Photographing lightening

[Florida_Bear]

Hi All, Whats the best way to photograh lightening with an SLR ?
And would it be at all possible with a compact such as the ixus 970 ?

regards... Ted

[carys]

I have an ixus and I doubt mine is quick enough tbh .

[rusty30]

Originally Posted by carys

I have an ixus and I doubt mine is quick enough tbh .

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Actually the reverse is probably true - it wouldnt be slow enough!

The best way Ive seen is to set the camera to "BULB" (only on DSLR) and put some black card in front of the lens. Take the card away when the lightening strikes then close the shutter. It would be a very hit and miss process - Ive seen a stunning shot taken over the oil rigs / windfarm off of Gt Yarmouth with lightening in the sky and apparantly it was a fluke - the camera was on a long exposure to capture the sky and the oil rigs! This pic has been in a lot of photo mags so you may have seen it.

[carys]

Allie I am too fick to understand that But I don't think my ixus would manage

[Florida_Bear]

Ok Thanks guy's.
I did get a couple of lightening shots in my film slr days using the bulb setting and we usually get a couple of storms when we go so...
Not taking my 350D (will be another thread coming up about this) so just wondered about the ixus.

Ted

[daviewat]

Its as rusty said the only really good way is to set the camera manually to bulb, this is basically when you press the sutter button the shutter stays open until you press it again then it closes. And unless it is pitch black the idea of the black card over the lens is to stop any light at all bieng captured.

Its s till tricky to judge when the strike will be ! but you kinda get an idea for it somehow. Also remember to have a fairly high ISO set on the camera as well as apart from the strike itself and waht it illuminates everything else will be black ! so a higher iso lets more detail be captured all be it a little grainy. And a good sturdy tripod with even a remote cable attached to the camera to stop any shake when activating the shutter button :-)


The shot Rusty mentioned won the guy some £10.000 of camera kit ! and is a wonderful example of how it can be done. All the shots I seen of lightning its the chance ones that seem better by a touch.

As far as a compact camera you can try by all means if you are in a heavy storm then its possible to be just lucky enough to get the shot :_)


I have attached an image of a strike i was lucky enought to get I was a ctually going for the wird red/grey colours in the clouds when bam it struck :-)

[georgemac]

Love that photo Davie, have never seen the one mentioned by yourself and Rusty, a lucky shot and it won the guy £10K of camera gear - wow!

[rfw1]

I managed it in my college days using a Russian flim SLR.

a guy I work with did it with a digital compact, I think he just set something like a ten second shutter speed and kept fireing, periodicly deleteing those with nothing on it.
his photos made the BBC website

I Keep meaning to try again, but I need to find somewhere I can set up a camera on tripod where it has a good view , wont get wet and wont get struck by lightning!

[Florida_Bear]

Thanks again Guy's.
Great shot Dave

Ted

[DIBBadmin]

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