First Attempt at Lightning

[Wendy]

I took a few shots last week when we had a lightening storm come through the area. Unfortunately, I was in my car during the height of it and it had already moved off by the time I got home and got my equipment in place. This was my first real attempt at lightning and here's what I came up with:







Canon 300D
Sigma 18-125
F/14
10 sec.
ISO 200

Any thoughts or ways to improve?

[OversighT]

These are way better than my first attempts at lightning. We had a lightning storm pass through here tonight and I didn't even think to grab a few shots.

My only nit would be to try to get a clearer shot of the sky/clouds...no trees in the foreground.


T.

[Craig Wilkins]

I Like them I really need to try that sometime.

[JamesB]

Wendy, not bad for your first attempt. My first try at lightning was pretty bad. But a little experimentation and a little reading up on the web sure helped me out.

The hardest part about capturing lightning is where to point your camera and when to click the shutter and when to end the exposure. ok thats the second hardest, the first one is being able to see lightning first.

your camera settings look good,

did you use a tripod? a remote works wonders, if you don't have one for the 300d there is a Nokia or Motorola cell phone head set that can be found at the dollar store that will work with just a snip and a piece of electrical tape to cut off the ear piece.

just be patient and take lots of exposures and you will get some great shots like this one I got last week
http://www.nightshooter.com/D60/Land.../IMG_4985.html

for every good shot like the one above i posted, I have about 50 like this
http://www.nightshooter.com/D60/Land.../IMG_0991.html

I have been out a few times trying to get lightning and got absolutly nothing but a bright sky. so not every time I go out I get great shots, it just really depends on the weather.

James