Close range lightning photos?

[MClarkson]

So I am playing with lightning photos and I am very very happy with my new DSLR! Anyway, do you folks have any suggestions for not getting zapped or getting the camera wet when the storm gets closer? In town I have a few good spots with a roof over my head(like the second highest floor of a parking garage). But what about outside of town? Theres a few spots up in the elevated terrain where I know I can get great photos but I am a little worried about getting struck, or getting my new camera wet.

Do you shoot from inside your car through a clean window? Or do you just stay far enough ahead of the storms and zoom in? Crop high res photos to give the appearance of being closer?

Thanks

 

[Mike Moore]

ZOOM!

It really depends on the situation, and I think you'll get the feel of it with time. If you are going for wide, landscape shots you'll want to stay well ahead of, or behind/beside the storm. It really depends on the road network on which side you can attack a storm from. I would recommend if you're setting up on a tripod that you always shoot with a cover on your camera. They can be had for $25 on Amazon. Even if you are shooting well away from a storm, at some point everything will be lining up and the perfect shot is just minutes away... and it starts lightly raining. If you already have a cover on - no worries. If you don't you might miss the moment when you're trying like mad to get the cover on. Anger will ensue.

Rain cover: Amazon Link

I have also at times shot from my car window, but more often I shoot out the side of a minivan door. You can purchase a camera mount that will attach to window glass for pretty cheap. I've had more frustration than luck with the camera window mount, so I usually stick to a tripod in the back of the van. If you plan ahead of the storm (not always possible of course) you can get to the elevated terrain and setup ahead of time. Depending on how you trigger your shots you can stay "safely" inside of your car while shooting.

If conditions allow the safest way is to shoot is with a zoom. This is restricted by the weather and the terrain, but for example if you have a target you would like to have in the shot rather than being 1/2 mile from the target at 18mm - drive a few miles away and shoot the same shot at 200mm. After you get into lightning photography you'll start planning ahead. I have a book I write notes in... so for example if a storm is coming from the west into this city - here are my locations and angles. If a storm is coming into that city from say the South maybe I have a list of other targets. Drive around on a good weather day and scout out some targets. Lightning is an interesting subject, but framing your shot with some interesting things will take your shots to the next level.

 

[MClarkson]

Thanks man! I'll grab one of those rain covers, that will surely help.

Heres my 3 good shots from last night. I could not be happier with my new DSLR and Canon's incredibly fast and easy to use editing software.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1108/97276181.jpg
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4013/27962626.jpg
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1305/29216878.jpg

 

[Mike Moore]

Hey - great shots! You're certainly off to a good start.

It's also very helpful to have a UV filter on the camera to keep moisture out. With a UV filter and the rain cover you can keep the water off the camera pretty successfully. Also a lens pen is a great item to pack - it lets you clean off the filter quickly.

 

[Jeff Duda]

Thanks man! I'll grab one of those rain covers, that will surely help.

Heres my 3 good shots from last night. I could not be happier with my new DSLR and Canon's incredibly fast and easy to use editing software.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1108/97276181.jpg
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4013/27962626.jpg
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1305/29216878.jpg

I'm going to guess the specks in those images are falling raindrops illuminated by the lightning, right?

 

[MClarkson]

"the specks in those images are falling raindrops illuminated by the lightning, right?"

Yup. And those images have been cut down quite a bit to both zoom in and make uploads manageable. I am pretty impressed with the image clarity of the Canon T3. Its not even a real expensive camera either... the cheapest of the latest crop of SLRs.