1.2 gigawatts

1.2 gigawatts · 09:22 AM

I took this photo last night in front of my house last night while a pretty incredible lightning show was going on. It took me a couple of tries to get the picture I wanted. Enjoy and thanks for looking.

Click on picture for larger image

arpaagent · 07-13-2009, 09:26 AM

Shouldn't that be 1.21 Gigawatts?

Nice shot! What was your strategy?

cwhans · 07-13-2009, 09:30 AM

Originally posted by arpaagent

Shouldn't that be 1.21 Gigawatts?

Nice shot! What was your strategy?

It should be 1.21, but I rounded down

I used my wireless remote on bulb mode to hold the shutter open and when a lightning strike would hit I would release the shutter. It took me a couple of tries to get a good shot and I almost gave up for the night when this lightning strike hit and about blew my socks off. Anyway I am glad you like it.

heliphoto · 07-13-2009, 09:40 AM

Nice catch... I love shootin' lightning too. I was watching the lightning map like a hawk yesterday and it looked like Idaho got pummeled!

BTW, I see your flickr tag os ida_flyer - what do you fly? (I fly helicopters myself

)...

imtheguy · 07-13-2009, 09:57 AM

Very nice shot. On my screen the night has a bit of plum color that i really like in around the spark. Did you PP that in or did it come out like that? Either way its nice to look at.

cwhans · 07-13-2009, 09:57 AM

Thanks for the comment. Love your photos. I don't fly myself, I just happen to fly out of IDA on a regular basis.

cwhans · 07-13-2009, 09:58 AM

Originally posted by imtheguy

Very nice shot. On my screen the night has a bit of plum color that i really like in around the spark. Did you PP that in or did it come out like that? Either way its nice to look at.

This was straight out of the camera. No PP was done with the photo.

heliphoto · 07-13-2009, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by imtheguy

Very nice shot. On my screen the night has a bit of plum color that i really like in around the spark. Did you PP that in or did it come out like that? Either way its nice to look at.

That color is very common in lightning shots (see my link above for more examples)... I don't know why.

arpaagent · 07-13-2009, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by heliphoto

Nice catch... I love shootin' lightning too. I was watching the lightning map like a hawk yesterday and it looked like Idaho got pummeled!

BTW, I see your flickr tag os ida_flyer - what do you fly? (I fly helicopters myself

)...

What's a good EV starting point for shooting lightning?

imtheguy · 07-13-2009, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by cwhans

This was straight out of the camera. No PP was done with the photo.

Nice. I also cant find the "Lightning" white balance setting on my K20D. I will figure it out some day when I try to shoot lightning. Guess I would try "Flash" first.

A little cropping on the right and you have a really nice commercial poster. Better than the lighting posters I have seen in the shops. Keep it up.

Bokehboy · 07-13-2009, 10:21 AM

Yowza! Made me crouch on the balls of my feet and all of my hair stand on end. Nice shot!

heliphoto · 07-13-2009, 10:32 AM

I'm afraid I'm not quite technically trained enough to tell you the EV, but through trial and error I've found good results from - ISO 400, f/3.2, Bulb mode held open with a wired remote 'till a strike falls within the frame.

You need for the camera to be fairly sensitive (boost ISO and or fast apertures) because you can't rely on time since the flash is so brief. But you have to keep adjusting if the lightning is filling more or less of the frame, and also for how much your trying to show of your surroundings. Of course it all comes down to luck and tenacity (and knowing when to run away

). The best lightning shot I've gotten was lucky in that a strike behind me lit up the terrain followed by the dramatic strike in the frame - worked out well.

bdery · 07-13-2009, 07:30 PM

Question : at ISO 400, f3,2, with bulb mode you will soon get an awful lot of light on your sensor. Were you shooting in the middle of the night, in a rural area?

rjburgos · 07-13-2009, 07:35 PM

nice one there.....you really have to work hard for lightning shots and at the same time lots of luck...have tried doing it but still havent catch that one yet....i envy you

8540tomg · 07-13-2009, 07:38 PM

Great shot cwhans

Did that one short out your camera?

Tom G

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07-13-2009, 09:26 AM	#2
arpaagent Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 803	Shouldn't that be 1.21 Gigawatts? Nice shot! What was your strategy?

07-13-2009, 09:30 AM	#3
cwhans Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Eastern Idaho, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 217 Original Poster	Originally posted by arpaagent Shouldn't that be 1.21 Gigawatts? Nice shot! What was your strategy? It should be 1.21, but I rounded down I used my wireless remote on bulb mode to hold the shutter open and when a lightning strike would hit I would release the shutter. It took me a couple of tries to get a good shot and I almost gave up for the night when this lightning strike hit and about blew my socks off. Anyway I am glad you like it.

07-13-2009, 09:40 AM	#4
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539	Nice catch... I love shootin' lightning too. I was watching the lightning map like a hawk yesterday and it looked like Idaho got pummeled! BTW, I see your flickr tag os ida_flyer - what do you fly? (I fly helicopters myself )...

07-13-2009, 09:57 AM	#5
imtheguy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,950	Very nice shot. On my screen the night has a bit of plum color that i really like in around the spark. Did you PP that in or did it come out like that? Either way its nice to look at.

07-13-2009, 09:58 AM	#7
cwhans Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Eastern Idaho, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 217 Original Poster	Originally posted by imtheguy Very nice shot. On my screen the night has a bit of plum color that i really like in around the spark. Did you PP that in or did it come out like that? Either way its nice to look at. This was straight out of the camera. No PP was done with the photo.

07-13-2009, 10:08 AM	#8
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539	Originally posted by imtheguy Very nice shot. On my screen the night has a bit of plum color that i really like in around the spark. Did you PP that in or did it come out like that? Either way its nice to look at. That color is very common in lightning shots (see my link above for more examples)... I don't know why.

07-13-2009, 10:12 AM	#9
arpaagent Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 803	Originally posted by heliphoto Nice catch... I love shootin' lightning too. I was watching the lightning map like a hawk yesterday and it looked like Idaho got pummeled! BTW, I see your flickr tag os ida_flyer - what do you fly? (I fly helicopters myself )... What's a good EV starting point for shooting lightning?

07-13-2009, 10:15 AM	#10
imtheguy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,950	Originally posted by cwhans This was straight out of the camera. No PP was done with the photo. Nice. I also cant find the "Lightning" white balance setting on my K20D. I will figure it out some day when I try to shoot lightning. Guess I would try "Flash" first. A little cropping on the right and you have a really nice commercial poster. Better than the lighting posters I have seen in the shops. Keep it up.

07-13-2009, 10:21 AM	#11
Bokehboy Inactive Account Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pennsylvania, U. S. A. Posts: 247	Yowza! Made me crouch on the balls of my feet and all of my hair stand on end. Nice shot!

07-13-2009, 10:32 AM	#12
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539	I'm afraid I'm not quite technically trained enough to tell you the EV, but through trial and error I've found good results from - ISO 400, f/3.2, Bulb mode held open with a wired remote 'till a strike falls within the frame. You need for the camera to be fairly sensitive (boost ISO and or fast apertures) because you can't rely on time since the flash is so brief. But you have to keep adjusting if the lightning is filling more or less of the frame, and also for how much your trying to show of your surroundings. Of course it all comes down to luck and tenacity (and knowing when to run away ). The best lightning shot I've gotten was lucky in that a strike behind me lit up the terrain followed by the dramatic strike in the frame - worked out well.

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07-13-2009, 07:30 PM	#13
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Question : at ISO 400, f3,2, with bulb mode you will soon get an awful lot of light on your sensor. Were you shooting in the middle of the night, in a rural area?

07-13-2009, 07:35 PM	#14
rjburgos Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: manila, philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 280	nice one there.....you really have to work hard for lightning shots and at the same time lots of luck...have tried doing it but still havent catch that one yet....i envy you

07-13-2009, 07:38 PM	#15
8540tomg Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Waterloo, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,461	Great shot cwhans Did that one short out your camera? Tom G