and another, both pics were originally at the largest format of the camera, which is a RAW format or approx 7.1 mpx. The clarity is awesome. I was able to zoom in 600 x before it begins to pixelate. I love this camerea. BTW it is a Canon Digital Rebel.
Pretty simple actually.
1. I watch the stormt o see where the most activity is and about how long between strikes... and where most of them are concentrated....
Then I set the camera on a tripod and manually focus it.
Then I set the shutter speed for 45 seconds.
Take a picture and wait for lightning to jump into the shot.
I loved being in Detroit for their storms. Only one came close enough to catch those shots... admittedly I had to wait till 3am but I still got it. In the northwest we barely get lightning and when we do it isn't focus/concentrated like that. Also we only get about 10 blasts and it's done. There I was able to watch it get close and start shooting when I thought it was worth it.
The next two nights I got another 6 pictures... but not as cool as those 2. the storms where either too high in the clouds or too far away.
Next year I will be heading back to Fairbanks AK to show my wife around were I used to go in the summer. We still have a chunk of land and a couple homes up there. There will be some fun shots of wild life... it seems everything is a little bigger up there.
But the cool part is, I will have a couple events up there in the winter and I would love to get some shots of the northern lights!!! Lightning was easier to get than I thought... so now I want to try and capture the colors and hues of the Northern Lights.... to me. That would be awesome!
I also have spoken to a photographer who has photo's of meteors from the last big leonid meteor shower... That one I don't know how he did... can't leave the shutter open!
Just back from the camera store... I knew I should never have gone... Like a kid in a candy store.
Bout a new lens 70-300mm USM, battery grip attachment and hand strap, eye piece extension and a pod pole.