BetterPhoto Q&A
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BetterPhoto Member		What's the right settings for capturing lightning? I was a the beach last summer and the most amazing lightning I've ever seen was happening.I shot 3 rolls of film and not one came out! If the opportunity presents itself again I want to be prepared. If I remember right I had it set the shutter speed set at its highest and I don't really remember what apeture I had it on. It was my 1st slr and I had only had it a few months!! To love this question, log in above May 03, 2005

Josh Hudson		Niki, You had it backwards. If this is a really really dark night, set your f/stop at f/11 or so. Then have your shutter speed at 5-10 seconds. You can never anticipate or click fast enough to catch lightening. Allow the strobe 250,000 volt lightening bolts do all the work for you. In other words, the lightening takes the picture and you are just hanging out to load the film. To love this comment, log in above May 03, 2005

Michael H. Cothran		If you are shooting on a dark night, set your aperture to f11 or f16, BUT, set your shutter speed to bulb, NOT to a certain "second" amount. If there is no real extraneous light, it does not matter how long your shutter remains open. Aim it in the direction where you anticipate lightning to strike, then wait...After a strike or two, close the shutter. Michael H. Cothran www.mhcphoto.net To love this comment, log in above May 03, 2005

Bob Cammarata		I've shot lightning after dark using the method Michael described,..only I used f-5.6 or f-8 to maximize the effective sharpness of my lenses. The key is to plan ahead. Have a spot mapped out which faces the northwest sky. (Most storms in the US track from that direction). The chosen location should be free of sky clutter, like powerlines and such. Watch the Weather Channel or go on-line to a site which tracks satellite images of storms and their motion. (this link will show an example:) http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USNationalWide.php?loc=usa&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=RadarImagery&product=RadarLoop&prodnav=none Plan to arrive early and get set up before the storm (and the rain) arrives. With your camera mounted onto a sturdy tripod, point your lens to the direction of the most activity and use the bulb setting with a locking cable release to keep the shutter locked open. As Michael pointed out, the only illumination against a night sky will be from the lightning so the shutter can stay open indefinately until something flashes. If you're lucky, a lightning bolt will appear within your compositional frame. You can then advance to the next frame or leave the shutter open to try for multiple flashes. Lately, I've attempted this while inside my SUV,...shooting through an open hatch-back. Not only is this safer than shooting out in the open,...it eliminates the "quick scramble" of stashing my gear when the sky opens up and it starts pouring! To love this comment, log in above May 03, 2005

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