(mention stormscapesdarwin.com when you order your site!)
LIGHTNING AND STORM PHOTOGRAPHY
DAYTIME AND NIGHT-TIME.
The following excerpt graciously used by permission from Michael Bath, Australia.
(http://www.lightningphotography.com/tips.html)
- Set your camera on a tripod.
- Connect a cable shutter release or set the remote for taking the shots (otherwise the camera may wobble on the tripod when you actually press the shutter).
- Lock focus at infinity. ( a sideways '8' symbol on the lens)
- Set the shutter speed to bulb 'B' (the shutter will stay open for as long as you hold it open). If you don't have this option, set the exposure time to the longest possible - realistically you need 10 to 30 seconds
- Set the aperture (F-stop) to between F2.8 and F5.6. Experiment a little with different settings but I recommend nothing higher than F8 unless you want many bolts of lightning to occur in the one photo.
- Frame the picture where the most lightning is occurring, or where the most spectacular clouds are.
- Observe the lightning for a short while before taking a picture. You will notice that some cloud to ground (CG) lightning strikes very fast (in a fraction of a second it has flashed and gone). Other CG bolts strobe or pulse for anything up to 2 seconds. Sheet lightning (anvil crawlers) sometimes lasts up to a second or more as it spreads across the sky. If the storm is close to you and/or you can see it growing or moving, then exposure times should be at most 15 seconds, or else the cloud will blur (especially if more than one lightning bolt occurs during the exposure). If the storm is a fair way away, you are only framing the storm base, or you cannot see it developing or moving, then exposures can be anything you like! I recommend between 20 seconds and 2 minutes. You can have longer exposure times for higher F stops.
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For the 'fast' lightning:
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter.
- Wait for the lightning (or multiple lightning) to occur within the frame of your shot.
- Release the shutter.
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For the longer lasting lightning:
- You can do the same as above, or
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- Wait for the lightning to occur.
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter as soon as you see the flash.
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- Release the shutter after a number of seconds (up to you).
Late Afternoon or Early Morning (low daylight) Lightning Photography
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* Set your camera on a tripod!
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For the 'fast' lightning:
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter.
- Wait for the lightning (or multiple lightning) to occur within the frame of your shot.
- Release the shutter.
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For the longer lasting lightning:
- You can do the same as above, or
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- Wait for the lightning to occur.
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter as soon as you see the flash.
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- Release the shutter after a number of seconds (up to you).
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For the 'fast' lightning:
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter.
- Wait for the lightning (or multiple lightning) to occur within the frame of your shot.
- Release the shutter.
-
For the longer lasting lightning:
- You can do the same as above, or
-
- Wait for the lightning to occur.
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter as soon as you see the flash.
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- Release the shutter after a number of seconds (up to you).
For the 'fast' lightning:
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter.- Wait for the lightning (or multiple lightning) to occur within the frame of your shot.
- Release the shutter.
For the longer lasting lightning:
- You can do the same as above, or
- Wait for the lightning to occur.
- Press the cable/remote to open the shutter as soon as you see the flash.
- Release the shutter after a number of seconds (up to you).
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- Connect a cable shutter release or set the remote for taking the shots (otherwise the camera may wobble on the tripod when you press the shutter).
- Set focus to infinity.
- Set the shutter speed to 'B' if you want to control the length of the exposure, otherwise I recommend setting the speed to aperture priority setting if you have this.
- Set the aperture (F-stop) higher (experiment with F5.6 - F16) than for night shots - it will give you more exposure time, and more chance of capturing the lightning.
- Frame the picture where the most lightning is occurring, or where the most spectacular clouds are.
- Either wait for the lightning to occur then press the cable/remote to open the shutter, or press the cable/remote and hope that lighting occurs reasonably quickly.
- If you have set the speed to automatic then that's it, otherwise, release the shutter after your estimated exposure time .
Miscellaneous hints
Find locations where there's low tree lines and structures. Whilst man-made objects are handy for scale and something different, trees offer no graciousness to your lightning if it covers half your frame and you're point up instead of out.
When shooting daytime lightning remember to keep a check on your F stop numbers as the lighting conditions change with cloud cover etc. Checking the exposure times will give you clues after viewing previous shots.
Don't be afraid to take repetitive shots of the same area where you've seen lightning strike. Chances are there'll be more and if you are using digital then it matters not how many you delete.
Be patient when out photographing. Don't worry if you miss a few big hits whilst setting up, the lightning has no timetable or 'for sure' area it will strike. If the storm is active enough you'll get your photo.
Keep in mind what you are photographing. What is your main subject? How much do you want in the foreground? How much lightning in the frame and most important, what do you want to show in the photo?