Atkins, Iowa Lightning Composite
Fireflies and lightning combine in 12 images to for this composite
Fireflies and lightning combine in 12 images to for this composite
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Jun, 2016Views
854
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Awards
Action Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Powerful Lightning Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Photos was taken near the town of Atkins, Iowa. It was at a 4 way stop with no traffic in sight. This is just NW of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and this spot was hit by the recent Derecho, which came through on August 10th,2020. The recorded wind speed at this location was 126mph.Time
This cell produced lightning in this area from 2:30AM until 3:45AM, when the rain finally moved in and forced me to move.Lighting
Simply put the lighting in the photo is natural. Lightning provided the majority of foreground and sky lighting, with fireflies adding to the foreground ambiance. On the right hand side of the photo is light pollution from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.Equipment
Sony A77ii, Tamron 10-24mm, Promaster Pro-Series tripod, Shutter release by Neweer.Inspiration
I am constantly chasing storms at night to learn more about the cause and effect between the storms and the lightning. I average around 5,000 miles a year specifically pursuing lightning active storm cells. The foreground filled with lightning bugs was the real inspiration.Editing
Raw files imported to LR, Matched WB and synced settings on all photos. Exported 13 files to Photoshop, stacked as layers, used the lighten technique and dropped opacity to 95% on all layers. Masked out over-exposures in each layer.In my camera bag
4 Sony cameras, 2 FF and 2 Crop, Lenses from 10mm-1300mm, with no gaps. 2 video cameras, lens cleaner, towels, sensor cleaning kit, 4-6 memory cards, many spare batteries.Feedback
Patience and technique are key. Train yourself in what storms do at night, to prepare yourself. Jason Weingart has a wonderful tutorial on his website about the settings and techniques. Learning to use an intervalometer or lightning trigger can be helpful, but not always necessary.
