How should I set up my camera to photograph lightning?
Asked 7/26/2010
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2 answers
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I’d like to photograph lightning and I’m looking for general technique and camera settings. I assume I should use a smaller aperture and longer exposures, but I’m not sure how to set things up in practice. What camera mode, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and accessories work best for lightning photography?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
29
Here is how I usually approach the subject:
I attach a remote cable release to the camera and set the camera to manual mode, and make a first guess on exposure (for instance 15 sec, f/11, ISO 100 or 200). Then I shoot a test frame and check the resulting image. I aim to make an exposure where the landscape looks like I want it to look in the lightning image. The lightning itself shines for such a short period of time that it actually does not illuminate the landscape very much in relation to the long exposure. Once I have settled for an exposure, I press the release button on the remote, and lock it. With the camera in continuous mode, this will capture frame after frame with very little waiting time in between. Now I just leave the camera there and hope :)
The image below was captured this way. It is taken around midnight in late summer in Sweden (which means that it was not pitch black, but quite dark). Exposure was 30 seconds on f/10, ISO 200.
(source: alcedo.com)
Originally by user10. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user10
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Use a tripod and shoot in manual mode. A common starting point is low ISO (100–200), a stopped-down aperture (around f/8 to f/11), and long exposures in the 10–30 second range. Take a test frame first and adjust exposure so the landscape/background looks how you want; the lightning itself is so brief that it usually doesn’t light the scene much compared with the full exposure.
To improve your odds, keep the shutter open as much as possible and minimize gaps between frames. A remote release is very helpful, and continuous shooting with repeated long exposures works well. In darker conditions, bulb mode can also work: open the shutter, wait for a strike, then close it.
If it’s too bright for long exposures, use an ND filter. Shoot RAW for more flexibility recovering shadows later. Also disable long-exposure noise reduction if you want to avoid the camera spending equal time making dark-frame reductions instead of taking the next shot.
A lightning trigger can help, but the basic approach is simple: stable tripod, manual exposure, low ISO, stopped-down aperture, repeated long exposures, and patience.
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