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Archive 2014 · Catching Lightening?

  
 
billsamuels
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Catching Lightening?


I was wondering how you catch lightening? I was in the middle of a giant lightening storm in the Sierras last week and even held the shutter open in Bulb with a Big Stopper on pointed right at the lightening that occurred way too close, and all I got was the cloud with something that looked like a flash, but no nice bolt.

I want to get a wireless trigger as well. I hear there are some that detect lightening? But mostly, how do you get it during the day using regular equipment?

Thanks.



Aug 20, 2014 at 11:47 AM
Genes Home
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Catching Lightening?


In the old film days we set up on tripod and set our exposure to produce -1/-3 stops overall exposure at the longest setting that we could use (normally 1 to 7 seconds, depending on film type). Then we would simply begin shooting, hoping that at least one shot one each roll would have a good exposure with lightning in it.

Alternatively, with B&W film, you would set up to shoot at f/22 or greater and just leave the shutter open for up to 30 seconds, again hoping for a good exposure where the lighting showed up and also provided enough light to expose the ground and clouds, etc.

Then came lightning triggers (at around $450 they were a bargain, believe me). Using one we simply calculated the correct exposure for the current light level, turned the thing on, and let the camera run, taking pictures everytime the trigger fired. In New Mexico out on the mesa lands you were normally shooting at a single thunderstorm, so every trigger would give you a shot with lightning in it.

To answer your question specifically......all the lightning triggers do is detect the RF static discharge from the lightning strike and then very rapidly send a trigger signal to your camera to take a picture. You set the camera up on a tripod (preferably) use the preferred program or automated setting (day or night) and just let it run. Nothing to it, really. These days, using a lightning trigger, lightning capture is just about the same for both day and night. There are several nice sites out in www-land that discuss this in more detail. Just google them.

Since most triggers can detect the RF discharge from many miles away, most have tunable sensitivity settings to let you increase or decrease the number or triggerings that are produced. For a Southwest U.S. moonsoon season thunderstorm this isn't much of a problem, as you will be aimed at the general location/area the lightning will take place. For places like Florida and other areas which produce lighting in major frontal systems you will need to decrease the sensitivity so that only local area lightning fires the trigger.

FYI, I generally breakdown and get under cover (NOT, NOT, NOT a grove of trees!) once the storm lightning gets within about 7-8 seconds (thunder delay) of me. That's about 1.5 miles and its as close as you want to be if you are out in the open.




Aug 20, 2014 at 01:20 PM
Klaus Priebe
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Catching Lightening?


Just Google "lightning trigger" there are a few companies that make them. Check out the one from Stepping Stone Products or the lightning bug.


Aug 20, 2014 at 01:23 PM
arduluth
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Catching Lightening?


When I've done it, I've just used an intervalometer or remote trigger on a set exposure, manually focused. You might have a lot to delete the next day, but you're going to have some lightning in there.


Aug 24, 2014 at 11:44 PM
Greg Campbell
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Catching Lightening?


IMO, lightning triggers are pretty much useless. Just another bit of gear for the obedient consumer to run out and buy. The main issue is latency - it takes tens of milliseconds to haul the mirror up out of the way and then drag the shutter open. By then, all of the stepped leaders and many of the near-ground branches will have come and gone. This leaves you with single-channel, 'pencil' lightning. Boo!

If you MUST have daytime lightning then triggers are indeed the way to go. If you can wait until early twilight, when 1/x second exposures become possible (not 1/xxx), you can proceed as described below.


The short recipe for twilight or night time lightning photography:

Tripod or sturdy mount of some sort.

Find a nice scene, free from foreground trees, antennae, power lines, and other crap. Having a list of pre-scouted location is almost mandatory.

By hook or crook, get the lens focused to infinity. Use live view, or focus on distant, contrasty subject if enough light is available. Once set, disable AF.
OR - buy some cheap, old school manual focus glass and a $20 adapter. Set and forget!

ISO 100

Aperture to f/8 to start. Chimp and adjust aperture to avoid large blown-out areas or excessively wimpy lightning. The principle is the same as exposure control when using a flash. Using a Big Stopper is not the ticket - all it will do is severely attenuate the lightning.

Tweak shutter speed as needed to expose foreground, clouds, mountains, whatever.

Shutter to continual mode.

Use locking cable remote to Rambo the scene with machine-gun exposures.
Lacking a remote release, cover the lens with a dark something-or-other, then manually trigger the shutter and remove dark thing to start exposure.

If you get tired of watching the camera chunk-chunk-chunk away, spend your time shooting other stormy sky pics with another camera. Keep an eye on the sky above, watching for developing cells that may send Zeus' wrath your way.



Aug 28, 2014 at 11:58 AM
Greg Campbell
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Catching Lightening?


Hello Bill? Were you planning to participate in your thread?


Aug 31, 2014 at 12:18 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Catching Lightening?


Day or night 5D3 with 35mm on tripod aimed at most active part of sky - set exposure and fire consecutive frames with an RC-6.


Aug 31, 2014 at 06:42 PM





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