I see a lot of cool lightning photos and much lightning discussion here, but no video.
I thought I'd share the following technique I was experimenting with a few years ago.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tradica/2588542668/#secret69c8130f07-w500-h362Other (some
chdk) vids
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tradica/sets/72157605522818054/Process:- 1. Put camera on tripod
- 2. Point camera at brewing storm
- 3. Expose for four seconds and save image
- 4. Repeat step 3 until memory card is full
- 5. Transfer images into computer
- 6. Isolate all images that contain lightning
- 7. Assemble those images into a video
Facts:- The video plays twice. The second time is in reverse.
- The process is easily portable to CHDK.
- Created in 2003 with images manually captured on a Sony DSC-S85
- I manually pressed the button on the remote to capture each of the photos.
- I didn't have an intervalometer or any scriptable interface to the camera, I had to do it myself.
- It wasn't as tedious as you would imagine.
- I'd listen for the clicks of the camera and know when to press the button.
- I was mesmerized by the light show in the clouds - the procedure became autonomous
- The constant lightning made is easy to become lost in thought
- I pondered the minimal differences between lightning photography and fishing.
- If you like lightning photography, central Arizona is the best place to be in late summer.
- The clouds were at least 40 miles east of me.
- I heard no thunder.
- I shot a few test images to calibrate.
- Eight second exposures were too bright - four seemed to work.
- The lightning was almost constant.
- Very few images were not used.
- If you watch closely you can see stars moving
Ideas:- Airports - the animated trails of multiple airplanes would look spectacular
- Boats
- Freeways
- Carnivals
- Fireflies - probably have to pump iso levels up
- Any intermittent self illuminating kinetic thing
My Canon SD800-IS broke last July so I had no camera to capture the lightning this year. :/
Hopefully I'll have a new one by next summer.
Thanks for reading and if you try something like this or have done something similar I'd enjoy seeing it.
Best,
-Tradica
