Photographing Lightning - Never got easier!

[slim6y]

Just saw this article from one of my fav suppliers...

AEO Lightning and Motion Triggering Devices | BH inDepth

Gone are the days of using the 'bulb' function and hoping you're pointing in the right direction...

This is pretty cool!

It's the one thing I miss when I moved to the east coast of NZ - no more lightning storms... (need to be on the west coast of NZ for that).

I've caught lightning before (on a 30 second exposure) at night... But would love to get daytime shots too - but never really knew how (apart from being in the wrong place!!!)

I'm very proud of my three lightning shots that I have caught... (I can't link to them here as they're on Redbubble and I'm at work and can't access them).

 

[Fuscus]

You will still need the right direction hope

 

[slim6y]

You will still need the right direction hope

haha... And a tripod (probably)... But the rest is done for you!

 

[Sock Puppet]

Takes all the fun out of it mate! haha

What about the good old days when you'd click off a roll of film & hope at least one shot was half decent?

At least these days you can delete the duds. And now this, all you need to do is whack the camera on a tripod, go have a cuppa, & come back & check the pics when the storm has passed! haha

But yeah, looks pretty good

 

[discountreptile]

Used my digital SLR in a massive storm at a lookout and this was one of the biggest strikes.

 

[slim6y]

View attachment 220762

Used my digital SLR in a massive storm at a lookout and this was one of the biggest strikes.

You've inspired me to link to my favourite shot I got...

 

[discountreptile]

Yeah nice one Slim6y

 

[snakes123]

Ok yeah thats good and all, but photographing isn't about setting up as Sock Puppet said. You have to go out and adventure, waiting hours to get the right shot, getting up at stupid times in the mornings, late at nights! Even with this gear you wont get a good lighting shot. You need a long exposure, especially at night to get all of the landscape at the right exposure. So yeah they are good if all you want to do is go out and that a flat boring lighting shot, but if you want a good shot go out and get them how all pro and wannabepro photographers do it the hard way. But most of the time that hard way will look allot better!

 

[Red-Ink]

Ok yeah thats good and all, but photographing isn't about setting up Actually it is, firing away blindly makes you a shooter as Sock Puppet said. You have to go out and adventure, waiting hours to get the right shot, getting up at stupid times in the mornings, late at nights Time is money! Even with this gear you wont get a good lighting shot It'll get you closer to it though. You need a long exposure try that on a digi and burn out your sensor, especially at night to get all of the landscape at the right exposure you need a light meter for that, even then when shooting film reciprocity effect of the film choice will need to be taken into account. So yeah they are good if all you want to do is go out and that a flat boring lighting shot, but if you want a good shot go out and get them how all pro and wannabepro photographers do it the hard way it ain't hard if you set it up right. But most of the time that hard way will look allot better! Most of the shoots taken by people who don't set up right end up in the bin, time is money to pro photographers and the last thing you want is burning out your equipment or wasting a day "hoping" to get lucky on one frame

Nice gadget Slimy... you can get kit flash triggers from jaycar as well. I had to build one during my studies at Uni. The thing works as a slave, sound trigger (make a noise and it fires the flash) as well as a laser triggered detector (break the laser beam and it fires the flash, great for high speed events in the studio).

 

[snakes123]

Red-Inc- I wasn't bagging, just saying what i thought. It does sound like an alright product, as when i was younger i was hoping for something like this but then it faded once i know how to use exposures. I wouldn't mind giving it a go oneday.

 

[Red-Ink]

All good snakes... was just saying that when your on a paid job or taking images where things are "crucial" a good/correct set up (and gadgets) goes a long way.

Nothing worse than watching a models make up run cause the lights are'nt set up right or having to say "sorry can we do that again" when it's been a long day on a paid job.

 

[slim6y]

snakes - it will certainly change daytime lightning shots - this is obviously when you can't open the shutter for longer exposures - and some of the best lightning occurs at around 4pm - daylight!

Red - The noise reactor would be awesome! You could shout as soon as you see lightning

 

[DHoffmann]

I've managed just fine without gadgets. Time + luck + effort + luck is all you need.

 

[snakes123]

snakes - it will certainly change daytime lightning shots - this is obviously when you can't open the shutter for longer exposures - and some of the best lightning occurs at around 4pm - daylight!

Red - The noise reactor would be awesome! You could shout as soon as you see lightning

You can I got a ND8 filter gets about 4-10 seconds in the day time. And you can add more for it to be darker, tio hold the exposure open longer.

 

[DHoffmann]

You can I got a ND8 filter gets about 4-10 seconds in the day time. And you can add more for it to be darker, tio hold the exposure open longer.

Good point. ND4 + ND8 allowed for 20 second exposures at 3:30pm during the storms at the end of last month. Excuse the crappy location and dirty window, but I wasn't in a good location nor had the time to go somewhere especially for it.

 

[snakes123]

Yeah. I did post how much i liked your previous photos. If you are ever up in sydney and what to go take some pics, id happily tag along

 

[slim6y]

I didn't really think of the filters - I really should try them. Looking for them now

 

[snakes123]

Yeah get a good brand, not a fake. I have a hoya ND8

 

[DHoffmann]

I didn't really think of the filters - I really should try them. Looking for them now

I picked up a very cheap ebay set of Cokin P series style filters. $3 or so for the holder, $2 or so for the size adapters (77mm and 82mm in my case) and $3 for the actual filters, so for 3 filters and the above it cost me.... $17! The Cokin P series style means you're able to adjust and stack filters with the only need for adapters, rather than individual filters for different sizes.

 

[snakes123]

I picked up a very cheap ebay set of Cokin P series style filters. $3 or so for the holder, $2 or so for the size adapters (77mm and 82mm in my case) and $3 for the actual filters, so for 3 filters and the above it cost me.... $17! The Cokin P series style means you're able to adjust and stack filters with the only need for adapters, rather than individual filters for different sizes.

I bought that to the other day! But i noticed that one was scratched, and one does not even fit in the holder. But when using a filter specifically for cutting off light i would use a screw one, as the light from the cokin p series style have about a 1-2 mm gap between the lens to the filter, which can let in some light.