HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH
LIGHTNING

• DURING THE DAY :
  
  
  • EXPOSURE TIME

  
  As brightness will be high the exposure time will be low for the landscape isn't too bright and so the lightning not too dazzling. The exposure time must be 1/150 second when it's still day and from 1/10 to 1/30 seconds when it is grey but not even black. So with this speed it is even possible to take lightning twice with a difference in contrast between the two photos as seen on this animation (110 ko) that I made from four photos where the lightning of left was taken twice.
  

  • I.S.O. (International Standards Organisation)
    
    
  ISO is the unit of measure for the sensitivity of the film or sensor (in camera photography). Therefore higher number then more photos will be bright. It is for this reason that during a thunderstorm during the day, the ISO mustn't exceed 200 or be between 50 and 100 to avoid noise (pixels "hot" on the photo) and for the picture isn't too bright according to the exposure time.
  
  
• APERTURE (F)


The aperture is expressed by F corresponding to the quantity of light that is admitted that is to say its intensity. More F is little more larger is the lens aperture and therefore more light passes.

So if during the thunderstorm the sky is still bright enough then according the focal length (f), the aperture (F) must be between 5,60 and 11. Because the aperture is which allows to vary the amount of light but also controls the field of view according to focal length (f). More the thunderstorm is far then more the depth of the field of view is important and less the lightning is bright. Then the aperture (F) must be small. Conversely, when The thunderstorm is located near to a maximum of F <11. The aperture also varies depending on the exposure time and ISO as it affects the amount of light recorded.


• THE FOCAL LENGTH (f)

The focal length (f) expressed in mm is the distance between the photosensitive surface of the sensor and the optical center of the lens.More distance is high then more (f) is great. The field of vision will be smaller and the zoom will be greater as the focal length (f) will be greater. For more chance to photograph lightning so it's best to have a large field of view and therefore a short focal length (f) (28 to 35 mm on a 35 mm camera).

• THE BRIGHTNESS (EV)


With the cameras it is possible to correct exposure (EV) which allows to change only the amount of light during the flash of lightning to suit the conditions of photography. If exposure (EV) is increased by one, it is the same as if you would decreased the aperture (F) of one or multiply ISO by two or divide by two the exposure time. And conversely when the exposure (EV) is decreased by 1. For example for a picture taken with an exposure time of 1/500 sec, F=5, ISO=400 and EV=0, if EV is increased by 1, so EV=1, this would amount to go to an exposure time of 1/250 sec, or an aperture of F=4 or ISO=800.

 

Average of the settings for a storm during the day

ISO	APERTURE (F)	FOCAL LENGTH (f)	Distance in KM	BRIGHTNESS (EV)
50	11	to the minimum	1	-1,50
50	8		10	-1
100	11		20	-0,50
100	8	to 200.mm for a camera 35.mm	50	0
100	5,60		100	0

A thunderstorm coming from the west of Saint-Gaudens on 09/01/2004 at 6:52 p.m. Photographed with a Fujifilm S.5000 : ISO 200, 1/150 "and F3.2. Click here for to enlarge Click here to see animation (449 ko)		Two lightning at about 15.km after the violence of the thunderstorm on 08/10/05 at 7:34 p.m. . Taken with a Fujifilm S.5000 : ISO 200, 1/5 "and F8. Click here to enlarge

• DURING A THUNDERSTORM AT NIGHT :
  
  
  • EXPOSURE TIME

  
  When a thunderstorm occurs at night you can put a long enough exposure time or use the T or B pose unlike daytime because it is dark. But for that you need to use a tripod for the photo is not blurry and if possible that there is no noise. Then, it is best to use a remote shutter release as some camera allows it.
  
  The exposure time B achieves exposure during all the action on the shutter button while the exposure time T begins when the shutter release button is activated and stops when it is reactived.
  
  To choose the exposure time that depends on the number of lightnings that occur per minute. For if the thunderstorm is very electric it is better to put the exposure time not too high otherwise the picture will be too bright and too filled with lightning. So 5 to 10 seconds are sufficient with an active thunderstorm.
  
  If the thunderstorm is not very active We can then mount the exposure time to 30 seconds. But there will be more likely to have noise also.

  • I.S.O. (International Standards Organisation)
    
    
  During a thunderstorm during the night, ISO should be higher than during the day if you use the same exposure time or the same aperture (F). But we must also take into account the exposure time is higher during the night so not to exceed ISO 400 for not too much noise.
  
  
  • APERTURE (F)

  
  Like the ISO aperture (F) should be a little higher than when taking a picture of a thunderstorm during the day. But we must take into account the increase in ISO and especially the exposure time and brightness or distance lightning. If lightning is inter-cloud or that light is reflected on the anvil of the cumulonimbus and the thunderstorm is not too far away it is preferable not to over reduce the aperture (F) so that the picture is not too bright.

  • FOCAL LENGTH (f)
    
    

  For adjustment of the focal length (f) is to be about the same as when taking pictures of thunderstorms during the day as this parameter is used primarily for depth of field so the net area of the image which extends from the net point that is closest to the objective to net point which is the farthest.
  

  • THE BRIGHTNESS (EV)

  
  The adjustment of the exposure (EV) will depend on the setting of other parameters. As mentioned above, the increase in exposure (EV) of one is equivalent to decreasing the aperture (F) of one or to double ISO or to divide by two the exposure time. And conversely when exposure (EV) decreases by one.