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hougaard — Rolling Thunder

Published: 2010-04-29 08:39:13 +0000 UTC; Views: 12468; Favourites: 1174; Downloads: 0
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Description While in the Drakensberg mountains, one of my cousins took me up to their farms on the plateau ridge one afternoon and we got there just as one monster of a storm was rolling in. Unluckily the necessary shutter speeds didn’t allow me an opportunity to capture any strikes, but they were falling left, right and centre. We were about 500 meters from the car when the first strike hit the cliffs we were standing on. The camp fences run a few meters from the drop-off and each time the lightning strikes it, the whole fence glows purple/blue as the current runs along it. Impressive, but each time it happens a current of fear runs along your spine. Waiting a few seconds after a strike, we quickly climbed through the fence and had to run the 500meters to the car in lashing hail.

Scary, but awesome!

EXIF available on my blog - [link]

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Comments: 158

SugsOverdose77 [2010-04-30 04:11:09 +0000 UTC]

This photo is amazing. I actually feel like I'm in the mountains.

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hougaard In reply to SugsOverdose77 [2010-04-30 08:39:47 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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kiki-lee7122 [2010-04-30 02:31:34 +0000 UTC]

wow

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hougaard In reply to kiki-lee7122 [2010-04-30 08:39:49 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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kiki-lee7122 In reply to hougaard [2010-04-30 22:37:35 +0000 UTC]

you're very welcome

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Free-flowing-chaos [2010-04-30 02:27:32 +0000 UTC]

gorgeous! I wish I'd been there! I love lightning!

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hougaard In reply to Free-flowing-chaos [2010-04-30 08:39:54 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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ruvsk-sk8 [2010-04-29 21:49:27 +0000 UTC]

great

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hougaard In reply to ruvsk-sk8 [2010-04-30 08:39:56 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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FruityDragon [2010-04-29 19:49:12 +0000 UTC]

Amazing shot. I've wanted to go there for the longest time~ T-T

Congrats on surviving, by the way! xD

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hougaard In reply to FruityDragon [2010-04-30 08:40:05 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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Aelathen [2010-04-29 19:48:53 +0000 UTC]

Featured here most popular within 24 hours Dont forget to fave the news .

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hougaard In reply to Aelathen [2010-04-30 08:40:30 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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Naera In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 19:45:04 +0000 UTC]

I love this shot and I love the fact that you are still able to show it to us

The story gave me the shivers, but I'm still traumatised by thunderstorms.. lol.

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hougaard In reply to Naera [2010-04-30 08:40:42 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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YungDeep [2010-04-29 19:27:11 +0000 UTC]

Gorgeous hills, they have alot of detail. The shot is beautiful

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hougaard In reply to YungDeep [2010-04-30 08:40:44 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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JarheadJoy In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 18:16:34 +0000 UTC]

That looks really niice!

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hougaard In reply to JarheadJoy [2010-04-30 08:40:47 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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ABC-123-DEF In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 17:36:56 +0000 UTC]

Now that is a nice photograph! Wish I could have seen the strikes. I bet that was scary.

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hougaard In reply to ABC-123-DEF [2010-04-30 08:40:51 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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5iM0N [2010-04-29 17:36:45 +0000 UTC]

this is amzing! I love it!

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hougaard In reply to 5iM0N [2010-04-30 08:40:54 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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pestilence [2010-04-29 17:11:54 +0000 UTC]

Lovely framing, I won't say anything about the light, the patterns of light and shadows are just stunning and speak for themselves!

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hougaard In reply to pestilence [2010-04-30 08:41:00 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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Alex37 In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 16:58:20 +0000 UTC]

Absolutely breathtaking shot. How lucky you are to have views like that!

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hougaard In reply to Alex37 [2010-04-30 08:41:29 +0000 UTC]

thank you come for a vacation in the world's capitol of corruption and I'll take you there

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shebeast2 In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 16:36:12 +0000 UTC]

AWSOME

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hougaard In reply to shebeast2 [2010-04-30 08:41:35 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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shebeast2 In reply to hougaard [2010-05-01 17:43:49 +0000 UTC]

np xx

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vivalanick In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 16:34:05 +0000 UTC]

Amazing!

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hougaard In reply to vivalanick [2010-04-30 08:41:40 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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GoDsGiMp [2010-04-29 15:59:43 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic, and by a fellow South African to boot!

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hougaard In reply to GoDsGiMp [2010-04-30 08:41:53 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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KobraPhotography [2010-04-29 15:36:03 +0000 UTC]

Awesome composition! A nice dark ND would've helped you capture lightning here, but I think this shot is amazing as-is. Quite the experience you've had with storms lately

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hougaard In reply to KobraPhotography [2010-04-30 08:42:08 +0000 UTC]

thank you yip...waiting for my Lee big stopper...

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KobraPhotography In reply to hougaard [2010-05-11 18:07:31 +0000 UTC]

the big stopper ain't got nothin' on my (discontinued) B+W #113

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hougaard In reply to KobraPhotography [2010-05-12 08:07:11 +0000 UTC]

Never heard of it? I had the 110 and that was a piece of crap

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KobraPhotography In reply to hougaard [2010-05-12 08:36:38 +0000 UTC]

No, I've heard of it. And what makes the 110 a piece of crap? If you cite the magenta cast, then maybe you won't be happy with Lee's blue cast. With either one, as long as you shoot RAW there isn't an issue. Personally, I'm quite happy with my 113 despite the cast which is easy enough to fix.

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hougaard In reply to KobraPhotography [2010-05-12 10:30:16 +0000 UTC]

I'm sorry, but that cast, as well as cokin's magenta cast is irreparable in warm light. Lee's casts are always much more natural. How is the 113?

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KobraPhotography In reply to hougaard [2010-05-12 12:23:02 +0000 UTC]

The 113 does have a slight magenta cast, but I haven't had any problems fixing it in ACR. Usually about 300-400K cooling adjustment is enough to bring it back to neutral. I do, however, use warming in many of my photos anyway. So to me, I don't see it as a problem. There's no harsh flares like some ND's (Cokin, Hitech), and the density appears to be consistent throughout the frame. I'm fairly happy with it. Example if you're interested (for the record, I added my own warming).

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Narked [2010-04-29 15:17:21 +0000 UTC]

Excellent shot, Theres something about
storms that make you want to stand defiantly and watch the lightning show!
Course' that maywell be the LAST thing you
do in this life! Serious buzz cut commin' up!

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hougaard In reply to Narked [2010-04-30 08:42:18 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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Narked In reply to hougaard [2010-05-02 02:53:12 +0000 UTC]

No problemo!

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Harpokrates In reply to ??? [2010-04-29 14:16:26 +0000 UTC]

Amazing story! I kind of always wanted to get struck by lightning

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hougaard In reply to Harpokrates [2010-04-30 08:42:35 +0000 UTC]

that's kind of a deathwish don't you think?

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Harpokrates In reply to hougaard [2010-05-02 02:27:51 +0000 UTC]

"As everything in this world is but a shame,
Death is the only sincerity."
-Hagakure

It is said that becoming as a dead man in one's daily living is the following of the path of sincerity!

I would love to take my chances!

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KobraPhotography In reply to Harpokrates [2010-04-29 15:38:58 +0000 UTC]

You should pretend to be Thomas Edison

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Harpokrates In reply to KobraPhotography [2010-04-29 16:51:38 +0000 UTC]

I don't understand the joke! BUT hell yeah I should! who wouldn't want to be Thomas!

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KobraPhotography In reply to Harpokrates [2010-04-29 17:28:45 +0000 UTC]

See my reply to myself - I meant Benjamin Franklin. I'll blame tiredness

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