Photographing lightning can be a damn tricky thing to attempt. Besides the obvious safety concerns, the photographic variables are difficult to overcome and the conditions don’t usually make for easy shooting. Even so, as the shots below show, good preparation and knowledge of how to photograph lightning properly can lead to some incredible photography!

Lightning in Campinas by Chaval Brasil.

Lightning at Sunset by wvs.

Lightning; My First Try by Kuzeytac.

Equipment for Photographing Lightning

It’s important to get your setup right and this is something you have a little while to think about (unlike the actual process of shooting lightning which can be quite adrenalin-filled). Here’s some of the stuff you will need:

• camera capable of letting you set the shutter speed manually (usually you’ll need to use the B setting for shutter speed so an SLR or some DSLRs are probably what you will need).
• cable or remote release
• tripod
• ISO 100 film or equivalent digital setting (ISO 200 is also acceptable and even preferable for certain situations explained below)

A quick thing to remember is that it is likely that you will be in a spot where you and your equipment are getting rained on! I always carry a poncho in my camera kit for such occasions, but have also been known to take along a very hefty umbrella for when things get really nasty. To be honest, I have never found the perfect solution for shooting in the wind and rain so if you have some advice, leave it in the comments!

Lightning city by wvs.

The Technique for Photographing Lightning

The Simple Explanation

In a perfect scenario, photographing lightning at night should be quite simple.

Just make sure the camera is on a tripod and you have a cable or remote shutter release. Set the focus to infinity, the ISO to 100 or 200 (on DSLRs) and choose the aperture accordant to the intensity of the lightning. Then open the shutter until the lightning goes off and then shut it just after you get a flash of lightning.

The Real Life Explanation

In real life things are almost never as simple as that. You will probably have to deal with light pollution or you might even be trying to incorporate city elements like the shot above. If the clouds are moving (and they likely are) and you leave your lens open too long, you’re going to end up with blurred clouds. These situations call for a slightly different approach that is difficult to generalize about.

How to Choose the Correct Aperture

This is going to take a little bit of judgement on your part and largely relies on how intense the lightning is and how far away it is. This table is a guide to what you’ll probably need to shoot at. It is not set in stone. The top row refers to the brightness of the lightning and the first column refers to how far away the lightning is.

Lightning Storm by David Evenson.

Lightning in Perhentian Island, Terengganu, Malaysia by Shutterhack.

Storm Safety

Storms are dangerous things. Photographing lightning might sound exciting, but it’s also quite dangerous. Remember that if a storm is nearby and you are on a hill, on top of a building, near a tree, in an open field, on the phone or near a power pole or fence, then you are already in danger. Be sensible. Check out this lightning safety page before you do anything and when you have finished reading it, read this one too.

Patience

It takes a lot of practice to get a good shot of lightning. Be patient. Expect that most of your shots won’t work out. But remember that when one does work out it will be worth the wait.

More Lightning Photography Resources

• How to Photograph Lightning by BrightHub
• Lightning Photography Tips
• How to Photograph Lightning by Shot Addict