Boston Storm

[Esoterra]

I had a work meeting in Boston this week, I really wish I would have brought my D70s instead of my Canon A85; still, I was able to get this cool shot of downtown Boston from my hotel room window. There is a little reflection of the camera in the window.

http://ChrisRoss.smugmug.com/photos/165637808-L.jpg

[rickalm2000]

Great shot. Love the lightning. I've been waiting for a good thunderstorm here to try my hand at capturing some lightning myself but to no avail. I'm in the sunshine state and ironically the lightning capital of the world and yet not one good light show yet for me. Whats the deal???? Anyways once again great shot!!!!

[toriaj]

I had a chance to shoot lightning earlier this month, but I flubbed it :(
I had an idea, though. For dark night lightning, I could just click the shutter open using the remote, wait until after the lightning has struck, and then click it closed again. The lack of ambient light allows for a shutter speed of several seconds without overexposure. Then I would have to try to predict the strikes, or have "lightning reflexes" :D

Chris, do you think that would work?

[Honest Gaza]

Where was Denny Krane & Alan Shaw ? :D

[Esoterra]

I had a chance to shoot lightning earlier this month, but I flubbed it :(
I had an idea, though. For dark night lightning, I could just click the shutter open using the remote, wait until after the lightning has struck, and then click it closed again. The lack of ambient light allows for a shutter speed of several seconds without overexposure. Then I would have to try to predict the strikes, or have "lightning reflexes" :D

Chris, do you think that would work?

Yep. Thats what I did. Of the 50 shots I took, only 2 of them had lightning in them, so its definitley a waiting game. The other alternative is to buy a lighting trigger device that connects to your hot shoe, but they are a bit pricey. I belive my shots were 15 seconds each.

[RichNY]

Yep. Thats what I did. Of the 50 shots I took, only 2 of them had lightning in them, so its definitley a waiting game. The other alternative is to buy a lighting trigger device that connects to your hot shoe, but they are a bit pricey. I belive my shots were 15 seconds each.

Chris-

I want to make sure I understood how you took this. Did you use aperture priority mode with a small f/16 type setting or did you go for a much smaller aperture by using a ND or Polarising filter?

I would have loved to have done some photography up at the top of the Stratosphere tower shooting out over the mountains in Vegas- the lightning seems to be suspended in the air for many seconds at a time. At $329 I don't think I'd get enough use where I live to make it a worthwhile purchase for a Lightning Trigger.

[Esoterra]

Chris-

I want to make sure I understood how you took this. Did you use aperture priority mode with a small f/16 type setting or did you go for a much smaller aperture by using a ND or Polarising filter?

I would have loved to have done some photography up at the top of the Stratosphere tower shooting out over the mountains in Vegas- the lightning seems to be suspended in the air for many seconds at a time. At $329 I don't think I'd get enough use where I live to make it a worthwhile purchase for a Lightning Trigger.

I shot in Manual Mode
15 seconds
F/8
Didn't use a ND or Polarizing Filter.
I set my camera up against my hotel room window, turned off all the lights in the room, set the self timer to 2 sec count down, and then took 50 consecutive 15 second shots at F.8. The idea is to take the shot and hope that the lightning strikes while your shutter is open. of the 50 shots, the lightning struck 2 times~ the one I posted above and another one that looked really bad because I accidentaly bumped the camera (I was SO mad). I tried merging the two images together in CS3 but it looks kinda fake... here it is anyhow..

http://ChrisRoss.smugmug.com/photos/165636478-L.jpg

[sdcwonderer]

awsome pictures ,and i agree with the comment you said about the second one looking a bit fake but still good none the less......its always nice to see shots of my back yard sort of speak......

[RichNY]

I shot in Manual Mode
15 seconds
F/8
Didn't use a ND or Polarizing Filter.
I set my camera up against my hotel room window, turned off all the lights in the room, set the self timer to 2 sec count down, and then took 50 consecutive 15 second shots at F.8. The idea is to take the shot and hope that the lightning strikes while your shutter is open.


Chris- How did you come to pick that Av/Tv combination? Is that a correct metering for the ambient light from the city to expose properly?

I read on the Lightning Trigger web site that they recommended a shutter time between 1/8 and 1/4. With the shutter kept open for up to 15 seconds why isn't there a chance of overexposing the image if a good bolt should strike early in the exposure?

[Esoterra]

Rich,

The Aperture and Shutter combination I chose was based off of trial and error. The Canon a85 is very old and in manual mode, the longest shutter speed is 15 seconds with an apperture range between F4 and f8. I didnt have much to work with, but I took some test shots and found that the exposure worked best at f/8 and 15 seconds because 15 seconds would give me more of a chance to get lucky and have lightning strike while my camera was taking the pic.

I am taking these picutres at night right so the exposure settings will be different then during the day~ 15 second shutter speed dosen't over expose. When using the trigger, your camera doesnt fire until right before the trigger senses that ligtning is coming so I guess they recommend a faster shutter speed? With the method I used, its all about luck... use tripod and set your camera to record the exposure that works for you, use a count down timer.... take picture... wait 15 seconds and hope that the lightning strikes in that 15 seconds that the shutter is open. (on my D200 I would have gone 30 seconds or even bulb mode with a smaller aperture). The only other issue is that Lightning doesnt always strike in the same place, so it takes a little luck getting the lightning poisitioned correctly (or use the widest angle lens you can get your hands on).

Hope this helps. Other than this I would recommend just hunt down the next lightning storm that you see in your area and try your hand at it. Im sure with your skills and your camera you will get some stunning shots.