Photographing very close lightning

[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.

 

[Dan Robinson]

There are two challenges - rain, and field of view. When lightning gets close, the potential strikes can be 360 degrees around you. If lightning is even a half-mile away, you have enough of a reduction in degrees of horizon to cover the field of view with a wide-angle lens. When it gets closer than that, the chances of getting it in frame get pretty slim.

But the main problem is rain. Where there is close lightning, there is usually heavy rain. That's the #1 problem. Shooting through glass seems to always result in ghosting and raindrop-marring. Some type of overhang over the lens can solve this, barring strong wind. You can set the camera up between the passenger and driver's seat and zoom a little through the passenger window, so that the lens is back inside the car a little ways. If I had time, I used to bungee cord a big golf umbrella to the door frame to create a portable external overhang.

I always try to shoot away from the wind to catch close strikes, even if the storm is coming in the opposite of my field of view. Eventually the lightning is going to pass overhead and start hitting in front of me, with the wind and rain at my back. That was the case here:

http://wvlightning.com/images/wv-51998a.shtml

In that shot, I was set up looking out the open front window at my house. It was pouring rain at the time. I had the tripod extended up high with the camera almost at the top of the window, and back inside a little. Basically you have an angled plane at which the rain is coming in, you have to get the camera above that plane and still keep the 'overhang' out of the top of the frame. The less wind, the easier this is. Sometimes it is impossible, such as with shooting close tower lightning where the camera is aimed up high.

We talked about the rain problem on the lightning list years ago, and there still really isn't much that can be done. A spinning lens does exist that is made for this purpose, it basically centrifuges the raindrops off. It is very expensive ($7,500) and I don't see how it wouldn't vibrate like crazy, to the detriment of long exposures:

http://www.spintec.co.il/

I toyed with the idea of some type of compressed air nozzle situated a few millimeters in front of the lens, blasting raindrops away before they could hit the glass. It would be loud, but it wouldn't matter for stills anyway.

If the rain is heavy enough, there is nothing that can be done. Very heavy rain creates a misty 'spray' from the ground that builds up on the lens, even if the camera is well sheltered.

The last good close strike I caught on a still was back in 1998 (the one linked above). I also got one in 1997 and in 1995. That was a beginner's streak, as it's been almost 10 years since my last good one, and it's not because I haven't been trying. They are elusive.

I think close strikes are easier to catch if you set up well ahead of a storm, in a good sheltered location scouted out long in advance - like a parking deck or overpass. If you are chasing, it is harder to find acceptable spots in time and even harder to set up in a vehicle and keep the rain away.

 

[Brian Emfinger]

Well at least its nice to know I am not the only doing this battle. I think the car idea is probably the best way to go. I have rain-x on mine and I usually just turn the car/wipers off. Obviously there will be raindrops visible but really the wipers dont really help much in a downpour anyway. And at dark the lightning can illuminate the wiper blades and mess the picture up more.

When I worked as photog at a tv station I often times would open up the back door (Jeep Cherokee or Ford Escape) and sit back there with the door all the way up and use that as a protected area. It worked perfect unless you were right in the wind but just a slight angle against the wind would protect you.

 

[Jayson Prentice]

I'm currently using the same idea Brian is, I have a Jeep Cherokee so I just open up the hatch and can use that as a cover if I need to. Neat thing about some of those now, as in mine as well, the glass portion will just open up as well. So I can actually setup and be completely inside while shooting out the back window giving you a wide frame of view instead of a regular window.

Beings I shoot out of the back I'll simply point the vehicle straight into the wind or should-be wind direction and that'll get rid of any risk of rain coming in through the window. I've tried doing out of the passenger window before, wasn't too bad as long as their was no wind.

 

[Dick McGowan]

I've always wanted to get one of these that way you could pull the clamp back out of the rain (if necessary) and if you had a rain guard, that might help out a little bit also. I have a couple of Bushnell window clamps, but they are a pain to get on and off, and aren't protected from the rain. That clamp looks like you might be able to mount it to maybe even your steering wheel? or something else, which could shield the rain, if your window was left open just enough. I tried the "reaction" method with close bolts earlier this year, but you'd have to use a higher ISO at night time, it worked okay during the day at 400, 1/20. It isn't as hard as you would think, you just have to have quick eye/hand coordination, with little movement! Here is a shot I did back in August, I left it on autofocus, but you can see how close it was (and shooting through the windshield at 10 mm)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y230/DickTwister/closebolt1web.jpg

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

That air pressure idea is a good one. I'm sure it'd work with the right configuration, if one could make something. Then again maybe it'd take more flow than I'm thinking. Maybe hook up a bathroom hand dryer?(joke...I think) The hatchback thing is a good idea too.

I've tried that angle approach from inside my car, with the camera near the top of the window. I just end up too damn wet, often for nothing. I just bought some rain-x for the first time. Now need some storms again.

It is a challenge, but man it's not encouraging to hear it's been so long since you've gotten a very close one. You've gotten quite the collection of skyscraper hits. That's another thing. I wish I had an apartment high up in a downtown building. It'd be like cheating shooting from there all the time.

This reminds me. The other thing I've been dying to get are reverse bolts off towers. I only have one from 2003 and it sucks. Can't even see the tower in it thanks to a hill. It seems that those things love to happen under a vigorous anvil, behind an mcs, or even a dying complex. I've seen some of the best displays driving home when there's barely even any sprinkles left. It's too bad by then they are 5-10 minutes between bolts. But man when it finally lets lose, it can be wild.

 

[Jeremy Ludin]

My way is simple: I hold a 2' x 2' piece of plastic that was laying in the truck for about two years over the camera, works perfect. The only time I have problems is when the rain is driving pretty hard, then I need to come up with something else. Pretty unorthodox and simple, but it does work very well.

 

[scott r currens]

I just bought some rain-x for the first time.

That is shocking, a storm chaser that doesn't use rain-x. Rain-x is like tires, I don't chase without them. I use it because I want the best possible visibility when I am in heavy precipitation. Rain-x is more of a driving safety thing than a photo or video thing for me. If I have an option I will always avoid shooting through a windshield/window. I could be wrong but I don't know of any great lightning shots that were taken through a windshield.

The following image was one of the closest strikes I have had. I’m lucky that this one didn’t get me. I was standing out in the open trying to shoot distant lightning when this one struck ¼ mile away in the field next to me. Talk about having the sh1t scared out of you. I think I traveled the 15 feet back to my truck without touching the ground.

 

[Brian Emfinger]

I could be wrong but I don't know of any great lightning shots that were taken through a windshield.

I know I have shown this a million times BUT!

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

That is shocking, a storm chaser that doesn't use rain-x. Rain-x is like tires, I don't chase without them. I use it because I want the best possible visibility when I am in heavy precipitation. Rain-x is more of a driving safety thing than a photo or video thing for me. If I have an option I will always avoid shooting through a windshield/window. I could be wrong but I don't know of any great lightning shots that were taken through a windshield.

http://www.extremeinstability.com/07-9-29.htm

Not that those are great or anything, but all those non-dock ones were taken through my windshield. I guess it's a better option than nothing. I also think if you get a bolt hitting a tree 20 feet from you, that a few drops on the windshield aren't going to kill the image. I think if it is done right one can get some good images this way, so long as it is not a down pour. It was sprinkling in all those. The wipers were set pretty slow. It's really only the second time I've tried that, the first being a horrible non-event for lightning.

As for rain-x, I've never used it and done fine. If you think it's bad that I haven't used the stuff before, you don't want to see my tires right now.

 

[Adam Lucio]

The problem I have with windshields is splattered bugs, not rain. Theres actually a weather-proof case that is made for my camera, keeps it dry and all buttons are fully operational! It can even be used for under water shots, or so it claims but I havent tried that out.

I shoot out my window all the time, tho my camera is pretty bottom of the line and I just use the fireworks show setting or the night-setting with the longest exposure possible on a mini tripod, every now and then something good works out.

This is actually a video still, but from the same camera, probably the closest bolt ive caught on pic/video.

Sorry I cant offer any real advice, Im just learning the ropes on this kind of photography myself, just wanted to share the photos.

 

[Dan Robinson]

The rear tailgate (if your car has one) does work for shooting distant lightning, but when it gets close you don't want to be standing on the ground under there. The problem is that the tailgate is always going to be in the picture at the top if you try to set the camera up inside the back of the car. With my car, even if I set the camera up on a mini-tripod on the bumper, the tailgate is still in the picture.

The best tower lightning is always post-core. There will be some hits in the core, but forget about those - the rain and clouds will make them hard to see and hard to keep the camera dry. Wait until the core of a line passes then set up for the show!

 

[Marko Korosec]

I got a few in the last year...though not through windshield, but pretty close. I tried few times and actually got similar images like you did Mike, several reflection on each bolt.

August 14th 2006 - 50m away

Close-up:

Few moments later during driving...not more than 5m away

And some more from the past...

 

[Doug Raflik]

Keep shooting right up until it starts raining and you should get a close one eventually...

Lately I have been scouting out some stores with decent overhangs in my town. Once it starts raining I head to them. Only drawback is lots of lights from town, but I think that could make the picture even more dramatic.

Doug Raflik

 

[Susan Strom]

This was from inside a parking garage. The structure was great for wind and rain, but offered no protection against skirt lightning and traveling current through objects or wet pavement. Inside cars and buildings is better.

Here's one through vehicle glass. The lightning was so close I wouldn't have stuck my arm out the window. I like the shot but my proximity was dangerous to the point of estupido.

These days I like the lightning with a sense of place and scale. It is very nice that trying to achieve the context that I'm looking for actually works more optimally from a safer disance because I need to include more in.