dieterberghmans
FollowWhile I lived in tropical Darwin, Australia, I always looked forward to see the amazing lightning storms during the wet season. I know understand why Darwin ha...
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While I lived in tropical Darwin, Australia, I always looked forward to see the amazing lightning storms during the wet season. I know understand why Darwin has been named the Lightning capital of the world.
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Cairnphoto
March 12, 2016
Spectacular. That is some outstanding timing and maybe a little luck! Awesome work!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Darwin, Northern AustraliaTime
Late in the evening, when the darkness had set in and when the storms rolled in from the ocean.Lighting
Lighting in all its forms and shapes is what makes photography. Chasing that unique light and being able to capture it is not only a skill, but a true passion. Getting the right light and capture it in a unique way is what defines you. Trying to capture the forces of nature and these spectacular lightning bolts has truly been a huge learning curve in all kinds of ways. But flyer many tries and many near misses it is like a dream come true when you see the perfect light reflect in your own photo.Equipment
My Canon 5 D Mark II with my 24-70mm lens f2.8 and my tripodInspiration
Having lived in the Northern Part of Australia for a while I was fascinated by the forces of nature and these very powerful lightning storms that light up the skies here during the build up and wet season. It is also why Darwin is the lightning capital of the world. In many ways these storms scare me, but they also drew me out in trying to capture them.Editing
Just some cropping and a small correction of the horizon.In my camera bag
Always my Canon 5D Mark II and my Canon 7D. Then my 2 favourite Canon lenses which are the 24-70mm f2.8 and the 70-200 f.8. I also carry my wide angle as well as my 50mm prime. Always my tripod and of late my newest toy which is the Sony Alpha7II.Feedback
With Lightning you have to be prepared. First of all while chasing these storms you want to check the radars for where the storms are, which way they travel and the intensity. Always be careful on how close you get and where you position yourself. But once you are in control of the safety part, make sure you have your tripod and remote. Choose long exposures for the evening (I choose BULB, so I can control myself), and start shooting. It took me many tries in order to get the perfect shot, but the mistakes all lead to the perfect shot finally. I know many storm chasers now use these devices that recognise the lightning coming out of the clouds, but it is still the challenge in trying to capture it all yourself, which I did in this photo. And last but not least, with lightning you just don't know where exactly it will shoot or come out of the clouds. And my big mistake in the past was that I constantly moved my camera where I saw a strike. But be patient, choose an angle and trust you will get it.