Lightning shots!!! The offical thread

[Derf]

Most of you guys have seen my F-14 Lightning picture from Bethpage
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/photos/316889004_aJqMG-L-1.jpg

and Last night I took this in Oyster Bay
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/photos/585551290_Wq7LU-XL.jpg

.... I would love to see other shots with more info on how people take them and other useful info
on procedure on when things go south, what we do to make the best of it! All photos welcome...Please Post!

[Cary]

Love the lightship photo!

[lijk604]

Fred, those are some AWESOME shots! Can you share??? Where were you when taking that lightship shot...(in your car, under an overhang, etc...)? How did/do you protect your camera from the elements?

Here is my one and only lightning shot....look closely!
http://jjklos.smugmug.com/photos/312378453_B34Fa-L.jpg

[Derf]

[quote="lijk604"]Fred, those are some AWESOME shots! Can you share??? Where were you when taking that lightship shot...(in your car, under an overhang, etc...)? How did/do you protect your camera from the elements?..........


Uh Oh....NOW THE STORY

I was leaving work when I looked at the weather on my phone when I saw a distant flash to the north west. Tornado
warnings and a strong, REALLY STRONG super cell drifting south east from Yonkers... I figured north West Nassaw would
get hit and I was in Jericho N.Y. so my only thought while jumping in the car and hitting the gas to the floor was CONTENT
better known around these parts a Foreground Clutter! I did the F-14 and would rather be closer than the last shots so I
remembered the lightship but did not remember where it was...Only that it was inroute to Bayville. So Like the F-14 shot,
doing 90MPH to get into position, treating my Camry as a F-1 racer, Flew there in notime. Started at the Boat ramp to the
east of the lightship, quickly realized it was too distant. then went to the pier next to the ship looking at the Gazebo as if it
would actually help. I figured I would use it do duck an cover if it got bad...you know, like tornado bad... The plan was if
a tornado, let the bag go, hold the camera and sit indian style on my butt with my back towards the tornado....car would
be far worse (ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN). SO I go next to the railing about 50 feet from the Gazebo and start shooting
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/586495156_HNHqE-M.jpg

http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/586495572_8haEe-L.jpg

http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/586495350_ehTUj-L.jpg

I got a few with lightning and then the rain really started. I stood in between the railing and the camera to break the wind
and stop some of the rain. When the camera was way to wet, it happened.

http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/585551290_Wq7LU-M.jpg

I then grabbed the camera and ran for the Gazebo and put the camera out of the rain....the rain was driving sideways and
the mist was covering the camera really good so I pulled off my shirt and cleaned the lens and wrapped the shirt around the
camera.... I was SOAKED! My shirt was as wet as If I was in the pool for about 2 min (as bad as it gets...I THOUGHT) and
kept shooting.
I did get this
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/586502381_QMr5s-XL.jpg
and cleaned it up a bit but it is not really usable
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/586502269_eCRaN-XL.jpg


THAT IS WHEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!!!!
wind picked up to a steady 50kts or so and rain drove horizontally, The Gazebo was as worthless as t!ts on a bull and I had
to unwrap my camera and open my bag so the top of the bag shielded the rain. I could no longer see as I was looking into
the driving rain to keep the contents of my bag dry.... clipped the bag closed and was very happy that it was NOW safe
from the water and ran Ran RAN to the car about 1/8 of a mile from where I was. I did not think I could get that wet,
ducked next to the passenger door and watched WAVES of water going horizontal going over my car and never hitting the
ground. My shoes were submerged in 3 inches of water as I threw my tripod in the back seat (loosing a rubber foot and
Severely bending one leg destroying it) and gently placed my camera bag in the car. Was going to run around to the drivers
side but quickly realized this was NOT POSSIBLE and got in on the passenger side. Got into my underwear, NO SHIRT,
PANTS, SNEAKERS or SOCK...Just underwear and Hydroplaned the entire ride home.

Plus.... 1 good photo and a few crappy ones

Minus.... No Tripod, phone now a door stop and very wet clothes.

Moral of the story... best laid plans will probably be worthless, but HAVE PLANS!....oh and rain gear would be good too!

[john_a]

One of mine, from my house - they're all flickr links:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3668068155_d13af21889.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jabella/3668068155/)

another, overexposed:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/3561037055_cc033d8636.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jabella/3561037055/)

a more recent one:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3664266300_03c7d96d93.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jabella/3664266300/)


all of these were basically me experimenting with settings from indoors, nothing spectacular....

[G-BOAD]

amazing shots!
here is my first attempt (not that good):
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l233/mateu21/CT2009-07-02006.jpg

[Derf]

:borat: Good stuff, here is one more from last night
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/588797947_a4BJD-L.jpg

[mirrodie]

Fred, u inspired me and I havea few from miami beach this week. Will upload soon!

[mirrodie]

OK, so while my daughter is sleeping on me, here are a few quick edits. We were sitting inside admiring G-d's light show when Fred's thread inspired me.

I had to deal with 30 MPH gusts and no tripod, so many of these are bulb shots( camera braced against table, rail and my finger) or 30 sec exposures. Its been a while since doing night shots, so forgive me.

These were taken Friday night from our 12th floor room at FontaineBleu Miami (highly recommend!) And yet they still don;t capture it.

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3676.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3677.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3678.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3679.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3686.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3690.jpg

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3693.jpg

[lijk604]

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_3690.jpg

Yeah Mario....this doesn't capture anything. LOL! Great shot! I love the "fingers" of light crawling across the sky.

[mirrodie]

Thanks John. I wanted tighter shots, but with such a wide view, I stuck to a wide angle and just went with it.


But I meant, photos do no justice to witnessing it live, you know? I love seeing them down in MIA

[moose135]

Went outside around 10:30 tonight, and saw some big flashes to the north, so I jumped in the car and headed to Oyster Bay. From Teddy Roosevelt Park (where Fred's boat is...) I couldn't see much in the way of lightning bolts, so I took a run up to Charles Ransom Beach in Bayville, and got quite a show across the Sound.

Most of these are facing Greenwich, CT.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601014172_bRcoA-L.jpg

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601014264_MshYQ-L.jpg

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601014419_Mt65i-L.jpg

Yes, those are the nav lights of an airplane in the upper left - look close, you can see the airplane itself, I must have caught it when it was lit up by the lightning!
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601014539_QT7dq-L.jpg

That's Stehli Beach on the left, and Westchester in the distance.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601014711_5PZWf-L.jpg

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601013745_i4TTN-L.jpg

When the lightning started to crackle overhead, and the rain started, I decided it was time to head home. Called Fred, and found he had just gotten to TR Park, so I stopped in there for a bit, but I didn't catch much before the rain started there, and I called it quits. Sounds like Fred should have some neat shots to add in a little bit...

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/601013905_pYQYb-L.jpg

[Derf]

WOW Moose!!! :borat: Those were AWESOME!!!!

Mine are Lame compared to those....well, anyway
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/601040925_nCCp3-L.jpg

The boat was SSSsssooooo Last Week!
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/601041121_bCgZa-L.jpg

http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/601041139_r5ZY2-L.jpg

We have the Greatest adventures Moose!

[Derf]

One from last night
http://derf.smugmug.com/photos/617090308_9ZFCt-L.jpg

[mirrodie]

Fred, been meaning to ask, in the foreground of the boat photos, near the benches, what are all the lights??

[Derf]

They are lights to light up the boardwalk. Awful color eh?

[mirrodie]

Not awful, them just seem like...fires or sparks, you know? Very interesting and adds to the mystique

[Ychocky]

Shocking stuff guys ;)

[Derf]

Here is one right off the camera that I messed up.
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/photos/629508593_gAuKH-L.jpg

By far the best lightning shot of the night but the wind blew me forward a bit into
the frame as the lightning strobed the image and froze me in the picture. You can
see me holding my jacket open trying the shield the camera from the wind and rain
that was driving sideways. Photo FAIL! :cry:

[Derf]

I was out tonight and shot with John K as a cell past just to our north. I needed to try something a little different so when the downpour slowed I ran to my car and grabbed a flash and popped the car about 10 time to get this
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/PRIVATE/Family/Honda-Accord-07/i-BRWC3ZG/0/L/IMG1677-L.jpg

[lijk604]

Fred, last night was EPIC! Think I left about 2 minutes too soon, but I still had a blast, no pun intended.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6089/6058371263_82e72dcfaf_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058371263/)
Lightning in Bayport - August 18th (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058371263/) by lijk604 (http://www.flickr.com/people/johnklos/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6090/6058371353_167149ab19_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058371353/)
Lightning in Bayport - August 18th (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058371353/) by lijk604 (http://www.flickr.com/people/johnklos/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6204/6058371429_a0b27cdc35_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058371429/)
Lightning in Bayport - August 18th (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058371429/) by lijk604 (http://www.flickr.com/people/johnklos/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6191/6058919472_c769bd2721_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058919472/)
Lightning in Bayport - August 18th (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnklos/6058919472/) by lijk604 (http://www.flickr.com/people/johnklos/), on Flickr

[steve1840]

WOW!!! You guys got some great shots of the storms last night. Wish one of those storms would have passed through my area. We didn't get anything. Maybe through the rest of the weekend I'll get the chance. Looks like more storms are forecast over the next couple days.

[Derf]

Here are some more from yesterday
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/PRIVATE/Family/Honda-Accord-07/i-zcjkjWM/0/L/IMG1676-L.jpg

This is one of the bolts that John got
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/PRIVATE/Family/Honda-Accord-07/i-vvvKC99/0/L/IMG1674b-L.jpg

http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/PRIVATE/Family/Honda-Accord-07/i-2VzzgDm/0/M/IMG1671b-M.jpg

Some from tonight!
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Photography/Long-Island-Landmarks/i-cVLc8kP/0/L/IMG1756b-L.jpg

http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Photography/Long-Island-Landmarks/i-7sL3ZBS/0/L/IMG1792-L.jpg

http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Photography/Long-Island-Landmarks/i-b5JL5kW/0/L/IMG1817-L.jpg
No flashes needed for those

[steve1840]

Fred, those are awesome. I especially love the last three shots. Where were they taken from? Robert Moses?

[Derf]

Fred, those are awesome. I especially love the last three shots. Where were they taken from? Robert Moses?

Sorry Steve, I did not see your reply. Yes, they were from Robert Moses.

Here is new one from tonight. Softness was due to the heavy downpour
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Photography/SKY/i-J6r5dbf/0/L/IMG2010-L.jpg

[steve1840]

Sorry Steve, I did not see your reply. Yes, they were from Robert Moses.

Here is new one from tonight. Softness was due to the heavy downpour
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Photography/SKY/i-J6r5dbf/0/L/IMG2010-L.jpg

Its all good Fred. Hopefully there will be a T-storm at night on labor day weekend so I can head out to RM park to catch it.