# The greatest show on earth  (lightning)



## my* (Aug 14, 2008)

Finally we got a good storm.  Here are a few of what I got.

1






2





3





4





5





The last one was a bit tooooo close!!!!!!


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## bigalbest (Aug 14, 2008)

Yes, these are awesome, FEEL THE THUNDER!


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## MissMia (Aug 14, 2008)

Amazing! They are all great, but I really like #4. Where in AZ are you?


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## my* (Aug 14, 2008)

MissMia said:


> Amazing! They are all great, but I really like #4. Where in AZ are you?


That's my favorite too.  I'm in Tucson


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## THORHAMMER (Aug 14, 2008)

amazing shots ! thats reallly hard to catch.


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## KyL (Aug 14, 2008)

Crazy wild. You've captured them landing too!


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## spiffybeth (Aug 14, 2008)

wow!


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## my* (Aug 14, 2008)

KyL said:


> Crazy wild. You've captured them landing too!


 Ya, #5 landed about 1/8 mile away from me.  You can see it hitting the power pole.  Further down the line a dransformer exploded.  I was using my 16-35mm lens pulled all the way back and I still didn't get it all.  That is when I decided it was time to get in the car.


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## Drake (Aug 14, 2008)

Great photos! Especially #4. Can you tell us how long these exposures are? You've managed to capture pretty many thunders in your shots. I'm starting to be jealous, there have been no storms at all in my area for a month or so. I mean come in, it's summer...


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## my* (Aug 14, 2008)

Drake said:


> Great photos! Especially #4. Can you tell us how long these exposures are? You've managed to capture pretty many thunders in your shots. I'm starting to be jealous, there have been no storms at all in my area for a month or so. I mean come in, it's summer...


I was working with a remote.  Every shot had different shutter times.  I would say shutter times were between 15 seconds and 45 seconds.  I try to judge how long to keep the shutter open by how much lightning there is and how bright it is.  You can probably keep the shutter open for almost a minute if you have no other light sources and the lightning is not that close.   Then again.....if there are other light sources and the lightning is close you can close your aperture.  I guess the best advice is trial and error.


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## RockDawg (Aug 14, 2008)

Those are some of the nicest lightning photos I've ever seen!  Absolutely gorgeous!  I'm impressed with the detail in the lightning bolt.  I've been trying to capture shots like that, but I haven't had any luck.  Here in NE Ohio, there's too many trees and just enough hills that it's hard to get a wide enough view for good shots.  I would be beyond proud to have shots like those in my collection.


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## Hawaii Five-O (Aug 14, 2008)

Wow awesome shots!!!! Your right that last one looks too close!


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## my* (Aug 14, 2008)

RockDawg said:


> Those are some of the nicest lightning photos I've ever seen! Absolutely gorgeous! I'm impressed with the detail in the lightning bolt. I've been trying to capture shots like that, but I haven't had any luck. Here in NE Ohio, there's too many trees and just enough hills that it's hard to get a wide enough view for good shots. I would be beyond proud to have shots like those in my collection.


 Living in Tucson, AZ is a big help when taking lightning photos.  I think it is the unofficial lightning capital of the world.  We get monsoon storms this time of year every year.  It is worth the heat and humidity.

These are some of the better ones I have gotten.  I have always wanted to try to sell them but don't know where to go with them.  Anyone have any suggestion?


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## my* (Aug 16, 2008)

I did some more post processing of thes photos. Better or no?  Are the signatures to big?

1





2





3





4





5


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## Puma (Aug 16, 2008)

.

 Wow these are great. I am very interested in getting shots like these and yours are very motivating. Very impressive to me 

-Puma-

.


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## rjackjames (Aug 17, 2008)

WOw awesome sight of mother nature......great capture and nice post processing.


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## TGaston (Aug 17, 2008)

so you just leave your exposure to open to get shots like these, and for how long?


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## my* (Aug 17, 2008)

TGaston said:


> so you just leave your exposure to open to get shots like these, and for how long?


The short answer is yes.  For how long?....depends.  Before I got a remote I would set the camera for a 30" exp. and let it ride.   With trial and error I have gotten a better sense of how long to keep it open for.  Aperture settings make a difference as well.  Really bright lightning gets washed out on a low aperture setting.  It's all about trial and error


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## Arran Lomas (Aug 17, 2008)

OMG they are amazing, ive only ever got one lightning shot but it is nothing compared to these, spectacular, well done!


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## Pirata (Aug 17, 2008)

Great pics.


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## DragonMoon (Aug 18, 2008)

Love your post processed versions! I have to say the second and third are my favs!


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## my* (Aug 18, 2008)

Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback.  I do appreciate it.  I am always looking to improve so if you have any suggestions please feel free to throw it out there.


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## DannyB (Aug 24, 2008)

VERY nice shots.  I cant wait for a storm to roll through my area to try it out.  As far as the sig on the pics: *TO ME* it takes my eye away from the shot.  Maybe make it a bit more transparent so it is not what pops out right away.


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## Black & White (Aug 24, 2008)

Awesome display u know the uk we nevr get a brilliant thunder storm we just get about to flashes and thats it finish. But I love ur photos thanks for sharing them.


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## my* (Aug 25, 2008)

DannyB said:


> VERY nice shots. I cant wait for a storm to roll through my area to try it out. As far as the sig on the pics: *TO ME* it takes my eye away from the shot. Maybe make it a bit more transparent so it is not what pops out right away.


 Good suggestion.  I will try that.  This was the first time I put my sig on a photo.  The last 3's signatures are way to big.  I can see why they distract you.
Thanks for the suggestion


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## my* (Aug 25, 2008)

Black & White said:


> Awesome display u know the uk we nevr get a brilliant thunder storm we just get about to flashes and thats it finish. But I love ur photos thanks for sharing them.


That is too bad!! Every monsoon season that comes along makes the 105 degree heat well worth it. We may get one or two more storms that come through the Tucson area this season. I just hope I'm in the area to get some more photos


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## Tolyk (Aug 25, 2008)

#1 is my favourite, though I'd like to see it with the bottom outcropping cropped out. Doesn't add anything.

Also, I didn't like the white borders you added


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## jv17 (Aug 25, 2008)

the last picture was great..i just hope no one died in that area LOL


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## my* (Aug 25, 2008)

jv17 said:


> the last picture was great..i just hope no one died in that area LOL


 I was probably the closest one to it.  Didn't die, just soiled my pants


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## photo28 (Aug 25, 2008)

Very Nice! For selling you can just make a website for free using freewebs, its very easy.


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## Casey (Aug 25, 2008)

Wow!


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## Whiteram (Aug 25, 2008)

absolutely awsome!  my favorite model for photos!  I wosh i had better timing and patience to capture at the right moments notice. very impressive and motivating.

what did you use to process and add signatures?, if i might ask?


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## Mike A. (Aug 25, 2008)

holy **** bat man!!!!!!!!
really good pictures!!!!
i,m ready to move there!!!
what were your settings??
gotta know. been waiting for lightening all summer west shores of lake michagan


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## my* (Aug 25, 2008)

Whiteram said:


> what did you use to process and add signatures?, if i might ask?


Photo Shop. I signed a piece of paper with a Sharpe. Photographed it......yada yada yada.....you got a signature. (I can give more details if needed)


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## my* (Aug 25, 2008)

Mike A. said:


> holy **** bat man!!!!!!!!
> really good pictures!!!!
> i,m ready to move there!!!
> what were your settings??
> gotta know. been waiting for lightening all summer west shores of lake michagan


 Sent you an email back with this but I thought I would share with others

I use a Canon 30D.  For pictures 1 through 4 I used a canon 28-138 IS lens.  The last one I used a Canon 16-35L.  The settings:
All are on ISO 100
Aperture is 9-10 (except #4, which is 6.3)
Shutter speeds varry from 26-45 seconds (#3 was 73 seconds).  I use a remote shutter release.


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## mdw (Aug 26, 2008)

Cool!! 
I think the frame is a little too big for the post-processed photos...


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## clee27 (Aug 26, 2008)

These are amazing!


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## Montana (Aug 26, 2008)

Most excellent Lightning shots.  I think I would have tried to crop the roof tops out in #1.  Good Job!

Derrick


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## my* (Aug 26, 2008)

Montana said:


> Most excellent Lightning shots. I think I would have tried to crop the roof tops out in #1. Good Job!
> 
> Derrick


 I have actually done a lot more with these photos.  I am hesitant to post them since there are already a lot of photos in the thread.  I don't want to bog it down.  Here is one though.  I didn't crop the houses out but I did darken them


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## my* (Aug 26, 2008)

mdw said:


> Cool!!
> I think the frame is a little too big for the post-processed photos...


 Thanks for the input.  I put that on more as a matting than just a frame.  My intention was to print them out and put them in a frame.  So far I have not done that so I don't know how it will look.


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## wxnut (Aug 26, 2008)

I was gonna post what I thought, but its already been said over and over. Great shots. I will be out there next year for the monsoons.

Doug Raflik


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## iflynething (Sep 5, 2008)

Great. I have wanted to get some shots where you can actually seee where it's hitting the ground like you have done.

Also, you seem to have dead pixels in your camera. The little red and blue dots, unless it's rain that changed color with the flash that I doubt you used

~Michael~


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## viper (Sep 5, 2008)

Very nice.  I'd love to see a great storm like that.  I live in washington state so lightning is rare, but I managed to get a shot that I posted here.  I love the multiple bolts, good job


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## my* (Sep 6, 2008)

iflynething said:


> Great. I have wanted to get some shots where you can actually seee where it's hitting the ground like you have done.
> 
> Also, you seem to have dead pixels in your camera. The little red and blue dots, unless it's rain that changed color with the flash that I doubt you used
> 
> ~Michael~


 I saw those pixels as well.  Photo shop took them out later.  I just get so excited when I get a good photo and want to share, I don't do a good job processing them before I post them.


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## my* (Sep 6, 2008)

viper said:


> Very nice. I'd love to see a great storm like that. I live in washington state so lightning is rare, but I managed to get a shot that I posted here. I love the multiple bolts, good job


It is a sight to behold for sure.  It is also a force of nature not to mess with.  Last week a bolt hit the house or came very near it.  It took out many electrical appliances (computer, TV, A/C, stereo......)  I guess my wish list is on hold!


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