The Obsessive Photographer

Palm and the angry sky (licensing available on Getty Images, click photo)

Hi, my name is Thomas, and I’m addicted to photographing lightning.

The beauty of natures fury is inescapable, but there’s more too.  Growing up in Wyoming gave me an appreciation of being immersed in nature.  Truth be known, if you venture a few miles out of town you didn’t have much choice, no one else was there to talk to.  Releasing yourself to the power of the natural world is an often exhilarating experience, and at times a dangerous one.

I’m fortunate enough to have the perfect stage to witness and capture Florida’s violent thunderstorms, almost on a nightly basis during the summer.  Living on a small lake just outside Tampa (the lightning strike capital of North America) [wiki link] allows me a great 180 degree view of the skyline as the storms roll in.

Standing on my deck, camera perched securely on my tripod, I watch the storms rage and strike again and again.  If I’m lucky enough (and yes, there is a tremendous amount of luck needed here) I’ll capture something special.  Lightning in a bottle.

The most important, and most dangerous part of capturing lightning is location. You need an unobstructed view of the sky in the direction of the storm.  This often puts you directly in harms way of a strike.  Lightning can strike miles away from the storm cloud [ref.], so use your best judgment before scampering out in the storm.

After you’ve scouted your location you need a camera capable of adjusting both the aperture, shutter speed and ISO (SLR works best), a tripod and an off camera shutter release.  Also helpful if you have it is a rain cover for your camera and rain gear for yourself in case you get caught in the rain.

Important: If you are using an “image stabilized” lens remember to turn the stabilizer OFF.  Small vibrations from the stabilizer will transfer to the sensor and make your shots blurry when your camera is mounted to a tripod.

Locate the area of the storm that’s most active with strikes and point your camera in that direction.  If you’re anything like me you’ll be swearing under your breath the whole time as beautiful bolts strike right in front of you before you’re all set up.

OK, you’re there, the lighting is still striking, you’re ready to capture the epic image you have in your mind.   The length of time between shots will guide you to your settings.  I’ve been successful using the following guideline: More frequent strikes, use a wider aperture (f4 to f8), a low ISO (200-320) and a shorter shutter speed (5-8 seconds).  Less frequent strikes requires a more closed aperture (f18 – f22), longer shutter speed (20-30 seconds) and a slightly higher ISO (320-500).  These are just guidelines, and have a lot of variables based on your location, time of day, ambient lighting, and even cloud speed.  Keeping the shutter open for a long time with fast moving clouds can “soften” your image.  This can be interesting, it’s all a matter of personal taste. 

Always shoot in RAW format if possible.  RAW images can be adjusted much more effectively without degradation of the image quality.  Over exposed images are pretty much a lost cause, but subtle lightning “tendrils” can be brought out by processing RAW images.

Electrified Stick Figure

Getting the lighting in the frame is less of a challenge than you would think, it just isn’t that difficult given you have the location, tools, and an open shutter.  Getting the shot without overexposing or “blowing out” the image takes practice and skill.  Small changes to aperture, exposure and ISO can have dramatic effects.  The other big factor is the white balance setting.  I used to use the pre-set temperatures on my camera (and available on most cameras).  I have found the “Tungsten” setting works very well in most cases.

Lightning, Reflected

The real trick to doing this successfully is patience.

I’ve compared shooting lightning to fishing when talking with people about it.  When the conditions are right you can catch a big one, but you have to be n the right place at the right time with the right tools.  When the “fish are biting” it’s very hard to stop “fishing”, even if the weather is coming in on you.  The second you decide to pack it up you will see a huge “fish” jump right in front of you, making you cast “just one more time”.  This “just last one more shot” can lead to 10-20 “last shots”, often forcing you to race inside ducking for cover as you run.

I’m fortunate enough to have my own special alarm to force me inside if I’m lost in the moment.  My wife simply won’t allow me to stay out too long.  I’ll stop short of calling it “nagging” (primarily to prevent having thunder and lightning inside the house), I’ll just say it’s a gentle reminder of her love for me and concern for my safety.  Whatever your method is, know  your limits and be careful.

Shooting is just half the fun.  Downloading your images to check what treasures you uncover is almost as exciting as taking the photos.  It’s exciting going through each shot, waiting for “the” image you’ve been looking for.  It’s a fun way to spend a stormy evening if you have the desire.  Be warned though, you may just get hooked in the process.

Lightning Over The Lake (my first lightning shot)