Lightning tonight

[thepharcyde]

First ever shot of lightning. Did not have tripod so had to hold as still as poss for 30 secs!!!

C&C :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/thepharcyde/Lightning.jpg

[tiler65]

I want to be sceptical...........................

[thepharcyde]

I want to be sceptical...........................

Why?

[Matt Sayle]

I really like that.

[Defiance]

That is damn good, especially hand-held

[hillwalkinggirl]

Very nice shot, and great colours.

[thepharcyde]

Reason why it was cropped :D

Had the strap totally tight to the back of my neck and fortunately the lightning came out great, but as you can see the town lighting did not :bonk:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/thepharcyde/DSC_0056.jpg

[tiler65]

Why?

30 secs hand held.

enough said.

[sam_51]

couldnt believe it was hand held untill i got hear.
great shot.

sam

[smithphoto]

Great shot! Would'nt have caught me out in that!! Scary stuff!!

[Splog]

30 secs hand held.

enough said.

I doubt the lightning took 30 secs :D if I was taking a shot like that I'd open the shutter and hope for the best :)

[smithphoto]

Not the sort of situation you want to be out in with your carbon fibre tripod! Bzzzzzzz

[digitalmaniac]

I like it with the blurred town-looks kinda like something from a ufo film.

[Splog]

Sorry thepharcyde

Should have said that's a great shot :clap::clap:

Steve

[thepharcyde]

Stats for any who do not believe me :razz: :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/thepharcyde/stats.jpg

[thepharcyde]

The town during the day been mid 30's all week, v.v.hot :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/thepharcyde/DSC_0002.jpg

[Treesie]

I can't move quick enough to switch the camera on let alone hold it for 30 seconds! Well done. France?

[chris321]

That's AMAZING! I've always really wanted to have a go at lightning, but never been in the right place at the right time with the right equipment! How do you even go about it?! Is it just a case of waiting till a storm starts, then run outside, click and hope? How many photos did you have to take to get this absolute stunner? Sorry for all the questions!

Chris

[Cobra]

Stats for any who do not believe me :razz: :D

I think what "they" ( and me for that matter) are getting at,
I don't dispute the fact the it was HH for 30 but the lightning flash would have only lasted a second or two and you would have closed the shutter at that point, so splitting hairs it was only held steady for a second or two at the most
Cool shot BTW :thumbs:

[thepharcyde]

That's AMAZING! I've always really wanted to have a go at lightning, but never been in the right place at the right time with the right equipment! How do you even go about it?! Is it just a case of waiting till a storm starts, then run outside, click and hope? How many photos did you have to take to get this absolute stunner? Sorry for all the questions!

Chris

I am v.new to photography, only recently upgraded from a entry level Fuji which served me well for a few years. It was beginners luck g/f shouted look at the lightning she saw out of the window, I grabbed camara. I took around 40 shots (most of which being black!!!) guessing when the lighting would strike on the fastest shutter speed, excuse my ignorance but unsure of my first speed, but they came out black anyhow:lol:. The last shots were as the stats above ISO 1600 and went for the longer shutter speed and hey presto one came out great shame I did not have the tripod to hand!!

I am no expert, a novice so others will be able to advise the best settings etc

[neilmac]

Stunning! (or, should that be shocking?) - can't wait til the next storm to have a go. Well captured, and good to see the data to try and use the same when the opportunity arises.

Cheers, :thumbs:

Neil

[thepharcyde]

I think what "they" ( and me for that matter) are getting at,
I don't dispute the fact the it was HH for 30 but the lightning flash would have only lasted a second or two and you would have closed the shutter at that point, so splitting hairs it was only held steady for a second or two at the most
Cool shot BTW :thumbs:


Sorry I may have barked up the wrong tree, as I admit I am a total noob at photography......Shutter was closed after 30 secs, it was a lucky shot :)

[thepharcyde]

Pictures are taken in Roquebrun S.W France near the Spanish border.

[Cobra]

Sorry I may have barked up the wrong tree, as I admit I am a total noob at photography......Shutter was closed after 30 secs, it was a lucky shot :)
No Worries your luckier than I am with lightning, never got one yet that looked half decent, so well done :thumbs:

[Lateralus]

very nice-crisp and sharp:thumbs:
had a storm last night that shook my house on a few occasions:eek:

[HuntingMartians]

I think what "they" ( and me for that matter) are getting at,
I don't dispute the fact the it was HH for 30 but the lightning flash would have only lasted a second or two and you would have closed the shutter at that point, so splitting hairs it was only held steady for a second or two at the most
Cool shot BTW :thumbs:


That makes no sense. If he set the exposure time to 30 secs and pressed the shutter then it stays open for 30 seconds irrespective of when the lighting flashed

[neo2810]

:agree:

[Gandhi]

That makes no sense. If he set the exposure time to 30 secs and pressed the shutter then it stays open for 30 seconds irrespective of when the lighting flashed

:agree:

It makes perfect sense. The lightning flash is so short that the camera only has to be still for the duration of that to make it sharp. Not the whole 30 seconds. As the blurry town lights testify to.

Nobody was detracting from the shot or skill in getting it. merely making a technical point that a 2second exposure would've done just as good a job. You would however have to be pretty psychic to get the shutter open at exactly the right time ;)

[Dal]

Thats a really nice shot.

There was a program on the other night about a lightning photographer and his tip was use a cable release and make sure your sitting lower than the camera incase a lightning bolt hits the camera (so it won't go for you). Lightning can strike upto 10miles away from the storm cloud, so be careful.

He kept holding the shutter open then closed it straight after the bolt has hit.

Can't think of his name now though.

[HuntingMartians]

It makes perfect sense. The lightning flash is so short that the camera only has to be still for the duration of that to make it sharp. Not the whole 30 seconds. As the blurry town lights testify to.

Nobody was detracting from the shot or skill in getting it. merely making a technical point that a 2second exposure would've done just as good a job. You would however have to be pretty psychic to get the shutter open at exactly the right time ;)

To get lightning shots the camera is generally mounted on a tripod set to a certain exposure time and the shutter pressed and the camera proceeds to take the shot. And during that time lightning may flash or may not. But you've set the camera up for the correct exposure for the set time. So again it makes no sense what you have said.

In this instance the camera was handheld and the exposure was for 30 seconds. Now if the taker didn't have a "bulb" setting on his camera then they couldn't stop the picture getting taken after the flash of lightning. And unless this individual has foresight to know when the lightning would flash then a long exposure time makes perfect sense.

[Gandhi]

I know how to take long exposure shots using a tripod.

I also know the correct modus operandii for getting lightening shots.

The point cobra was making (I believe) is that it is sharp because the flash of lightening is short, milliseconds in fact. Not as a result of the photographers amazing skills in handholding a shot for 30 seconds. I think he was trying to illustrate that after the lightening had flashed it would've been perfectly ok to close the shutter, if possible with it being on 'bulb'

BTW, with nikons (other camera brands may be available) if you're running a 30" exposure you can turn the camera off whenever you like in those 30 seconds and it will close the shutter and record whatever's been exposed so far.


Anyway, this is getting into stupid semantics now. I was only trying to defend somebodies (correct) point of view.

[neo2810]

Erm... "incorrect" point of view since the OP stated he handheld for 30 secs, not handheld till just after the lightning.
Absolutely correct that the lightning will be sharp since it only flashed for a split sec, but in this case he still left the shutter open for the full 30 secs...

But anyway, as you say, this is getting silly so lets get back on topic. Nice shot...

[locheil]

tried a few times mysel, hats of to you mate good pic

[Cobra]

The point cobra was making (I believe) is that it is sharp because the flash of lightening is short, milliseconds in fact. Not as a result of the photographers amazing skills in handholding a shot for 30 seconds.
Thanks Gandhi thats about it in a nut shell.:thumbs:

[wingnut]

I love lightening shot, this one sweet, nice job with the crop too.

[HuntingMartians]

Thanks Gandhi thats about it in a nut shell.:thumbs:


Oh well