JacobIHollenbeck
FollowAfter a long day of playing tourist, we returned to the hotel room. My wife went immediately to sleep. I was immediately lured back outside to the balcony, by...
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After a long day of playing tourist, we returned to the hotel room. My wife went immediately to sleep. I was immediately lured back outside to the balcony, by this.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo from a balcony at the Grand Lucayan Resort in Freeport, Bahamas.Time
It was late evening, just past sunset. This little storm rolled in and lit up the night.Lighting
Lightning is among Nature's most powerful forces. Fleeting though it may be, with strikes lasting from a thousandth to a hundredth of a second, there is evidence that positive strikes like this one even produce antimatter and gamma rays! Of course, lightning is also very dangerous, and i recommend only shooting it from shelter, or a distance.Equipment
I used a Panasonic Lumix GF3 with the 14-42 f3.5 kit lens. It was mounted on a fairly cheap tripod, probably a sunpak.Inspiration
It was a flash of inspiration. Lightning is one of my favorite subjects, so when close bolts started coming in, i ran into the balcony and set up.Editing
I simply corrected highlights and color balance in Lightroom. Kept it simple.In my camera bag
Lately, you'll find an Olympus EPL1, a Zuiko 14-150 f4, and a bundle of extra batteries. I'll likely have a Slik compact tripod handy as well.Feedback
First things first, set your focus manually to infinity. If the lightning is out of focus, you're too close to it. Ok, bad joke, but setting the focus to infinity is important. A wide angle lens is important for close, large strikes. This was captured at 28mm equivalent, and i still didn't get the whole bolt. Stop your lens down too. It's tempting to shoot wide open in the dark, but lightning is bright! Who knew that you'd find a reason to use the sunny 16 rule at night? A tripod is a must. The more stable and adjustable, the better. Then, just set your exposure time to expose for the scene, and shoot! Lightning is easy at night, because your exposures will be 15 seconds or more. If a strike occurs, you're going to get it in the picture! Another tip, turn of your dark frame subtraction feature. It's so frustrating when to good strikes happen while the camera is busy processing. Above all, stay safe, and have fun!