As The Storm Approaches

[Jim Fenton]

We seem to be missing every darn thunderstorm here this year with everything going either north or south of us.

After I'd almost given up one evening, I looked at the radar one last time and saw another cell developing just to the NE of my house...so I drove a half mile to the lake and created this just as the front edge of the storm crossed the lake and just before it bean pouring.

Nikon D300s, 14-24 AFS, ISO 250, f18 15 second exposure, hand held (just kidding about the hand held part ;))

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jim,
I would have called you on the HH part:D! As always with lightning....tough to predict exactly where!....but I see you thought this one out and have a nice comp with the lake as a base. Only recommendations is to try and perhaps tone down the brightness on the left....getting more of the fine fingers to come out.....and bring up as much detail on the right.....to balance the image a bit more....just tweaks.....I love lightning and you have captured it's awesome power!!! Food for thought next time out....go ISO 100...might have gotten a bolt to the right too!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Jim, Great advice by Roman! I feel the comp is well handled with the lightening caught just at the right time! The positioning of the lightening worked out great with the storm clouds on the right. The water works well as a base. Good one!

[Hilary Hann]

Jim, this is a very nice landscape with plenty of interest. I like the detail in the clouds and the feeling of impending doom.

[Arthur Morris]

I too love how the lightning is framed by the dark clouds.

Educate me: you were not hand holding so as to prevent getting fried yet I assume that you were touching the camera on the tripod while setting up the image, no?

[Roman Kurywczak]

I too love how the lightning is framed by the dark clouds.

Educate me: you were not hand holding so as to prevent getting fried yet I assume that you were touching the camera on the tripod while setting up the image, no?

Hey Artie......he wasn't HH because of the 15 sec. exposure I'd imagine.....frying when chasing lightning.....is a reality all the time. I'll be doing it in a few weeks in SE florida.

[Arthur Morris]

So then it's just a matter of reducing not eliminating the risk then, correct?

[Roman Kurywczak]

Risk is the same on both.....catching lightning on short exposures is very difficult (lightning trigger helps).....but still on tripod....although I will admit you can blast through a card if the timing between strikes is around 7 or 8 seconds in between. The longer the exposure the better chances of capturing a strike.....or multiple strikes. You really want to photograph this when it is further away.....doesn't mean you can't get fried.....just makes the odds a bit better. Doing this often will result in the life insurance policy definitely going up.

[Fabs Forns]

I really like how you got the clouds on the right and the fingers on the left, with the lake as base. We weed discussing getting one of those lightning triggers, but have not decided yet. Your image is pushing me towards it though. Very well done.