloud, but there were some good cloud to ground strikes too. Does the foreground work? I don't like the distant lights, but unfortunately they are part of the scene. ISO 200, 58 sec, f/4.5.
Good job on capturing the lightning. I have always wanted to try it. I like the clouds and the lightning and how the clouds have lite up above the main strike very cool. In this shot I do think the other lights should be cloned out.
I'm sure it is difficult to find much of anything for a foreground around the bottoms. If you could maybe locate some rock, tree or shrub structure of some kind, something to just give a break in the straight horizon I feel (just my opinion anyway) it would help in lifting the viewers sight up and into the lightning and clouds. Maybe a little cropping off the right since there isn't much over there.
I don't mean to sound picky cause I actually like it. It's a cool and ominous looking scene!
Thanks Rob for sharing.
Hey Rob, man was there ever a lightning show around Kansas City yesterday afternoon/night! You may have seen what one strike did to a petroleum tank in downtown Kansas City, KS! 1.2 million gallons of fuel went up overnight after lightning hit the tank.
I like your shot and the details in the clouds from the illumination. I'd be tempted to crop from the right and take this to b/w, maybe boosting contrast a little along the way. With all the weather going on I guess I should get out and try my hand at some lightning shots too!
Discussion
4 repliesGood job on capturing the lightning. I have always wanted to try it. I like the clouds and the lightning and how the clouds have lite up above the main strike very cool. In this shot I do think the other lights should be cloned out.
I'm sure it is difficult to find much of anything for a foreground around the bottoms. If you could maybe locate some rock, tree or shrub structure of some kind, something to just give a break in the straight horizon I feel (just my opinion anyway) it would help in lifting the viewers sight up and into the lightning and clouds. Maybe a little cropping off the right since there isn't much over there.
I don't mean to sound picky cause I actually like it. It's a cool and ominous looking scene!
Thanks Rob for sharing.
Brad
I like your shot and the details in the clouds from the illumination. I'd be tempted to crop from the right and take this to b/w, maybe boosting contrast a little along the way. With all the weather going on I guess I should get out and try my hand at some lightning shots too!
Thanks for sharing.