Capturing Lightning

Lightning over Baden Switzerland

Lightning can be a tricky thing to capture with a digital camera. With a few tips, the right weather, and a lot of luck you too can get some impressive pictures. I’ll take you through a few pointers to get you on your way.

The first thing you need is lightning. The key to getting a good image is that the lightning itself also needs to be clear and unobstructed by clouds to get a crisp defined edge. Light rain is better than heavy rain. A summer heat lightning storm with no rain is ideal.

Longer exposures will help increase your chances of capturing lightning; this means a tripod is a must. If you haven’t tried shooting lightning before, an open window, covered porch, or balcony work well. Make sure your vantage point has a clear view of the sky. The more open the view to the sky the better chance you have of a bolt streaking into your camera’s field of view.

I usually start with some camera settings that will allow an exposure time of 15 to 20 seconds. For the image above I had dialed in the settings as follows

* Exposure: 20 sec at f/10
* ISO Speed: ISO 100

Once you get your camera setup you’ll need to do a couple of test shots and see how they turn out. If you have anything in the foreground you’ll need to adjust your camera's exposure time and aperture to something that produces a good exposure of the foreground. At the same time, make sure that the exposure of the sky in the test shots is still dark. A dark exposure of the sky will mean the lightning will stand out in the final image.

Once you have your camera setup and ready to go it is all about timing and luck. Press your shutter release and hope you get a flash from the sky. Don’t be discouraged if it takes 50 – 100 shots just to capture a single lightning strike. At this point it becomes a waiting game of patience. If you think you have captured a lightning strike, check the image on your LCD screen, take a chance to make any required changes to your camera settings
to improve the exposure for the next shot and continue on your way.

Good luck.