Photographing lightning can provide some quite amazing results. Such photos generally require a tripod set-up and a slow shutter speed to capture multiple bursts of lightning as they leave their storm clouds and hit the earth. There are many different types of lightning, including the traditional single bolt hitting the ground, to sheet lightning between clouds, the commonly associated forked lightning as well as forms such as ball lightning and chain lightning, to name but a few.
Below are some fine examples of lightning photography. Do check out the photographer’s websites to see more excellent photos.
Strike!
© Matthew Granz
Photo taken with a Nikon D90
ISO: 200
f/stop: 5.6
Exposure: 10 seconds
Focus: 34mm
When Worlds Collide
© Rick Elkins
The view is from the Brooklyn waterfront, looking toward Manhattan and New York Harbor, with New Jersey off at the horizon.
Burning Tuscon
© Kev
Photo taken with a Canon EOS 20D
6 sec exposuse
F9
Focal length: 50mm
Quite the en-lightning evening
Photo taken near Sarasota, Florida, USA
Lightning; My First Try
© Leyla
Photo taken in Turkey with a Canon EOS 400D
Exposure: 30 secs
F3.5
Focal length: 18mm
ISO 400
Take THAT, France
Thunderstorm in Evian, France, seen from across Lake Geneva in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Thunderbolt storm and waterspout
Photo taken in the autumn of the year 2010 on the reefs near the Capolungo seaport, a beautiful place in the city of Genova, Italy.
Nikon D3100
Exposure: 5 secs
F4.5
Focal length: 55mm
ISO 100
Chain lightning
© Christof
Thunder storm over Copper Cliff, Ontario, Canada… June 25th, 2009.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 54
Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Great Salt Lake, Utah; “Sparky”
This photo was taken on July 22, 2008 in Garfield Junction, Utah, US.
That’s, uh, some lightning you’ve got there
Photo taken with a Canon 20D
15 sec exposure
F8
28mm
ISO 400
1.21 Gigawatts!
Photo taken in South Dakota USA with a Canon Rebel XSi
25 second exposure
F5
18mm
ISO 200
Strike One
Photo taken in Miramar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Canon 5D Mark 2
24 sec exposure
F11
17mm
Lightning Crashes
Photo taken in Soho, Hong Kong.
Taken with a Nikon D300
10 second exposure
F9
32mm
ISO 200
雷雲
© 號獃
Photo taken in Hsintien City, Taiwan
Nikon D3X, Nikkor 24-70mm
9.5 sec exposure
F4
44mm
ISO 400
Electrical Storm
Photo taken with a Sony A100
30 sec exposure
F4.5
35mm
ISO 100
Forks
© Andrew
Photo taken at Waratah Bay, Victoria, AU
Nikon D80
AF-S DX 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED
19 second exposure
F5.6
20mm
ISO 400
Sync
Photo taken with a Nikon D50
Nikkor AF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED
Hats off to those patient photographers who were able to come up with these wonderful photos. It is not only about good equipment, it is their willingness to wait for the right moment to capture the lightning on lens.
Those photographs are amazing. We’ve had quite a lot of storms lately here in Northampton, but don’t think I’d brave the weather! Fantastic work.
Lightning Crashes is my favorite among the set of photos you shared. One can really feel awe at the sight of a building being struck by the powerful lightning.