Posted: 6/18/2015 9:29:40 PM EDT
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Starting my foray into nightime storm photography. These are from last night, around 11:30 pm. Focus is a little out of whack (forgot to focus while I could still see!), but I figure it's a start. Without fail, as soon as I closed the shutter, THAT'S when the real show started. And waiting for the dark frame subtraction when there's bolts crashing all around sucks.
D7100, 35mm prime, f/8, anywhere from 10 second to 63 second exposures, ISO1000 and ISO400, Long exposure NR on (dark frame subtraction) 
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Starting my foray into nightime storm photography. These are from last night, around 11:30 pm. Focus is a little out of whack (forgot to focus while I could still see!), but I figure it's a start. Without fail, as soon as I closed the shutter, THAT'S when the real show started. And waiting for the dark frame subtraction when there's bolts crashing all around sucks. D7100, 35mm prime, f/8, anywhere from 10 second to 63 second exposures, ISO1000 and ISO400, Long exposure NR on (dark frame subtraction) http://i.imgur.com/6HX74sR.jpg http://i.imgur.com/MJEzn5g.jpg http://i.imgur.com/erdcEBU.jpg That is cool.. I so want to do some shots like that but we have not been getting a lot of storms. |
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Great shoot. You shouldn't have to be changing your shutter speeds and ISOs that much though. And ISO400 is about the highest you'll need to go. When I shoot storms, I use a pretty set setting of f8 @ 15-30 seconds depending on how much other light is in the frame. (if the lightning is really close, i might go to f11) Let the lightning do the work for you. It will light up the clouds pretty well if it's an average storm. And when it comes to this stuff, you may go out another 5-6 times without getting anything usable.
On focusing, I always bring a good flashlight with me and focus on some trees or something. Not sure if your camera does it, but I turn on Live View with my canon and focus through it with a high ISO so I can see. I then make sure to bring the ISO down to 200 or 400 and start shooting. As for the dark frame subtraction....when it comes to storm photography, ya ain't got time fo dat. 
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Great shoot. You shouldn't have to be changing your shutter speeds and ISOs that much though. And ISO400 is about the highest you'll need to go. When I shoot storms, I use a pretty set setting of f8 @ 15-30 seconds depending on how much other light is in the frame. (if the lightning is really close, i might go to f11) Let the lightning do the work for you. It will light up the clouds pretty well if it's an average storm. And when it comes to this stuff, you may go out another 5-6 times without getting anything usable. On focusing, I always bring a good flashlight with me and focus on some trees or something. Not sure if your camera does it, but I turn on Live View with my canon and focus through it with a high ISO so I can see. I then make sure to bring the ISO down to 200 or 400 and start shooting. As for the dark frame subtraction....when it comes to storm photography, ya ain't got time fo dat. Thanks, Durka. I was fiddling with ISO and shutter just to see what would happen  .
If I reading you right, with ISO from 200-400 and a 15-30 sec exposure, I really don't need to worry about the dark frame subtraction? I HATE purple corners! Here's a few from 2012 and 2013 I took with the venerable D50; my method then was something like f/5.6, ISO-whatever, 1/160 shutter, and just take pictures during the storm until I get something. Probaby a thousand frames and these were all I got. 
Think I've posted these before, but here's some daylight strikes using the same method: Just keep that shutter clicking and maybe you'll catch something. 
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Thanks, Durka. I was fiddling with ISO and shutter just to see what would happen .
If I reading you right, with ISO from 200-400 and a 15-30 sec exposure, I really don't need to worry about the dark frame subtraction? I HATE purple corners! Here's a few from 2012 and 2013 I took with the venerable D50; my method then was something like f/5.6, ISO-whatever, 1/160 shutter, and just take pictures during the storm until I get something. Probaby a thousand frames and these were all I got. Yes, just keep clicking. You're guaranteed a high failure rate, but the wins are typically spectacular. Just make sure you are focused, you have f8-11, and the light will do the rest. You can experiment at home by going in a dark room and lighting something up with a flash. Same concept, except on a Biblical scale, lol. You shouldn't need dark frame subtraction. In all the years of doing night photography, I've never had purple corners. On long exposures, are you covering your viewfinder? Sometimes light can seep in from there. I use a ball cap. 1. Shutter at 20-30sec depending on available light (I'm assuming this is shooting after dark) 2. Aperature between 8-11. I like 8 best. 3. Pay attention to local weather patterns, then scout locations out ahead of time. Scout how you would shoot as the storm is coming to you and how it goes away to maximize your chances. 4. Have your gear ready to go, especially in Virginia. Storms can come quick. 5. When focusing, use a flashlight or headlights to light up part of the foreground. If you can typically get a tree line in focus, power lines a few hundred yards out, or buildings, you'll get the bolt in focus when it hits. 6. Be ready to get into safety ASAP lol. I had one bolt almost knock me off my feet once it was so close and loud. In reality, It was about a half-mile away. Here's one of my latest. I goofed up and didn't properly cover the camera (with my hat) and the lens got wet. Would've been a pretty cool shot otherwise. I focused on the tree and exposed for the foreground. Exposure was 30s @ f16 and ISO800. I should've went 30s @ f8 with ISO200. |
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Cross-posted from GD.
25 sec, f/9, 18mm. ISO800, should have been 100 or 200. Got the raw, though, and that makes up for a lot. Lower ISO would reduce some of the graininess. Slight crop, but wanted as much of the bolt as possible. Didn't realize the corner of the roof was in the frame when I set the camera. ETA, the dark specs you see around the bolt are raindrops, frozen by the light. Camera was under cover, so nothing on the lens. 
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Cross-posted from GD. 25 sec, f/9, 18mm. ISO800, should have been 100 or 200. Got the raw, though, and that makes up for a lot. Lower ISO would reduce some of the graininess. Slight crop, but wanted as much of the bolt as possible. Didn't realize the corner of the roof was in the frame when I set the camera. ETA, the dark specs you see around the bolt are raindrops, frozen by the light. Camera was under cover, so nothing on the lens. http://i.imgur.com/Unfqo5N.jpg NICE! That's a damn-near perfect lightning shot technically speaking. Looks like you focused on the near-tree line? You should be able to get rid of that corner by selecting around it and doing a content-aware fill, following up with a bit of healing brush. I bet that one had some loud pant-shitting thunder to it, huh?
Lightning acts just like flash. The main controller of the brightness of the bolt is the aperture. Too open on a close storm and it'll blow out. Too closed on a far-away storm and it'll be too dim. The shutter and ISO are only there to bring detail to foreground objects. You shouldn't have to go over ISO400 anyways in storm photography. If it's dark, you're not going to get that detail anyways, and if it's bright you'll blow it out. When you go into RAW with the image again, slide the white balance back and forth and watch how cool that bolt looks in just about any condition 
Awesome shot, sincerely. I know how hard it is to get something like that. Almost one of those "once in a lifetime" shots. |
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One thing I'm curious about: Were you shooting the back of the storm, or the front? Was it coming towards you or away from you? I'm developing this crazy theory right now, that most of my best shots have been as it's moving away. Hrmm interesting theory! All mine are of them coming towards me. I wonder if it also depends on how the storm is being built/fed based on your geographic location. |
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Cross-posted from GD. 25 sec, f/9, 18mm. ISO800, should have been 100 or 200. Got the raw, though, and that makes up for a lot. Lower ISO would reduce some of the graininess. Slight crop, but wanted as much of the bolt as possible. Didn't realize the corner of the roof was in the frame when I set the camera. ETA, the dark specs you see around the bolt are raindrops, frozen by the light. Camera was under cover, so nothing on the lens. http://i.imgur.com/Unfqo5N.jpg Nice!! Yeah, lower that ISO!! How far away was that bolt? I also choose 8-10 seconds for my shutter speed, found it works best for how I do it. |
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One thing I'm curious about: Were you shooting the back of the storm, or the front? Was it coming towards you or away from you? I'm developing this crazy theory right now, that most of my best shots have been as it's moving away. That cell was moving in on my left quarter, call it 7-8 o'clock, from left to right (WSW to ENE). Looking at the radar the main portion of the cell had not yet passed me, but was almost right on top of me. So the bolt was in front of the main rain event, but not by much. |
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Missed an opportunity Tuesday night. It came in after I was already in bed :( I'll be on the lookout over the weekend, though. Quoted:
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Looks like some storms in TN and VA all week. You planning on going out? Missed an opportunity Tuesday night. It came in after I was already in bed :( I'll be on the lookout over the weekend, though. I got a storm moving in this evening in a couple hours. Not sure if it'll be any good, though. Our local radar changed their legends, so what they see as purple/red is really yellow/green. |