Thunderstorm

[Marco Lagemaat]

Hi all,

 

Yesterday there was a thunderstorm at my hometown and grabbed the opportunity to catch some lightnings. A stack of 2 photo's in the same lightning sequence.

I don't understand the green in the upper left corner. There was also bar on the left side but I cut it away.

 

Nikon D70, Nikkor 50mm 1.8D, ISO 1600, 30 sec f/1.8, stack ZWB2 360nm, BG39

[Andrea B.]

That's very cool -- those little streaklets all over the sky! Nice work.

 

---

 

The left-hand green area is probably some kind of light leak? If your viewfinder was not covered or if a port door was open, for example. On one of my Nikons I get a light leak around the top LCD. Light leaks can also happen around lens aperture windows, loose filter mounts, warped lens mounts, over-extended add-on helicoids, back monitors and such-like.

 

I suppose there could be a flaw somewhere in the filter, but it doesn't look like that to me. Also I don't think 30 seconds would cause any kind of thermal problem.

 

Someone else might offer a few more suggestions.

[dabateman]

Very interesting to have captured some UV from the lighting.

I wonder if ground to surface might also have some UV.

 

 

[Marco Lagemaat]

Very interesting to have captured some UV from the lighting.

I wonder if ground to surface might also have some UV.

 

What do you mean with ground to surface? A strike from earth to sky?

[Cadmium]

Marco, Very interesting photo!

[dabateman]

What do you mean with ground to surface? A strike from earth to sky?

 

When a lightning bolt comes close to the earth, it is actually met somewhere in the middle. A bolt of static charge comes up from the ground to met it in the air.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning#Upward_streamers

 

https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/580/why-does-lightning-strike-from-the-ground-up

 

 

Its not totally clear from your photo, but that distance bolt near the ground may not be too distant and might answer my question. That could be the ground opposition charge coming up to meet the static feelers you have captured in the sky.

[Marco Lagemaat]

When a lightning bolt comes close to the earth, it is actually met somewhere in the middle. A bolt of static charge comes up from the ground to met it in the air.

 

http://en.wikipedia....pward_streamers

 

https://earthscience...m-the-ground-up

 

 

Its not totally clear from your photo, but that distance bolt near the ground may not be too distant and might answer my question. That could be the ground opposition charge coming up to meet the static feelers you have captured in the sky.

 

So true! I forgot. It is really fascinating mattar actually. I will keep an eye on the wether because I like the experiment and will try again with a better set-up of some sort.

suggestions are welcome .

[nfoto]

Please be careful when you observe thunderstorms via photography. I once was three metres away from the point where the lightning bolt struck and was blind for hours and nearly deaf for days afterwards. That certainly was my last foray into such scenes.

[Marco Lagemaat]

Please be careful when you observe thunderstorms via photography. I once was three metres away from the point where the lightning bolt struck and was blind for hours and nearly deaf for days afterwards. That certainly was my last foray into such scenes.

 

oef... that's scary.. thankfully you survived. Thanks for sharing....

[Andrea B.]

oh my goodness, Birna! That must have been terrifying. Yikes!

It looks like Marco was far enough away. I always made my lightning photos from the doorway of the porch or the house.

 

Many many years ago when visiting my grandparents on the farm, my Grandad woke us all up in the middle of the night to go to the cellar during a particularly bad storm because he was afraid a tornado might hit.

The root cellar was half underground and covered by dirt and grass on top and a rock ledge around it. Grandma stored apples, potatoes and her canned vegetables in it. There was an outer door and an inner door.

Anyway lightning struck the metal pump just a few feet away from the cellar. My ears rang the rest of the night. That does remain possibly the loudest thing I have ever heard.

---

 

Marco, did you see what I wrote about possible light leak?

Here's the first test.

Cover your camera with a thick towel, turn off the room lights, put the cap on the lens, close the viewfinder and make a 15-second long exposure. Then check to see whether you have any unusual light streaks or blobs in this dark exposure. If so, then there is something internal going on which causes the green area.

 

If that dark exposure did not indicate an internal problem, then you start testing for light leak.

Uncover the camera, keep the lights off, keep the lens cap on, keep the viewfinder closed and shine a flashlight on the right side of the camera. Make a 15 second exposure. Check again for unusual light streaks or blobs in the dark exposure.

Repeat this while shining a flashlight from the left. Repeat...flashlight...back. Repeat...flashlight...front. Repeat...flashlight...top.

 

If you have a light leak, then you will see light smears in the dark exposure and have some indication whether it is coming from the right side, left side, front, back, or top.

 

I think it is best to use a narrow-beamed flashlight when testing for light leak.

 

Hope this helps figure it out!

 

---

 

P.S. If you already know this stuff, then kindly ignore.

[Marco Lagemaat]

oh my goodness, Birna! That must have been terrifying. Yikes!

It looks like Marco was far enough away. I always made my lightning photos from the doorway of the porch or the house.

 

Many many years ago when visiting my grandparents on the farm, my Grandad woke us all up in the middle of the night to go to the cellar during a particularly bad storm because he was afraid a tornado might hit.

The root cellar was half underground and covered by dirt and grass on top and a rock ledge around it. Grandma stored apples, potatoes and her canned vegetables in it. There was an outer door and an inner door.

Anyway lightning struck the metal pump just a few feet away from the cellar. My ears rang the rest of the night. That does remain possibly the loudest thing I have ever heard.

---

 

Marco, did you see what I wrote about possible light leak?

Here's the first test.

Cover your camera with a thick towel, turn off the room lights, put the cap on the lens, close the viewfinder and make a 15-second long exposure. Then check to see whether you have any unusual light streaks or blobs in this dark exposure. If so, then there is something internal going on which causes the green area.

 

If that dark exposure did not indicate an internal problem, then you start testing for light leak.

Uncover the camera, keep the lights off, keep the lens cap on, keep the viewfinder closed and shine a flashlight on the right side of the camera. Make a 15 second exposure. Check again for unusual light streaks or blobs in the dark exposure.

Repeat this while shining a flashlight from the left. Repeat...flashlight...back. Repeat...flashlight...front. Repeat...flashlight...top.

 

If you have a light leak, then you will see light smears in the dark exposure and have some indication whether it is coming from the right side, left side, front, back, or top.

 

I think it is best to use a narrow-beamed flashlight when testing for light leak.

 

Hope this helps figure it out!

 

---

 

P.S. If you already know this stuff, then kindly ignore.

 

I didn’t respond sorry. I will test it tomorrow if I have time.

—-

Boy you’re lightning experience is also quite intense. ‍

—-

you see it correctly lightning strikes quite far away. Most of the time I take my photos out of a window. And in the field (most of the time - if possible-) from in the car. (Faraday cage)

[Marco Lagemaat]

oh my goodness, Birna! That must have been terrifying. Yikes!

It looks like Marco was far enough away. I always made my lightning photos from the doorway of the porch or the house.

 

Many many years ago when visiting my grandparents on the farm, my Grandad woke us all up in the middle of the night to go to the cellar during a particularly bad storm because he was afraid a tornado might hit.

The root cellar was half underground and covered by dirt and grass on top and a rock ledge around it. Grandma stored apples, potatoes and her canned vegetables in it. There was an outer door and an inner door.

Anyway lightning struck the metal pump just a few feet away from the cellar. My ears rang the rest of the night. That does remain possibly the loudest thing I have ever heard.

---

 

Marco, did you see what I wrote about possible light leak?

Here's the first test.

Cover your camera with a thick towel, turn off the room lights, put the cap on the lens, close the viewfinder and make a 15-second long exposure. Then check to see whether you have any unusual light streaks or blobs in this dark exposure. If so, then there is something internal going on which causes the green area.

 

If that dark exposure did not indicate an internal problem, then you start testing for light leak.

Uncover the camera, keep the lights off, keep the lens cap on, keep the viewfinder closed and shine a flashlight on the right side of the camera. Make a 15 second exposure. Check again for unusual light streaks or blobs in the dark exposure.

Repeat this while shining a flashlight from the left. Repeat...flashlight...back. Repeat...flashlight...front. Repeat...flashlight...top.

 

If you have a light leak, then you will see light smears in the dark exposure and have some indication whether it is coming from the right side, left side, front, back, or top.

 

I think it is best to use a narrow-beamed flashlight when testing for light leak.

 

Hope this helps figure it out!

 

---

 

P.S. If you already know this stuff, then kindly ignore.

 

I didn’t respond sorry. I will test it tomorrow if I have time.

—-

Boy you’re lightning experience is also quite intense. ‍

—-

you see it correctly lightning strikes quite far away. Most of the time I take my photos out of a window. And in the field (most of the time - if possible-) from in the car. (Faraday cage)

[Andrea B.]

Hope to see some more some day!