Mike Hollingshead
Anyone else out there wanting to capture lots of very close CGs(at least under half a mile)? I'm sure there are several on here with big collections of very close bolts. It's interesting to me more and more, as often distance bolts can be boring. I don't know, sure each bolt is different and all, but the views are largely similar. If there's a great sky or storm involved then yeah, that rules. But when it comes to just bolts, I want to catch lots of very close strikes. The problem is the obvious...rain(as well as getting bolts near you). Anyone have tips or tricks to get past the rain? I guess ideas should be obvious, but there's always something a person doesn't think of.
I just started wondering about wrapping up the camera and lens real good and hoping a lens hood offers enough of a block. That might not work well with a wide angle though, and a zoom, well who'd use a zoom for close bolts. Some guy once e-mailed trying to see if there'd be any use for something tv stations use. I guess they can make some fan that attaches to the end of the lens which spins very fast. Something about that did not sound right, so I never thought much more about it.
Then there is shooting out the car windsheild obviously. I'm thinking that will be the best route to do this. It sucks to have to leave the car idling though, so the battery doesn't die using the wipers. My car idles just smooth enough it seems ok.
Any other ideas? It'd be cool to have a balcony with a canopy somewhere high. Hmmm.
I have tried my living room window a couple times now, but have yet to have a good storm. Last night I found a potential problem with this. I got very lucky and the first CG I saw, after an hour of nothing but flashes, was about 2 blocks away, in frame. I thought, cool! Then I looked closer and saw ghosting to the channels, thanks to the window and angle through it.
This was shot at 13mm. It's probably around 2 blocks from here. The flash and crack boom scared the crap out of me, as there was no build up of other CGs...just this first one really damn close.
You can see two of the channels reflected off the windsheild of that suv. If only I had a view, I could see what is being electrified right now.
Here's the problem though. Look at the ghosting, lol. The channel on the right has 3 ghosts, middle one has 2 and the left one has 1. I'm wondering if this was mostly because the lens was so close to the window. I wonder if it'd go away with the lens back a foot or so. Definitely need rain-x too.
I'm just wondering about ideas, and to see other examples of close bolts others have(not video captures, but still images). To me, this makes shooting lightning really fun...even if it's mostly a bust(all far bolts or nothing). The utlrawide angle lenses make them seem further away than they are, yet at the same time offers a better chance any super close bolts will be in the frame. You'd think a person could come up with some crazy images if they had a good way to do this from a car, with rain around. Hmmm, I've never once put rain-x on my windshield. I've seen videos with chasers who put it on though. Hell, that's probably the only answer needed. Good coating of rain-x and no need to use wipers while parked. This is also a good thing to try to do when the storms weren't that great. At least maybe one can go home with an insane lightning bolt. Course like anything it'll take a crapload of persistence and time trying.
I just started wondering about wrapping up the camera and lens real good and hoping a lens hood offers enough of a block. That might not work well with a wide angle though, and a zoom, well who'd use a zoom for close bolts. Some guy once e-mailed trying to see if there'd be any use for something tv stations use. I guess they can make some fan that attaches to the end of the lens which spins very fast. Something about that did not sound right, so I never thought much more about it.
Then there is shooting out the car windsheild obviously. I'm thinking that will be the best route to do this. It sucks to have to leave the car idling though, so the battery doesn't die using the wipers. My car idles just smooth enough it seems ok.
Any other ideas? It'd be cool to have a balcony with a canopy somewhere high. Hmmm.
I have tried my living room window a couple times now, but have yet to have a good storm. Last night I found a potential problem with this. I got very lucky and the first CG I saw, after an hour of nothing but flashes, was about 2 blocks away, in frame. I thought, cool! Then I looked closer and saw ghosting to the channels, thanks to the window and angle through it.
![07-10-4-8149.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.extremeinstability.com%2Fstormpics%2F2007%2F07-10-4-8149.jpg&hash=248fac666a4ac4587d423b01c8220919)
This was shot at 13mm. It's probably around 2 blocks from here. The flash and crack boom scared the crap out of me, as there was no build up of other CGs...just this first one really damn close.
![07-10-4-8149b.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.extremeinstability.com%2Fstormpics%2F2007%2F07-10-4-8149b.jpg&hash=697740f70c5f710dfe23d86f5827a3fe)
You can see two of the channels reflected off the windsheild of that suv. If only I had a view, I could see what is being electrified right now.
![07-10-4-8149c.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.extremeinstability.com%2Fstormpics%2F2007%2F07-10-4-8149c.jpg&hash=bb5081f795ecd637856f3b1920d79b0c)
Here's the problem though. Look at the ghosting, lol. The channel on the right has 3 ghosts, middle one has 2 and the left one has 1. I'm wondering if this was mostly because the lens was so close to the window. I wonder if it'd go away with the lens back a foot or so. Definitely need rain-x too.
I'm just wondering about ideas, and to see other examples of close bolts others have(not video captures, but still images). To me, this makes shooting lightning really fun...even if it's mostly a bust(all far bolts or nothing). The utlrawide angle lenses make them seem further away than they are, yet at the same time offers a better chance any super close bolts will be in the frame. You'd think a person could come up with some crazy images if they had a good way to do this from a car, with rain around. Hmmm, I've never once put rain-x on my windshield. I've seen videos with chasers who put it on though. Hell, that's probably the only answer needed. Good coating of rain-x and no need to use wipers while parked. This is also a good thing to try to do when the storms weren't that great. At least maybe one can go home with an insane lightning bolt. Course like anything it'll take a crapload of persistence and time trying.