What a thrill to catch a bolt in the sky as a storm rages in the distance! But the doubt must be resolved to obtain a good result: how to photograph a lightning bolt with the camera? You have to consider using a professional tool capable of handling the parameters needed to capture lightning in the sky. Can I capture a lightning bolt with my cellphone? Something can be achieved, but nothing can replace the efficiency and quality of a good-quality SLR. It is not only the instrument that makes the difference. Here are the parameters to be observed to understand how to photograph a lightning bolt with the camera.
Why is it so difficult to capture lightning in photos?
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The answer is all too simple: it only takes a moment to lose it. The flashes that cross the sky during a thunderstorm are fascinating. Everyone would love to learn the techniques necessary to freeze that stretch of light on digital memory or film. The interesting aspect is this: despite the apparent difficulty, to photograph a lightning bolt just before a thunder, you do not have to develop the skills of Flash. Just adjust the camera following a series of basic and always useful indications.
Where and when to photograph lightning: only when it rains?
When deciding to photograph lightning, the first point to consider: is what distance to keep? First of all, we must take care of the safety regulations. They were panning with captured lightning. The basic rule: keep your distance but not too much. The lightning bolts must not appear too distant and, above all, disturbed by the mist and rain. Better to position yourself in a place where the lightning can be seen clearly, without the disturbance of lights. The safety rules match those of the success of the photo: do not face the storm. There is no need to take a good photo of the thunderbolts and lightning bolts.
How to photograph lightning day and night, tutorial
To have a clear point of reference in this sector and learn how to photograph lightning, you need to grasp this point: you will not capture it on the fly. It will be almost impossible. The photo of a lightning bolt during the day or at sunset can be taken with a minimum of attention to the ISO to be adjusted if the photo is too light or dark (even during the day, there may be low light conditions).
How to set up the machine correctly.
Capturing a glow that rips the sky and precedes the thunder relies heavily on the exposure time and shutter speed. To take lightning pictures, you need a long exposure ranging from 10 to 30 seconds. To have a good result, you must also have a tripod to keep the camera still and the cable to use the technique that involves a Bulb setting. That is to say. The shutter opens when you press the button and closes when you leave it: the cable helps make the operation easier, but you don’t have to go beyond 30 seconds; otherwise, there is a risk of getting photos with excess exposure.
Remote Release Cable When to use this technique? When lightning strikes are very rare, if instead there is a high frequency of lightning bolts, you can work with reduced exposure times set around 10 seconds. It will be your duty to evaluate and change based on the results: a good storm passes quickly, and you miss the opportunity to capture the perfect shot. Other camera settings? The aperture must be set with the F command on the reflex, with a ratio close to f / 5 for shots that capture lightning bolts in the distance. A value of f / 8 may be suitable for close-up photos. If the sun has completely set, as suggested in our guide to taking pictures at night, it is worth considering a variable aperture between f / 2 and f / 16.
Trigger and sensor to photograph lightning
To simplify the work of those who want to capture the lightning light of lightning during a nice storm, some tools make the happiness of any nature photo enthusiast. One of the most important is called a trigger. Namely, motion sensors and lighting. What exactly is it for? Capture the moment, a shot—trigger and sensor to photograph lightning or a sudden light source. We have already said that it is very difficult to stop a lightning bolt on the fly. Still, with the sensors set in light mode, it is possible to capture lightning, fireworks, or other details thanks to the possibility of adjusting the sensitivity. There are also models controlled by smartphones that allow you to capture objects that break, the drop of water (water drop collision), and the classic lightning in the sky.
How to photograph lightning with a camera
It takes experience and knowledge of the tool you use for your photography work. It is certainly a subject that never goes out of fashion. Stopping a lightning bolt is synonymous with technique and quality of execution. But the same goes for fireworks photos. But also athletes on the move or racing cars. Much depends on the shutter opening speed.
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