Forums › Forums › Get Technical › Tips & Tricks › How do I… Lightning?
- This topic has 20 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by chupathingie.
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October 8, 2008 at 7:08 pm #1451SchnappiParticipant
Every time a storm rolls through (rare in Vegas) I wish I could get some lightning shots.
Unfortunately, I never actually get a shot with lightning in it.So far I’ve tried lowering my quality (hurts so bad) so that I can take continuous shots for like 1000 frames in the hopes of a bolt going off in frame.
I’ve also tried long shutters… but if I get very long at all I end up with garbage anyway due to the stuff in my frame moving (and cloud movement).
So for those of you who get good lightning shots…. how?
October 8, 2008 at 11:57 pm #19540KillerclawParticipantI sit there with a remote and tripod and snap off 15 second exposures.
October 9, 2008 at 12:49 am #19541linguineParticipantI’ve never done it, but everything Ive seen says take lots of long exposures.
October 9, 2008 at 5:33 am #19542orionidParticipantAbout 15 years ago, Nuts & Volts magazine had an article showing the schematics and operation of an automatic shutter relase that responded to sharp changes in light levels and produced spectacular results with 1600 ISO film (if memory serves). Some Google-fu may unearth something similar….. the trick would be making it work with a DSLR.
Possibly with the nikon cordless remote, you could replace the button with a transistor and photocell… It’d be quick, dirty and ugly…. but inexpensive and possibly fun.
October 9, 2008 at 5:51 am #19543KillerclawParticipantthere is a lightning sensor that goes on the flash mount being advertised in Outdoor Photography magazine. I’m looking for my copy, I’ll post a link when I find it.
October 9, 2008 at 5:56 am #19544KillerclawParticipantJanuary 7, 2009 at 9:49 pm #19545nugz4lunchParticipantKillerclaw wrote:I sit there with a remote and tripod and snap off 15 second exposures.Me too.
January 7, 2009 at 9:58 pm #19546jpattenParticipantsame here .. stop down so I dont blow out the clouds, and click off 15-20sec frames one after another till I get lucky.
July 19, 2010 at 4:18 am #19547oi_piss_me_offParticipantI had a similar question. Do you have to have a remote release?
July 19, 2010 at 12:26 pm #19548swampaParticipantNo, you can use the timer function to trigger the camera if you want (or in the worst case you can use the shutter button but you will probably shake the camera in doing so unless it is fixed somewhere really solid). A remote release just makes it easier.
July 19, 2010 at 12:47 pm #19549orionidParticipantWhat he said.
July 19, 2010 at 12:55 pm #19550caradocParticipantDuring the day, I use a trigger based on an Arduino microcontroller that measures ambient infrared, and pops the shutter when there’s a spike in IR:
(clickr for Flickr, more links to the trigger “how-to” from there)
At night, I set for ambient (good exposure of city skyline, whatever) and bang out long exposures until lightning strikes in the frame. A solid tripod and a cable release are required for ths (I simply set the lock on the cable release to force the camera to repeatedly click off exposures until I unlock it.)
July 20, 2010 at 5:17 am #19551oi_piss_me_offParticipantGreat! Thanks so much everyone. And caradoc, your photos are amazing!
July 20, 2010 at 5:29 am #19552olavfParticipantYeah, he’s pretty much why I pointed you over here.
July 20, 2010 at 2:07 pm #19553caradocParticipantThanks! Anyone in the metro Phoenix area’s welcome to ping me – we can go shoot.
(I’m kind of without a car for the moment… the Forester has a couple of cracked CV boots, and I really need to get those repaired/replaced before I drive much…)
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