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05/03/2009 02:10:25 PM · #1 |
| A friend of mine just took some awesome shots of lightning and sent them to me. Now my dilemma is that I can't let him show me up and the sky's are getting dark here so......how do I do it? What setting's should I use? Do I need a tripod or will the shutter speed need to be so fast that it shouldn't matter? Please help. |
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05/03/2009 02:35:22 PM · #2 |
Out here we donĂ¢€™t get the quality of thunderstorms you do down there. If it was me I would use settings similar to what I use for fireworks, with the exception of going as wide as possible, with your lens listed that would be 18mm. I would also put the ISO as low as possible, and close your aperture as much as it will go, on mine I think I can get to F/22, this will increase your shutter speed, and depth of field. I hope someone with more experience comes on to maybe expand on this..
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05/03/2009 02:47:17 PM · #3 |
Daytime lightning shots are harder than nighttime... at night it's easy to just keep the shutter open longer, LOL.
Yes, stop down, perhaps to f/16 or so (I wouldn't go to f/22, you'll lose sharpness), and use ISO 100. Set focus manually for close to infinity. Take test exposures to see what shutter speed works best to expose background. Shoot from a tripod, and use a remote release if you have one, otherwise just manually depress the shutter button. You can take one of two approaches.
1.) Hit the shutter as soon as you see a flash, and hope you catch it (it's actually not that hard)
2.) Keep hitting the shutter, and hope you catch something (works better when light is low and you can keep shutter open for 1 second or more)
Remember, the most dramatic shots of lightning include other features. Composition is still important. |
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05/03/2009 03:00:46 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Daytime lightning shots are harder than nighttime... at night it's easy to just keep the shutter open longer, LOL.
Yes, stop down, perhaps to f/16 or so (I wouldn't go to f/22, you'll lose sharpness), and use ISO 100. Set focus manually for close to infinity. Take test exposures to see what shutter speed works best to expose background. Shoot from a tripod, and use a remote release if you have one, otherwise just manually depress the shutter button. You can take one of two approaches.
1.) Hit the shutter as soon as you see a flash, and hope you catch it (it's actually not that hard)
2.) Keep hitting the shutter, and hope you catch something (works better when light is low and you can keep shutter open for 1 second or more)
Remember, the most dramatic shots of lightning include other features. Composition is still important. |
Nice advices from Kirbic, the only thing I would change is the timing, when I do that, I use the bulb setting, leave the shutter open sometimes up to 10 minutes, and keep my fingers crossed. It is hard to catsh one, but if you did using this way, it will be just wonderful.
best of luck,
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05/03/2009 03:23:03 PM · #5 |
I have an idea in mind for using lightning with another element to add to the composition. How would you shoot an object about 5-10 foot away with lightning in the background and keep the subject sharp?
Edit to add will shoot at dusk and/or night
Message edited by author 2009-05-03 15:38:45. |
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05/03/2009 04:52:23 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by SEG:
I have an idea in mind for using lightning with another element to add to the composition. How would you shoot an object about 5-10 foot away with lightning in the background and keep the subject sharp?
Edit to add will shoot at dusk and/or night |
If you are shooting with a wide angle lens, it's possible to have both in focus, at least with the subject 10 feet away it's pretty easy. You'll need an Av of about f/11 or f/16. Focus at the hyperfocal distance, which you can calculate here. |
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05/03/2009 05:27:00 PM · #7 |
Thank you for the link Fritz, while looking up what Hyperfocal Distance was I found this
link, that better described it, and showed how to calculate in the field.
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05/05/2009 03:04:25 PM · #8 |
| I have made some really dramatic lightning shots by using the click and hope method. Basically you are watching the sky and seeing where the lightning is hitting and also the anticipated frequency (every minute, every 2 minutes, etc). Open the shutter and hope a flash occurs during that anticipated exposure time. Just keep repeating it, (you can also delete the blanks as you go). A tripod and shutter release are essential if you are planning on a timed exposure of 1/30th or longer. I have used ISO 100, f/8 and 2-3 seconds. Another option is to use bulb, hold a piece of black cardboard in front of the lens and move it as soon as you see the flash. The problem is about your response time. A typical lightning flash lasts about a quarter of a second and consists of 3 or 4 individual discharges called strokes. Each stroke lasts a few ten thousandths of a second, although the visual appearance is longer. By the time you "see" the flash and press the shutter then have the camera shutter respond the stroke is gone. There is a product made called a lightning trigger that hooks up to your camera's release and optically triggers the shutter at speeds far faster than the human response time. It's not cheap but if you are in an area that gets a lot of lightning strikes it could be worth it to you. |
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