My Camera

I carry a Nikon D3200 with 2 kit lens. Kit lens are not the greatest but I make them work, and they can produce some awesome results. Previously I used my iPad and my iPhone to capture weather. I decided I took great photos of weather, but they were not the quality or resolution I wanted. Getting a DSLR camera was a big step for me, because I can now produce large photos with great quality. Whenever I look in my photo stream on my iPhone, I'm totally disgusted with the quality because I am getting used to these great DSLR shots. There are many important things to consider while taking a photo of a lightning strike: 1.Timing: A lighting strike can happen in One-Millionth of a second. That's fast- so you must be ready to take that photo. To make it easier on myself while taking photos of lightning, I turn my camera on continuous mode take as many photos as I can. If I capture, I don't have to take anymore. I am usually satisfied. The issue that I have come across with this method, is that at the end of the storm, you could have taken up 500+ photos. 2.Manual NOT Auto: The camera lens uses a basic auto focus and a manual focus. When you first use your lens, it will be set to auto focus. This is not recommended for lighting photos. To turn auto focus off you turn move button on the lens from A-M. (M stands for manual). Manual is better because you have more creativity while taking photos (Exposure, Shutter). Also you are manually focusing the lens to your liking. 3.Finding a good location:Finding a good location to sit and wait out a storm is very important. It is a a good idea to carry a mobile radar or a cell phone with you. This will help guide you to the right position so you can get a good look at the storm. I recommend RadarScope (9.99/Available on iPhone and Android). This shows you a current location while it shows you a detailed radar.I ussually position myself out in front of the storm or on the side of it. This way I can get a nice photo of the shelf (arcus) cloud on the storm. When taking photos, getting in front of the storm is crucial. Many times storms are HP (High Precipitation) which makes it hard to get a good lightning photo. For me, I love getting away from the rain core this way I can get a good look at its structure.

For example in this photo above: I am in a good location to get a nice lightning photo. I am on the right side of this storm. I bumped the contrast up so you can see the rain curtains. If lightning were to be in this photo, the photo would look amazing. My position was great. There was no rain falling on my area while I was taking this photo, so I was able to venture outside of my vehicle. Remember cameras aren't made to be waterproof. 4.Be careful: Remember lighting can hit cars, trees, power lines, even you. So make sure you are a safe distance from the storm before you get out of your vehicle to take photos. One photo is not worth a life. Also when getting out of your car, make sure you check your mirrors for other cars. When sitting on the side of the road, make sure you turn on your hazards. Follow these simple steps and you will get your first lightning photo.