kansas storm

[galenk]

Here's a picture I took about 15 years ago overlooking my little town,
Minolta X700 50mm minolta mc 1.7 lens and 2 polarizing filters shutter speed 10 sec got this on the second shot

[PeterW]

That's a nice picture, and at 1/10 sec you tripped the shutter just at the right time.

I've tried to photograph forked lightning a few times at night with the camera on a tripod and the shutter on B, but never got anything as spectacular as this. Maybe Kansas has 'better' lightning than the south of the UK?

The US always seems to get every natural phenomenon bigger than the UK. Something to do with the land mass size perhaps?

We did, however, have a rare earthquake a few miles off the south-east coast a fortnight ago. Strength 4 on the Richter scale. It did quite a lot of damage to property in Folkestone, fortunately with no-one seriously injured. Rail traffic was disrupted for a day while gangs went out to check the rails, and the Channel Tunnel was closed for a time while that was checked, but apparently all was OK.

Ashford, which is about 20 miles inland, wasn't affected apart from hearing the rumble. It happened very early in the morning, while I was still asleep. The first I heard of it was when I switched on the local radio at 8.30 am.

PeterW

[Randy]

That's a fantastic shot Galen!

[galenk]

Peter
that wasn't 1/10 of a second that was 10 seconds hence the need for the double polarizers, thats the only way i could get that long of an exposure ;D

[doubs43]

That is a great shot of lightening and the exposure seems to have been correct for the grain elevator and other ground objects.

BTW, our youngest son is a Kansan..... born in Topeka while I was stationed there.

Peter, the land mass may have something to do with the generally more severe weather but Kansas is also further South than the UK and both warmer and colder during Summer and Winter respectively. It's also part of what's termed "Tornado Alley".... a well-earned nickname.

Walker

[mickeyobe]

A terrific shot. Something I have never been able to do despite my numerous tries.

Certainly a case of the right place at the right time coupled with lots of know how.

Mickey

[Just Plain Curt]

Nice work Galen. Like Mickey, I've admired lightning shots but never been able to actually capture any myself. Hmmm, maybe if I dig out my old kite and copper hat.

[galenk]

It's not hard really, just a tripod, cable release, lots of film and lots of luck.
It's easier at night, just open the shutter and wait for the light show. After a flash or two advance your film and do it again. Ha! Ha!

I have played with shooting lightning for years and have a lot of pics but this is my only daytime shot and i think one of the best. I have other good ones but they are on slides and I have no way to get them onto the computer

Thanks for the comments and praise,

OH! by the way that is the whole town I grew up in, All 300 people.

[herron]

My son has a neat lightening strike image on his web site, Jeff Herron Photography, Inc....it's about the fourth shot down in his portfolio, in the "Personal" column (I know he wouldn't mind if I copied and posted it, but it's got javascripting connected with it, so a right-click copy is useless).

[kiev4a]

Probably the most frightening night of my life was when I was about 10 years old. On vacation we stayed overnight near Burr Oak, Kansas with a relative. Right at sundown you could see a tornado off on the horizon and all night long the thunder and lightning boomed and crashed--like having someone fire a flash in your face every 30 seconds--alllll night loooong.

[galenk]

Wayne
Ain't it COOL!!

I grew up sitting on the big front porch with Dad watching that kind of thing. Every time the weather would get bad we would grab the lawn chairs and sit on the porch and watch the lightning until the wee hours of the morning. It might just be me but

" AIN,T IT COOL"