Great shots sbarricklow...I love how when you photograph lightning you get that purple effect. I've been lucky over the years and gotten a few good one's.
Amazing shots! 1st shot is the best IMO because of the shorter exposure on the moon. Gotta hand it to you...it takes some ba**s to go out there in the storm w all the lightnings around
Bill, These were all shot using a 6X7 cm format and Fuji Velvia, ASA50 with a cable release and the camera in the bulb setting.
Stan, I'm not much on interesting foregrounds, and prefer foregrounds to be as empty as possible to not detract from the storm. HOWEVER, a local lightning photographer named James Langford has almost convinced me to find interesting foregrounds as a result of the excellent results he has achieved. See:
Hello Lynn, You've got to be careful when photographing lightning. Unexpected things can happen.
When shooting lightning in rural areas, I either stay inside the vehicle, or I stand under power lines, at a point approximately half-way between two telephone poles. The theory is that the overhead wires will act as a crude Faraday Cage, and standing halfway between two telephone poles may reduce the ground currents. If you can avoid a direct strike, then the next risk is the Voltage that develops as current flows through the ground near an object hit by lightning. If lightning strikes the overhead power lines or a power pole, both poles are grounded, and the current to ground is divided equally between the two poles, then at a point halfway between the two poles, the Voltage should be minimal. That's quite a few optimistic assumptions. There are no guarantees.
If lightning is striking near-by, I stay in the car.
