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Awards
Chatter Award
Winner in Lightning Photo Challenge
Winner in Best Lighting Photo Challenge
Zenith Award
People's Choice in Lightning Photo Challenge
People's Choice in weather Photo Challenge
Winner in Stormy weather Photo Challenge
Winner in Thunderstorm Photo Challenge
Winner in Weather Photo Challenge
Winner in stormy weather Photo Challenge
Winner in Ugly storm 2020 Photo Challenge
Winner in Best Lightning Photo Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Angry Storms Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in A Storm Is Coming Photo Contest
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Powerful Lightning Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken from my tower - a 14'x21' room in the sky - sitting 30' above grade. It's a part of our home that my wife and I had built back in 2006. The room was designed for lightning/weather photography. The only lighting in the room is baseboard on four wall zones, and is adjustable with dimmers for each zone. Windows are knee height to ceiling with screens that are easily removed from the inside. I also had custom camera mounts built that allow me to swing the camera between two windows. There are 16 windows.Time
This particular shot was taken around midnight during the summer of 2013. A lone thunderstorm developed to the SW and sat relatively stationary.Lighting
Nature will do it for you. It's really a matter of setting the right aperture, (based on the distance to the storm, the type of lightning, frequency of strikes, any ambient light in the area), timing, and just pure luck.Equipment
For this shot I was using a NIKON D300. Lens was a NIKON AF-S 18-105.Inspiration
No inspiration needed. Lightning has always been one of my favorite subjects to photograph.Editing
Just a bit of touch-up in Lightroom for contrast and a sliver of saturation.In my camera bag
I currently use a NIKON D750 and a selection of lenses.Feedback
Most importantly, BE SAFE! Lightning can deliver up to 100 million volts, 30,000 amps, and be 10 times hotter than the surface of the sun, and all of it in a channel of plasma no bigger in diameter than your pinky finger! On the photography side, be PATIENT. Use your timer, or a shutter release cable/wire/remote. Decide before hand how much lighting you want in a single shot. I prefer single bolts or multiples that might occur in as short of an exposure as possible. I also prefer thin, crisp bolts as opposed to wider, fuzzy ones. This can be accomplished with your aperture. I also prefer to set my ISO to 50-100.