Yesterday, I was standing on the balcony of my flat in Pune smoking a hookah. It was windy and there was some lightning activity. After a few minutes the lightning activities in the northeast horizon increased dramatically. I always wanted to shoot lightning and though this was my opportunity. So I grabbed my E-5 and shot some!
I have never photographed lightning strike before, but I knew that it was not a piece of cake for the obvious reason that you need to trigger the shutter at exactly same time as the lightning strikes. Generally lightning activity lasts about a 1-2 seconds. So its not easy to time your shutter release. Sometimes it helps to do things the old fashioned way and that’s exactly what I did.
My Technique
- I Set the camera in Full Manual Mode – with aperture f/2.8 (Max aperture for my lens ZD 12-60). I was shooting handheld, so needed a faster shutter. I did not set it at Shutter Priority or Aperture priority because I did not want eaither my shutter or aperture to be set by camera.
- I Set the focusing on Manual and set it to focus on infinity @ 12mm. Manual focusing to ensure that I am focused on infinity always.
- I started with 1/25s shutter speed, but found that lightning was overexposed, so increased it to 1/50 @ ISO-400 (increased ISO to get 1/50s)
- I set the drive mode on sequential shooting @ 5FPS on E-5 (which is max). In-body IS (VR) was ON
- Since the drive mode was set to sequential, the Noise Reduction on E-5 is automatically set to OFF. I set the Noise Filter to STD and SHADING COMP = OFF
- I then held the camera and waited for long time for lightning activity on the horizon. Whenever there was a dense lightning I would trigger shutter.
- I might have shot about 50-60 frames. I got about 7 usable frames of lightning strike. Mainly helped by dense lightning activity (meaning continuous periods of lightning of 2-4 seconds). If lightning strike was not dense, then my hit ratio would have reduced.
- It took me about 45 minutes to get 7 usable frames
- I cropped and edited the pics in PhotoShop CS4 Camera RAW editor (contrast and exposure). I applied mild noise reduction using Noiseware professional.
My Results
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Note: You can buy triggers which trigger your camera when lightning strikes. It can make your life a lot simpler!
You have that fantastic ability to capture unique effects! Always amazing..!I love this one!
ReplyDeleteGood work! I am amazed that you got these by hand!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have found the easiest way for me was to do as follows.
1. Set mode to Aperture priority, f/8 or maybe f/16 (on the ZD12-60SWD) timer set to 2 seconds, image stabilization OFF
2. Put my E-3 on the tripod
3. Set focus to manual and infinity.
4. Push the shutter release.
Why do I do it this way?
By doing it this way I get a 60 second exposure, provided it is night time. With the shutter open for 60 seconds I am more likely to catch not just one bolt..But often SEVERAL bolts in one exposure.
That and it is so much easier than trying to catch it by hand!! I suppose I could use a remote and bulb mode but I am often too lazy to dig up my remotes. Hahaha.
Here are a few examples of what I've captured this way.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sl33stak/2578947387/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sl33stak/2579776934/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sl33stak/6078967101/
Useful information on how to capture the lightening Puru.. and of course the snaps are real good...
ReplyDeleteCheers..
Jamie - Nice pics!
ReplyDeleteI will try your method. In my apartment complex (from where I shot these pics), there is lot of ambient light even during the night, which is why i dread using long exposures.
Very cool pictures! :)
ReplyDelete