| After fireworks photos, lightning photos are | | | | - Don't forget other objects. Obviously, most of |
| probably the most popular type of challenging | | | | the frame for your photos when shooting lightning |
| nighttime photos that people can shoot. However, | | | | will be of the sky. However, you can add some |
| lightning photos differ from fireworks photos in | | | | interesting aspects to your photos with some |
| one key area: Lightning is far more unpredictable | | | | other objects in the image. For example, shooting |
| than fireworks. With fireworks, you have a good | | | | lightning over a body of water can create an |
| idea of where and when the flash will take place. | | | | interesting effect of the lightning reflecting off the |
| With lightning, the flash is more hit-and-miss. Here | | | | darkened water surface. Or, if you have a tall |
| are some tips for shooting good lightning photos. | | | | tree or interesting man-made structure in the |
| - Have some patience. Because of the | | | | foreground that will become visible from the light |
| unpredictability of lightning strikes, this type of | | | | generated by the lightning, which can create an |
| photography requires plenty of patience. It may | | | | interesting effect, too. |
| take several shots, or even several storms, to | | | | - Use some post-production tricks. Surely, you've |
| capture the look you want. Also, take some time | | | | seen the lightning photos that contain multiple |
| when the weather is clear to find a few locations | | | | strikes in one frame, ones that don't look like |
| that will give you a clear view of the sky and | | | | they could possibly have occurred naturally. They |
| horizon when the storms begin. | | | | almost certainly haven't. Instead, because you're |
| - Use a tripod or other flat surface to steady the | | | | probably shooting the lightning photos in a |
| camera. You'll have to use longer shutter speeds | | | | constant location with a tripod, you'll have multiple |
| at night, so a steady camera is important. | | | | images with the same basic background, with |
| - Use manual control settings to open the shutter | | | | varying lightning strikes in each image. You can try |
| for a long time. The chances of you pressing the | | | | combining the multiple images into one image in |
| shutter button at just the right time to capture | | | | post-production, creating a look with multiple |
| the quick lightning strike are small. If you're having | | | | strikes in one frame. |
| trouble with your timing, set your camera's | | | | - Watch out for the storms. Keep a weather |
| shutter speed to 15 or 30 seconds, which you | | | | radio with you, so you can track the movement |
| can do manually with many cameras. Then open | | | | of the storm. Losing your equipment to rain or |
| the shutter and hope for a lightning strike in the | | | | high wind would be an unfortunate ending to your |
| frame. Using a remote bulb to trigger the shutter | | | | lightning photography experience. |
| can help as well. | | | | Good luck and stay safe! |