My first lightning capture!

[Red Bull]

Long time since I've logged on here! Anyway I was on vacation the other week and one of the stops was in Des Moines, Iowa. As I was sitting on my computer I notice a flash outside the hotel window. It's lighting! I quickly grab my camera (luckily I brought my good one along with my little P&S) and shut off all the lights. This was the best shot I got. Taken with 20D, about a 20 sec exposure with EF 17-40 L

http://redbull.smugmug.com/photos/357369752_baMYG-L.jpg

[InsuredDisaster]

Pretty good I think. Nice to include a bit of the city for size comparison. Good!

[Skippy]

Long time since I've logged on here! Anyway I was on vacation the other week and one of the stops was in Des Moines, Iowa. As I was sitting on my computer I notice a flash outside the hotel window. It's lighting! I quickly grab my camera (luckily I brought my good one along with my little P&S) and shut off all the lights. This was the best shot I got. Taken with 20D, about a 20 sec exposure with EF 17-40 L



Wow that's an excellent capture Red Bull :clap
I like that you've got the buildings in the shot too.

That's quite a long branched bolt of lightning you've captured there.
Well Done :thumb .... Skippy :D
.

[pyry]

That is good shot! Must have been a huuge bolt, it cries for a wider angle!

Shooting lightning is always going to involve luck, you can't really compose them with anything else :D

Good job!

[Red Bull]

Thanks for the positive comments! I really wish I had a wider lens. Using a 10-22 would have been incredible considering the size of this lightning bolt. I had never seen lightning like this before so I was pretty excited. :barb

[DaddyO]

That is good shot! Must have been a huuge bolt, it cries for a wider angle!

Shooting lightning is always going to involve luck, you can't really compose them with anything else :D

Good job!
:agree Nice job getting this one. We haven't had much lighting here
this year. Which is good cause we haven't had rain in forever and
our state would be on fire once again. :D As is.....
We had perfect conditions for firestorm lastnight that destroyed much.
If interested... KTVB NEWS (http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-aug2508-major_fire.117ce9e5.html). I decided not to go out there to get
any photos.

[kdog]

Great job! :thumb It's a rush shooting lightning, eh? Nice comp.

-joel

[christinamae]

Very nice capture! Congrats! It's so exciting when you get your first lightning bolt.

[Awais Yaqub]

:clap Super it feels like i am floating on it

[jeffmeyers]

Great for the first one!

[cmorganphotography]

Near the court house [one of them]?? That's a clean shot!