Tucson Lightning #3
Chasing the monsoon thru the desert outside Tucson.
Chasing the monsoon thru the desert outside Tucson.
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Oct, 2016Views
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Top Shot Award 22
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Behind The Lens
Location
It's mid-summer in the Sonora Desert and warm air is creating surface low pressure zones that are drawing in moist air off the ocean. As a precursor to the Monsoons, massive wind/dust storms called Haboobs which can be hundreds of feet tall, move across the horizon engulfing everything in it's path. With a southwesterly wind shift drawing moisture of the Gulf of Mexico and California combined with the heat of the desert creating Bursts and Breaks, powerful and fast-moving storms. Then comes the Rain/Thunder/Lightning with massive force, Welcome to the Sonora Desert Monsoon season. I was just north of the Mexican border, south of Tucson, AZ and this was the last shot of the night...Danger Zone!!!Time
This shot was taken on Saturday, August 13, 2016, 10:20:50 PM, I was able to capture the Blue hour colors along with the beauty of the lightning strike, this was a magical moment that I was honored to be apart of.Lighting
The lighting was taken care of by Mother Nature, we where chasing the Monsoons in the Sonora Desert at sunset thru blue hour and into evening. We had a variety of different lighting all night, it was a constant changing of the settings as the natural light faded.Equipment
This shot was captured on a Nikon D800 with AF Nikkor 35-105mm f5.6 37 second exposure at 80mm with an ISO of 125 on a MeFOTO A1350 with a Q1 ball head along with a Pixel Oppilas Wireless trigger.Inspiration
I was on a photography expedition in the Sonora Desert with the purpose of chasing the Monsoons, this was one of the most exciting expeditions I have been on. What a rush to chase down a storm, capture its furry and then blaze off to try and intersect it again! This will make you feel alive like no other experience I can explain. This shot was my most epic of the trip, I was in the Danger Zone for sure! I could feel the tremendous force of this strike throughout my entire body, followed by the loudest crack of thunder I've ever heard. When the sound comes a split second after the strike you know your too close, all the hair on my body stood up and you could feel a tingle in the air...Danger Zone!!! It was time to call it a night, retreat to the van and live to shot another day.Editing
Yes, I did LightRoom processing only. I adjusted the exposure, highlights, shadows, vibrancy and luminescence. I did not adjust any hue, saturation or color.In my camera bag
I carry a Nikon D800: AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8G ED, AF Nikkor 35-105mm, AF Nikkor 70-210mm, AF Tamron 16-300mm Macro, AF Nikkor 60mm f2.8 Macro. Tripod: MeFOTO A1350 with a Q1 ball head. Monopod: Dolica WT-1003. Remote: Pixel Oppilas Wireless trigger. Light: Yongnuo Digital Speedlite YN560 III, 5 camera batteries, battery charger, extra batteries for all devices, Lens cleaner and a killer attitude!Feedback
The advice I can offer is go out and try it. You will love it! It takes lots of trial and error, but I will give some tips to get you off on the right foot. #1 long exposure #2 remote trigger #3 ISO around 100 #4 get in front of the storm a safe distance #5 if you can hear thunder, you can be hit by lightning...danger zone! #6 tripod is a must
