• Question: Can you take a picture of lightening?

    Asked by squizrocks to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 2 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      The hard thing about taking a picture of lightning is timing your camera to take a picture when the lightning flash happens. Photographers cheat by using a very long exposure on the camera (at least a few seconds) and then hoping that a lightning flash will happen whilst they’re taking the picture. If you’ve got a digital camera with the ability to set the shutter speed manually, use the ‘B’ setting to hold the shutter open whenever you finger is on the trigger button.

    • Photo: Philippa Bird

      Philippa Bird answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      Not personally, I am a rubbish photographer.

    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      I don’t have a fancy enough camera, but lightening is very bright so with the right exposure (and patience) you can just leave the shutter open until it strikes.

      I don’t follow lightening clouds around, nor am I patient enough to bother. I’ll just grab a photo from google instead.

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