How do I… Lightning?

[Schnappi]

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?

[Killerclaw]

I sit there with a remote and tripod and snap off 15 second exposures.

[linguine]

I’ve never done it, but everything Ive seen says take lots of long exposures.

[orionid]

About 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.

[Killerclaw]

there 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.

[Killerclaw]

http://www.lightningtrigger.com/

[nugz4lunch]

Killerclaw wrote:

I sit there with a remote and tripod and snap off 15 second exposures.

Me too.

[jpatten]

same here .. stop down so I dont blow out the clouds, and click off 15-20sec frames one after another till I get lucky.

[oi_piss_me_off]

I had a similar question. Do you have to have a remote release?

[swampa]

No, 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.

[orionid]

What he said.

[caradoc]

During 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.)

[oi_piss_me_off]

Great! Thanks so much everyone. And caradoc, your photos are amazing!

[olavf]

Yeah, he’s pretty much why I pointed you over here.

[caradoc]

Thanks! 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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