Lightning Photography Tips
Lightning is one of the many wonders and mysteries of Mother Nature. Itscares the hell out of children and those people who think the odds of gettingstruck by a lightning are greater than we think. But to photographers,lightning is a beauty that must be captured. Here are some tips on how to takelightning shots.
Precautions
It is important that you know the weather danger first. Of course, you donot want to absorb millions of lightning volts, do you? A sound tip is to shootlightning photos outside rain. Shoot while the storm is distant. It is foolishto just go in the open field and photograph close lightning. That is verydangerous. Safety should come first. Unless you are a professional lightningphotographer, do not take any risks.
Digital or film?
What camera should be used in lightning photography? One huge advantage ofdigital cameras is that you can see the lightning shots instantly, so you canmake exposure adjustments while the storm is still active. It also costs younothing to see the results right away. However, there is one negative: Digitalcameras are less forgiving than film with overexposed lightning photos.
Equipment
Use a camera that will allow you to use the bulb shutter setting and set theaperture separately. Use a good heavy tripod. You may also need cable releaseto trip the shutter remotely and hold it open. It is also recommended that youuse wide angle lens, preferably 17mm.
Settings
If you have a digital camera that allows long exposure noise, it is betterto turn that off. Set your camera to the lowest ISO speed and shoot RAW. Keepthe aperture f/5.6 – f/8 while taking lightning photos.
Exposure
The exposure time largely depends on the light conditions. When shooting atnight, use these tips about calculating long exposures for you to know theright exposure. When capturing lightning photos during daytime, you can useyour camera’s light meter to know the correct exposure. Finally, your lensshould be set on Manual Focus and focus for infinity because the lightning willmost likely hit somewhere very far from your lens.
Composition
You must pay careful attention to composition. The most interestinglightning photos are sky shots that include a bit of land, sea, or city,although there are impressive photos showing nothing but lightning bolts.