Thunderstorm Photography.

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Peter Mitchell
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So tonight, there's meant to be a thunderstorm and I think it would be a perfect opportunity to get some nice photos.

Does anyone have any tips on how to catch lightning sharply or is it just pure luck and using the old counting trick to see how close the storm is?
 
Focus to infinity. Stop your lens down and your ISO until you can get a roughly well exposed image (under expose rather than over) and have your shutter open for roughly 20-30 seconds.

Don't forget your tripod.

Keep shooting!
 
Focus to infinity. Stop your lens down and your ISO until you can get a roughly well exposed image (under expose rather than over) and have your shutter open for roughly 20-30 seconds.

Don't forget your tripod.

Keep shooting!



Good advice here. Low f/stop , low ISO, low shutter.

If you find it's too blurry with a low shutter then increase it a bit :)

And as Grant Said, keep shooting!
 
In the old film days I just locked the shutter open with a remote cable release, then left it for five minutes, or until I was sure I got a lightning bolt.
I have the same thing for my digital, but there hasn't been a proper storm here for years.
 
I should really start looking at the weather to see if there's anything interesting like this happening near me...
 
The last time I did lightning photography, I waited until the storm was actually producing regular bolts, pointed my camera in the direction of the strikes and then took a series of fairly long exposures, hoping that at some point I would capture a strike whilst the shutter was open.

To facilitate the long exposures, I used a low ISO, small aperture, and had my camera focussed on the buildings on the horizon. Worked a treat.
 
I typically go for a very wide angle lens, because I'm never quite sure where the next bolt will be, then crop it down a bit afterwards. It also helps me capture some foreground detail (even if it's just a silhouette), to help contextualise the storm.

I've often wondered if using an ND filter would help to length the exposure, but I've never had the chance to experiment. Anyone tried this?
 
When i was in Namibia the locals told me where the lions would be hunting. I sat there for 2 days :LOL:

All the above is good advise. I use a combination of long exposure or locking shutter open with all settings low. Then when a bolt happens, close the shutter.

Both seem to work .... now and then. Worth giving it a go for the gems that may be had.

So tonight, there's meant to be a thunderstorm and I think it would be a perfect opportunity to get some nice photos.

Does anyone have any tips on how to catch lightning sharply or is it just pure luck and using the old counting trick to see how close the storm is?
 
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