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Instant-Ocean — Lightning 2
Published: 2010-09-08 01:04:44 +0000 UTC; Views: 20126; Favourites: 465; Downloads: 0
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Description
Full view please.Real lightning bolts. No drawing or additions. Just basic PS corrections.
HOW TO: A lot of people have asked me how was I able to capture this. So here it is in a nutshell:
Required: Tripod, High venture point preferable, Night time ONLY, DSLR capable of full manual.
First, set your camera on your tripod and chose a wide lens. (18mm to 35 should be fine). Set your focus on Manual and set near infinity. Set Aperture to F8 or higher (test for luminosity vs exposure time). Set ISO to 200. Set Exposure time to 4 sec or whatever works for you. Set camera on Constant High Speed Burst. Put that finger of your on the trigger GENTLY and press & hold for a while, taking multiple shots that lasts 4 sec (or more each). If a bolt of lightning strikes while you are shooting, you got it!
Tips: Try to remain still and not move around too much while your finger is on the trigger to prevent camera shake that would cause motion blur and lack of sharpness.
Good luck and BE SAFE!
Instant-Ocean
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Comments: 295
Thanks! I think it's my best shot to date. Part luck, part technique. I'm really happy with it and, in all modesty, am proud of it.
It's not perfect... but it's a good shot.
Cheers and be well my friend,
IO
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You were right! I love this picture too! 
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oh wow absolutely perfect! Was it in a single shot, or in a superposition of multiple shots? If it was in a single one you got very lucky!
On a personal note my method is slightly different than yours, I go for f5.6-8 with ISO-100, the rest is similar (wide angle, exposition time), and it works good as well
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It was a single shot. Like I said, almost no PS except for the usual adjustments (curves, sharpening and a slight vibrance correction).
Like I said in my How To, I choose F7.1 or F8 but I do say "whatever works for you" depending on your camera, setup, etc... The main goal is not to clip those city lights during the long exposition, or as little as possible. Using ISO 100 allows you to use a larger apperture like F5.6 instead of F8.
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yup you have a point about that surrounding light pollution. And you got very lucky to get 3 strikes in the same shot, I never managed to get one so far (best was two: 1 CG and 1 crawler). Next summer maybe
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Took me 3 years to get that sort of shot.... Just goes to show you.
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you have more experience than I do that's for sure
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Wonderful moment you capture. Stunning! BTW: Nice How-To-Do.
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That is really phenomenal. I know how hard it is to capture lightning like that, and you've done a fantastic job. Moreover, the colors are vivid against the darkness, and it's well composed. Great shot!
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Great shot, definitely! You were lucky to capture this!
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Wow...I always wondered how people capture so beautiful pictures of lightning. Thanks for tips
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AMAZING!!!
You did a fine job capturing something that some of us can only dream of capturing.
Gorgeous.
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This is awesome! The way the lightning spread is so cool!
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This is truly a fantastic shot.
I can't wait to get my camera so I can take amazing shots like this.
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My camera could never get a shot like that.
Good thing yours does! ^^
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Well, if you read the little "how-to" I wrote, you know what is required. If you can set your camera on manual and have a long exposure, then you can take a shot like that.
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Well, the problem is that I have a peice of crap camera that's almost as old as I am.
I mean, it's so bad that the shutter on the lense doesn't always close or open right.
But thanks though
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Great tips for taking pictures of thunder. I never tried that. Great picture. Very special, two lightning bolts at the same time.
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This is an amazing photo! Absolutely perfect timing.
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Absolutely stunning! I am just wondering, where was this? You did an amazing job at capturing it!
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I was sad, that I never catched a lightning, but thanks for all of your hints
please don't wonder, why I put your pic in the "how to" section. It's because of your description
thanks
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WOW! 
I have never seen lightning captured from this angle before!! 
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amazing ! no noise, really precise picture! and so beautiful ^^ congrats!
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