Strike Down Upon Thee
Lightning storm caught off the Gulf Coast
Lightning storm caught off the Gulf Coast
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Jun, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the beaches of Pass Christian, MS.Time
This photo was taken late at dusk during a lightning storm near the beach. I was driving along Beach Blvd. on my way to my parent's house and I thought I'd pull over, take my camera and tripod out to see if I could isolate a few lightning strikes on the water. I set up my camera to take 30-second exposures in hopes of catching a brilliant lightning bolt connecting the sky to the earth.Lighting
The lighting was actually quite dark at the time, which highlights how bright the lightning strikes illuminated the sky that evening.Equipment
This image was taken with a Fujifilm XT-1 using the XF23mm f/1.4 lens and a basic tripod. There was no flash used. Settings were configured at f/5.0, ISO 800.Inspiration
I was inspired to take this photo because I had never been in a wide-open area with a storm far enough away to safely shoot. I had always admired the beautiful lightning storm photos taken by professional photographers, and I wanted to try to emulate that type of photo using the tools and knowledge I had acquired over time. I was lucky enough to capture multiple bolts of lightning in one shot.Editing
I used Lightroom CC to process this image. I did my basic edits which include increasing the clarity, vibrance, tuning the highlights and shadows, and also using some of the editing brushes to fine-tune certain areas of the image. I also used a graduated filter to increase the exposure on the bottom of the image. The coloring around the lightning strikes was straight off the camera. This is a JPEG image, highlighting the beauty of Fujifilm JPEG color rendition. Lastly, I cropped the edges ever so slightly to put the origin of the strike in the upper left rule of thirds area.In my camera bag
I normally have my Fujifilm XT-1 and the following lenses: XF23mm f/1.4 (all-arounder), XF10-24mm OIS wide zoom, and the XF90mm f/2.0 for telephoto shots and portraits. I also keep basic UV filters and a small gorilla pod in my bag for shooting long exposures.Feedback
The best advice I could give to other photographers would be to always have access to your camera when you're going from A to B, and always keep your eyes open for an opportune time to snap a photo. This was my first time shooting a lightning storm, and it took me a while to get the auto-focus set up properly to capture the area the lightning seemed revealing itself in. Having said this, I would also recommend snapping a few test shots to configure your camera's settings on how you'd like your photo to turn out, and be sure to use a short timer to eliminate motion blur due to pressing the shutter. I used a prime lens in this case because it really helps me to focus on framing objects in both the foreground and the background. For capturing reoccurring, but fleeting moments, the key is to take many shots. As soon as one shot was done processing, I immediately pressed the shutter again. Happy Hunting!
