Lightning Appearing to Strike Twice
June 16th, 2008I’ve had little success with long exposures. Our last night on the beach, there was a little bit of lightning. I spent an hour doing 30 second exposures. This shot was the best one by far. I love that you can see a couple dining on the beach with a spotlight as well as people looking for crabs along the shoreline.
This is pretty noisy, but I love the double fork of lightning and the cloud formation. Utah doesn’t deliver quite the same thunder/lightning that other parts of the U.S. can bring. I had hoped for 20 or 30 shots I could pick the best from, but alas, it didn’t work out that way.
I used this, wrapped around the deck rail to hold the camera and the 24-70 2.8L lens. It works well as a headdress, sure, but as a grippy camera thingy, it did very well, despite making Heather extremely nervous that our camera was being held four floors up by the Gorillapod.
This is a full manual shot, with aperture and exposure all dialed in by me. I tried to shoot it at 100 ISO, but 500 yielded a bit more detail and light in the foreground, especially because I wanted a higher f-stop (this shot is f11) for a broader depth of field. o
Tags: destin, florida, lightning, ocean, summer, weather
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June 16th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
i know exactly what you mean about long exposures….i have been trying to master them for a while now. at any rate, i think this shot came out beautifully - the lightning and surrounding sky are gorgeously framed.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
That picture is breathe-taking! Well done!
June 16th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
That picture is freaking amazing. I mean that. I’m not much of a big photo-person but that is very, very special.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Thank you for the details!! And I think one of those inventive tripods is definitely on my list. Wonderful shot. The only lens I have so far is an 18 X 50, and those wide views are really fun. Love looking at your pictures, Jon.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I love this shot. It seems so surreal with the people and the spot lights.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I think that was one of the most amazing shots you have ever taken. The lighting of the clouds and water almost looks painted, which is in contrast to the sharp details of the beach. Breathtaking.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Please to make print available. Wants=Very Yes.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
What a great photo!
June 16th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Very very cool.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Sick. Shot.
I HATE tripods because I feel they are too restrictive. Will be purchasing that ingenious piece immediately.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Beautiful!! All of it - the fork, lit clouds, beach! The broad depth of field made this shot.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
This photograph could be an award winner. There are many elements that draw, focus, and please the eye - little details to love - not the least of which is the hint of (foreground beach coloured) brown in the sky and along the shoreline opposite the beach in the foreground. The contrast in the water - rippling on the peaceful side, like glass on the lightening side - is also lovely.
I haven’t a clue what your technical explanation means. (Unfortunately! I really should take a course.)
June 16th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Awesome, Jon.
June 16th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
please please please make that a print. and please please please still have one next week when i find some moneys.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I just clicked on this and saved it as my wallpaper–just a stunning shot that looks especially nice on my new laptop(sorry, Jon, not a Mac.)
Hope it’s OK that I am using that way…………everyone should try it!
June 16th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Nicely done Jon. The cloud really makes it.. and the foreground looks like it was light painted.
Incedently, Sam captured lightning well here too: http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/08/06/11/
June 16th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
@Marshall, thanks for the props and thanks for sharing that incredible photo!
Thanks, everybody else!
June 16th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I picked up one of those tripods a couple weeks ago. Very good
June 16th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I have tried to do this same thing with varying degrees of success. Some of my favorites came from a bunch I tried looking straight at the north star with about a 4 minute exposure from about the deepest part of the Grand Canyon.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
That is breathtaking… Don’t you just love the Gulf Coast? It’s like Heaven there.
Will this be available as a print? I would love to buy one and frame it for my mom’s house in Florida!
June 16th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Nice work.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:58 am
i once swam in the gulf in a thunderstorm, it’s magical.
for good storms in utah, get to antelope island and photograph storms across the lake, they’re amazing.
nice pic!
June 17th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Wow, there are so many things that I love about this photo.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:46 am
My husband was in the navy for 4 yrs and he says his favorite part was watching storms out at sea..That’s what I love about him: his ability to appreciate beauty in situations that would have me curled up in the fetal position guzzling bourbon and anti-anxiety meds..
June 17th, 2008 at 8:45 am
LOVE that shot.