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Lightning fast · **1 Like**

It's possible to capture lightning during the day but ya gotta be fast.

Na Horuk · 06-10-2013, 07:23 AM

Whoa, 1/6 shutter and you caught it, cool.
Usually I think people use an Nd filter and bulb mode for this kind of photography

scratchpaddy · 06-10-2013, 07:28 AM

Insanity! You're either incredibly lucky, or have crazy reflexes. Maybe both?

What's the deal with the landscape? It kind of looks like a double-exposure with the framing slightly off, but the lightning's perfectly sharp.

gifthorse · 06-10-2013, 08:07 AM

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I guess you could say I was deliberately lucky. 1/6 second was the minimum shutter speed I could get in the daylight (and that slightly overexposed the images) so I simply set the intervalometer to take an exposure every second and let it bang away. Out of some 800 shots this was the only one that actually captured the lightning I was trying for. The double exposure effect was simply (and unfortunately) the wind shaking the camera.

**Kerrowdown** · 06-10-2013, 08:15 AM

Originally posted by gifthorse

Out of some 800 shots this was the only one that actually captured the lightning

You shouldn't have told us, right up until then, your were a demi God among photographers.

scratchpaddy · 06-10-2013, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by gifthorse

The double exposure effect was simply (and unfortunately) the wind shaking the camera.

Ah! It's too easy to forget when looking at pictures: with lightning comes wind and rain which the camera had to endure. Using the intervalometer was a good idea. If you had a ND filter (like Na Horuk said) you could have had your shutter open almost all the time, instead of 1/6 of the time.

I'm anxiously awaiting my first monsoon season here so I can try this. I've got a few decent vantage points picked out.

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06-10-2013, 08:15 AM	#5
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,867	Originally posted by gifthorse Out of some 800 shots this was the only one that actually captured the lightning You shouldn't have told us, right up until then, your were a demi God among photographers. Last edited by Kerrowdown; 06-10-2013 at 08:43 AM.

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06-10-2013, 07:23 AM	#2
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Whoa, 1/6 shutter and you caught it, cool. Usually I think people use an Nd filter and bulb mode for this kind of photography

06-10-2013, 07:28 AM	#3
scratchpaddy Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Phoenix Posts: 3,361	Insanity! You're either incredibly lucky, or have crazy reflexes. Maybe both? What's the deal with the landscape? It kind of looks like a double-exposure with the framing slightly off, but the lightning's perfectly sharp.

06-10-2013, 08:07 AM	#4
gifthorse Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Nevada Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,950 Original Poster	Thanks for the kind words everyone. I guess you could say I was deliberately lucky. 1/6 second was the minimum shutter speed I could get in the daylight (and that slightly overexposed the images) so I simply set the intervalometer to take an exposure every second and let it bang away. Out of some 800 shots this was the only one that actually captured the lightning I was trying for. The double exposure effect was simply (and unfortunately) the wind shaking the camera.

06-10-2013, 08:26 AM	#6
scratchpaddy Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Phoenix Posts: 3,361	Originally posted by gifthorse The double exposure effect was simply (and unfortunately) the wind shaking the camera. Ah! It's too easy to forget when looking at pictures: with lightning comes wind and rain which the camera had to endure. Using the intervalometer was a good idea. If you had a ND filter (like Na Horuk said) you could have had your shutter open almost all the time, instead of 1/6 of the time. I'm anxiously awaiting my first monsoon season here so I can try this. I've got a few decent vantage points picked out.

Nature Lightning fast

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