MrSPhotographyAustralia
FollowA car races past as it heads into a storm in Qld Australia.
A car races past as it heads into a storm in Qld Australia.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was Captured out the back of a small town called Peak Crossing facing S/SE as the storm past over Bush land in South East Queensland Australia. With it came periods of heavy rain and at the start frequent CG (Cloud to Ground) Lightning.Time
This was captured around 10 pm on the 26th of November 2014. This cell was running out of lightning and this was one of the last couple of bolt's.Lighting
Lightning can be such a beautiful and photogenic thing to capture. But it also bring's high risk and extreme caution is needed to safely limit the risk you are in. When possible i recommend shooting from inside your car. This will require remotes to run camera's as-well as areas away from tree's. Focusing on something then switching to manual means you can fire off photo after photo without the worry of missing a shot due to auto focusing in between every shot. Also you don't want to go over Iso-400 as you can get very grainy because rain reflect's of the lightning. A longer exposure with Iso-100 or 200 at f\7 tends to work great for 15-25 second exposures. Most important is safety, read radar's and know the direction storms are moving. And remember you can't share the shot if you get struck. Safe shooting all.Equipment
I captured this image with a Nikon D7100 with a Tamron SP 10-24mm wide angle lens. I triggered the camera with a Pixel Oppilas wireless remote trigger allowing me to be safely in my car. All this was on my tripod which is a simple and cheap Sirix Digital Max 3550 tripod.Inspiration
I am a lover of anything storm related. The power yet beauty is a real testament to respecting mother nature and you will be rewarded.Editing
I adjusted the sharpness and contrast so the lightning wasn't blown out. And i lowered the colour as being a long exposure the car head light's over lit the grass.In my camera bag
No matter what day or location i carry the same equipment. I carry a Nikon D7100 and D5200. A Sirix Digital MAX3550 tripod. I have a stock 18-55mm Nikon lens and a 55-300mm Nikon lens. I also have a Tamron SP 10-24mm wide angle lens and all lenses are using a Hoya HMC UV filter. On top of that i have a Patchmaster 4 in 1 lightning trigger and a Pixel Oppilas wireless remote control. I also carry a Cokin ND8 Gradual filter kit. And last but not least cleaning pens and a standard cleaning pack.Feedback
I would recommend be careful of high Iso as it will blow out the lightning bolt. Iso-100/200 will be good in most occasions but if really dark Iso-400 is ok but i would not recommend going higher. I also find F/7 gives a good depth and lets you run anywhere from 15-25 sec exposure and if you change to F/5 you can go 30sec. Also remember to use a tripod and to auto focus on a distant object. Once it's focused switch it to manual as you won't miss shot's due to refocusing every shot. I also recommend as a definite need a wireless remote. It let's you sit in the safety of your car and also limit's any movement or vibration on the camera. And last but most importantly if it feel's too dangerous go with your instinct's and leave. Safety is always number 1.