Tower Lightning Last Night

[Mike Hollingshead]

Had some fun with tower bolts last night, 6 different ones from some horribly pathetic storms.

I wonder how common or uncommon it is to have 4 points being touched from one discharge(or 4 at once, or however that should be worded).

Those are actually 100% crops, at least the first two are. The full sized ones are on here: http://www.extremeinstability.com/08-9-29.htm

6 times these towers were hit. That was more bolts than I'd seen out of the storms otherwise.

Got any cool tower bolts to post, post away.

This one of the six is the only one that had very few rain drops. Thanks to rain and wind, they were all taken out my front windshield.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Great Stuff!
Were they all taken with the 10-22mm on the XSi - or were any taken with your 50mm f/1.8?

 

[david diehl]

Mike,
Those are sweet, I need to get out there and spend some time trying to get some shots like that, but I am sure my time will come.
Again, great catch.

 

[Johnathan Brouwer]

Holy crap there Mike...very nice! I would have not stayed around to shoot I bet the tower engineers had a busy next day going over the electronics...I really like the U-shaped convergence of parking lots lights near the bottom to the screen.

I would assume that sister strikes are more common with this type of event...

I really appreciate your shots and photos of weather. Very professional indeed.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Thanks. They were all with the 10-22 EF-s on the XSi. I had it at 22mm tilted vertically out my front windshield. If only it wasn't raining. I toyed with the patch tool in photoshop for the first time on these, seeing what I could do with the drops. If you have a lightning image with a bunch of rain drops you want to remove, it is quite possible on about anything using that tool. It's amazing. 5 of the 6 had lots of rain drops, so that is pretty annoying. But I figure better full of rain drops than nothing at all, and that is what the situation was giving out. I put up some before and after examples to show the rain drop removal thing on that page. It works well, but any drops right on a lightning channel are tough to fix. Even when they are near the channel it's hard to get rid of them.

I'd like to build some sort of fan to blow out the open driver's side window to keep the rain out. When shooting so close, with a camera angle needing to point up, well you have no choice but to be near the window. I sat there for a good 2 hours after those, getting wet trying out the side window, but it wasn't to be. I should learn to point away from the storms direction after it passes, since the outflow likes to dictate the winds then. I thought I'd get more help from the cold front, but no, on and on it was se winds..right in the window. Rain-x on the windshield is at least a decent option to at least come home with something when it keeps raining during the close bolts. For whatever reason I have no desire to shoot the same scene from further away. It would be a lot easier/drier.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

By the way, about the 50mm F1.8. After the results I got from it the last lightning shots, I doubt I'll ever use it again for that. The color fringing was horrid. It was essentially impossible to get a tack sharp focus setting. I was using live view zoomed in too. Focus ring just too touchy(not meant for manual focus). I'd have it close, try to let go slowly, and it'd be way off. I'm just more and more unthrilled with that lens all the time.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Anyone ever bother you in that area? Its not really Ghetto and far enough away from the real bad area, but its close enough that I would be somewhat leery sitting there in an open parking lot with expensive electronics...

 

[Jayson Prentice]

Very nice shots there Mike! I know I've ran into the rain problem quite a bit, and I've bought a nice 'rain jacket' for the camera to solve the problem in light rain and lighter winds. But, for the occasions that the wind is howling I try to shoot out one of the side windows. Of course as I'm sure you know, you don't always have the time, motivation, or storm cooperation to get setup correctly to be shooting out the window and having the wind not blow in.

Beings we are on this subject, do you have a window mount that you prefer to use? And do you have a sort of mini-tripod rigged to have the shots out the front windshield? I'm trying to come up with a new setup for next year...

 

[Dan Robinson]

Great shots Mike! I always have the rain problem with towers, as if you're close you have to point up and get close to the edge of any shelter you're under. I have had better results with setting up the camera under my tailgate, as far back and low as I can go without the top of the tailgate in the frame.

I built this rig last year, and I use this for most tower lightning now in tandem with my tailgate. I set this up next to the tailgate, then get the camera right next to the shower curtain. It keeps rain from the side from getting on the lens:

http://stormhighway.com/blog/nov1307a.shtml

All of the tower shots I got this year were thanks to this setup. Of course, I was zoomed in which meant I could be farther back as well as the drops being diffused more. Going wide on these is very tough no matter how you do it. If your viewing angle is greater than the angle of the wind-blown rain coming in, you'll get lens drops no matter what you do.

I have also found that the wind sometimes will reverse direction several times after the core of a line passes. Right angles to the storm motion seems to work best as a setup direction. The best tower lightning is alomost always on the very tail end of the stratiform shield, sometimes even after the rain stops. A lot of times there will be so much of a gap between core and tower lightning that it is easy to give up early thinking the storm is over.

And yes - even the weakest of storms can pull up great tower strikes!

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Anyone ever bother you in that area? Its not really Ghetto and far enough away from the real bad area, but its close enough that I would be somewhat leery sitting there in an open parking lot with expensive electronics...

LOL, here are the exact thoughts that went through my head driving down 72nd. I had that same thought. I then see the big hospital right there. I think, hey, at least I'm right here if anything happens. Next logical thought was, guess a bullet through the head probably wouldn't be so fixable anyway.

There was one moment of, "hummmm" last night too, around 2 a.m. I was parked in a parking lot with its lights off for starters, no other cars but mine there in the middle of it. Then this really old Porsche comes in one of the entrances. It drives around in circles, then comes by me slowly. Then it goes and stops in the parking lot ahead of me. I'd seen what I thought was a cop in there for hours before this, further down(turned out to be a security guard for that whole mall area). I wondered, what are they doing. Then began to plan my exit if something went down. Then all the sudden they are doing donuts in that lot, lol. Then the security guy comes flying down the road, no head lights on, but his blue flashers going(made a ton of sense). Guess all he can do is run them off. But at least they have a security guard there all night. That has to be a blast, just sit there in the parking lot all night. No idea why he never came over to me and questioned me. But yeah, places like that can make you wonder when sitting there with a few dollars of goods in your car.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Very nice shots there Mike! I know I've ran into the rain problem quite a bit, and I've bought a nice 'rain jacket' for the camera to solve the problem in light rain and lighter winds. But, for the occasions that the wind is howling I try to shoot out one of the side windows. Of course as I'm sure you know, you don't always have the time, motivation, or storm cooperation to get setup correctly to be shooting out the window and having the wind not blow in.

Beings we are on this subject, do you have a window mount that you prefer to use? And do you have a sort of mini-tripod rigged to have the shots out the front windshield? I'm trying to come up with a new setup for next year...

The problem with the side window in this case is I'm really almost under the towers. The lens has to be almost even with the open window and pointing up at a 45 degree angle. I drive a Mustang, and the window isn't even straight up and down. The top is actually in some from the bottom. Even if I have a decent breeze working with me and blowing away from the open window, rain still wants to fall on the lens, or even splash off the door. I've screwed with this for years now and never get much better at it, lol. I used to hold a map above the lens, but well, ones arm gets tired and the map gets wet! I can do it with no wind or light winds away, barely. And it requires my whole left side of my seat getting soaked. I'm often soaked on one side dry on the other messing with it. Shooting close bolts in the rain, or wide angle more vertical shots in the rain, just make things a real pain in the butt.

I love it when I have a good wind working with me, but mist still comes right back in the stupid window. One really does need a fan or something tricky to make it easier. A person could get some crazy close bolts given enough effort. Next time I go to those towers I'm getting right under them and pointing up. I should have done that this time since I was using my windshield anyway.

I have window clamps, cheap jobbers for non-rain stuff. For this all I use is a regular tripod. And believe me, it's a pain/chore in and of itself in the front of a Mustang. When I shoot out my open window, or try to in the rain, the tripod is legged around my lap, with two legs down by the door. I about gave myself a black eye last night with that whole setup. Stupid leg ring wouldn't open and let me extended the leg down to the floor. I kept pushing on the leg, then all at once that round part pinched/slipped/jolted between the seat and the door. The edge of the lens cracks me right across the right side of my right eye. I was like, damn, I bet that turns black and blue. That makes it all especially annoying. You get it all set and level, then your light northerly winds turn back to the south! Then you get to repeat back to the windshield which is just as tricky with a tripod in the front of a small car.

 

[Chris Allington]

Mike,

I thought about heading up to this spot a couple of times but decided against it after seeing your shots. I was like dang it, he found it already. I wanted to try from the corner near the hospital too because you can see the news station doppler dishes down the hill aways from there.

Dustin: Haven't really heard about anything bad happening in that strip mall but your right it is close. I've been to that target a couple of times on my way home from SD to get milk and stuff.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Nice setup Dan. You should post some of your sweet tower bolts. I was looking at those earlier actually. Amazing lightning images. Those reverse bolts that spread out really have me wanting to shoot for them. Lots of amazing potential there, especially if done close and pointing up with a wide angle. Oh yeah I remember that one on your site that blew me away. The freaking smoke filled one! Looked like multiple hits and a lot of smoke over the exposure.

I really do need a hatchback or something to be under. But like you say, the angle will kill you anyway if you are close and want to point up. That's my biggest desire. I want to get the shot like a lightning bolt coming down at you. Seems only a fan mounted to something by the lens or no rain will get that done.

I guess the best potential for that is probably under an old, but well developed anvil, after storms have passed or died. You know, those times with hardly any precip left, and bolts are down to one every 5 minutes. Or even 10 minutes. There will be nothing at all, then all at once, the whole freaking sky goes nuts, often over a very very large area. Seems those are the best for reverse bolt madness, not that I've yet seen the madness version of that. Each time I see it I'm not near a bunch of very tall towers. I've sat by smaller single ones trying forever though just incase.

Oh yeah and I do think I got suckered into going home "too early" like you mentioned too. Storms seemed done for a long time, but I waited on the second "line" of them. They die as they reach Omaha. Barely a flash every 4 minutes. And far off at that. I finally say screw it and head home at 3 a.m. On the way, sure enough, I'm in the clear air and can see big flashes back towards Omaha. I was like, damn it, bet it was dry for whatever is happening now.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Mike,

I thought about heading up to this spot a couple of times but decided against it after seeing your shots. I was like dang it, he found it already. I wanted to try from the corner near the hospital too because you can see the news station doppler dishes down the hill aways from there.

I'm thinking of trying someplace south of it next time, since the winds always seem to work against me looking south. I'm sure there are several good areas in there. I'd like to see if I can get down in there where they are, if one would need a TV station's approval or something. Then just shoot straight up, or slanted vertical with the 10mm. The 10mm gives like a 107 degree angle I think. I just know a person could get something crazy there with that.

Looked like a nice new contruction area with no homes there between Blair High road and 72nd, just south of the interstate. That looked like it would work well for pointing to the nw before the storms got there.

 

[Gerrit Gulden]

Great looking shots Mike. Ive been hoping to catch the same type of bolt/tower combo from my Backyard but have yet to get a bolt that hits the tower. I definetely envy you cause my area has yet to see even a weak thunderstorm at night. Been way to quiet here. Keep shooting that lightning bro. =)

-gerrit-