Okay, so yesterday I decided I was gonna try and get some cool shots of lightning. I’ve always been fascinated by storms, and I figured, “Why not try to capture that energy?” Let me tell you, it was a bit more challenging than I initially thought!
Getting Started
First, I grabbed my camera, a pretty basic DSLR, nothing fancy. I also made sure I had a tripod – essential for keeping the camera steady during long exposures. I also packed a rain cover for the camera, just in case things got a little too wild. I’ve ruined a camera is past by water damage!
The Waiting Game
Then came the hard part – waiting. I found a spot with a decent view of the sky, away from too many trees or buildings. I set up my tripod and camera, pointing it towards where the storm seemed most active. Then, I just… waited. And waited. It’s kinda boring, to be honest, just sitting there hoping for a lightning strike.
Figuring Out the Settings
I played around with the camera settings quite a bit. I knew I needed a long exposure to capture the lightning, so I set the shutter speed to several seconds, like maybe 5 or 10 seconds to start.
- I started with a low ISO (like 100) to minimize noise.
- I adjusted the aperture (f-stop) based on how bright the ambient light was. I think I ended up somewhere around f/8.
- I used manual focus, setting it to infinity. Autofocus can get confused during a storm.
Trial and Error (Lots of Error!)
Honestly, the first few attempts were pretty terrible. Either I missed the lightning completely, or the exposure was way off – too bright, too dark, you name it. It was frustrating, but also kinda fun, like a puzzle I was trying to solve. I kept tweaking the settings, trying different shutter speeds, and repositioning the camera slightly.
I have to have taken at least 50 photos, most of which were just black frames or blurry messes.
Finally, Success!
But then, finally, it happened! I managed to capture a few shots where the lightning was actually visible, a bright, jagged streak across the sky. It wasn’t perfect – a little blurry, maybe not the most dramatic composition – but it was something. It felt awesome to finally see some results after all that effort.
Ended up staying out there much longer than expected because after I got those couple of photos I got excited and wanted to see if I could get anymore.
Wrapping Up
So, yeah, photographing lightning is definitely a challenge. It takes patience, a bit of luck, and a willingness to experiment. But when you finally get that shot, it’s totally worth it. I’m already planning my next storm-chasing adventure! I learned that next time it will be beneficial to try and find somewhere that is more elevated. I also think I will bring snacks, because it took longer than expected.
