I was down in New Orleans this weekend and all it did pretty much was storm. I got bored and was in the room and wanted to see if i could get a pic of a lightning bolt. After about 20 tries i got this.

 

Neat pic man!

 

what kind of camera were you using? Thats pretty lucky if you were just using a point and shoot.

 

You can do it with point and shoot, but it probably helps to have some control over the shutter speed (you want it open fairly long) and, you can't use a camera with a big delay between pushing the button and having the thing take the picture.

You just mount the camera on something solid pointing at where you expect to see the next lightning flash (a tripod is best, but a table will do). And then you wait with your finger on the shutter release. Have it pushed in to "set the exposure and range", and when you see a bolt, your reflexes will do the rest.

Here in Tucson, sometimes called the "Lightning Capital of the World" I've gotten some good ones at night with an old film camera a long time ago. Also got a pretty good one of a Revolutionary War cannon firing using the same trick.

I'll try to find one of a nectar eating bat at night hitting our hummingbird feeder. Of course I used a flash for that, but the same technique.

Sorry, Cletus, I meant to ask: Did the strike hit the house, or does it just look that way? Could you tell?

- Jack

 

can you say... photoshop?




just kidding, cool picture

 

I used a Nikon Coolpix S630. Nothing fancy. Just a point and shoot. Like JackandJanet was saying. I just sat at the window with the button half pushed down so it was focused and when i saw the bolt i pushed it down all the way.

 

No it didnt hit the house it was behind it a ways. It is just the angle. It does look like it is hitting on the courner of the roof though.

 

Found them right away! And, Cletus, I'm not trying to one-up your great shot, just trying to explain how to do it.

Here, the bat has just hit the feeder. It stays for only a split second, just long enough to dip its tongue in.


Then, it flies away, licking its snout. (This was a different bat, of course).


And yes, like Cletus, I had a bunch of "failed attempts" in this session. Those things are FAST!

- Jack

 

Keep them coming if you got more. I love photography and can use all the tips on how to take better shots.

 

Man pictures of lightning are hard to get like that, good work