Storm Australian Severe Weather Forum
Severe Weather Discussion => General Weather - all topics not current severe weather. => Topic started by: Mike on 23 July 2007, 08:28:56 PM
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While we're on the subject of spectacular items. How about showing your number one, all time (to date!) favorite lightning or storm photo that stands out vividly in your mind? It does not have to be perfect or in focus - it could be something that you captured by chance!
Give a commentary of why it's your favorite, where it was and what it depicts. If it's someone else's photo but it still ranks as something you won't forget post credits where appropriate.
My photo too big - will have to dig another photo out!
Mike
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This lightning photo of mine still stands out as one of my favourites. It was taken at Ballina on 23rd December 1990.
One of the hassles of film photography is that you don't know how well (or bad) a shot came out until you get them printed. I don't think I got to see the print of this photo until after Christmas.
(http://australiasevereweather.com/photography/photos/1990/1223mb09.jpg)
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Great contrast in colours there. I would imagine you wuld have been thinking at the time 'Now did i get that CG?'!. The wonders of technology make it perhaps just too easy these days because it's so simple - I'd need a duffle bag full of film if I was using a 35mm film SLR!
How many shots were you taking with this storm until you captured the strike? Were you getting frustrated not knowing what you had captured - if anything at all?
Mike
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I was using the "press the shutter after seeing the lightning" technique with aperture priority, and luckily a couple of the bolts were of the pulsing variety.
All the photos I took on this date are here:
http://australiasevereweather.com/photography/photos/1990/mb19901223.html
(two of the pics there are zoomed-in crops of originals). I did not discard any of the photos taken that evening. I used to be a lot more particular about when I would attempt lightning photos in the film days that's for sure !
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I can remember standing in the field with camera on tripod and gunpowder in the rack - that's how old I am! Am endeavouring to pick a photo to post....
Mike
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Hi,
I will have to place mine a category or two. This was one that grabbed my interest this year but then again I don't have many good lightning strikes:
http://www.australiasevereweather.com/photography/lightning/lightning_bolts2424.html
From an unusual point of view, try this one:
http://www.australiasevereweather.com/photography/lightning/lightning_bolts2307.html
I will look around for others I have observed in the past that were extremely spectacular.
Michael, I have to say the lightning at Schofields from the balcony in 1994 was simply awesome!
http://www.australiasevereweather.com/photography/lightning/lightning_bolts0060.html
Given you have not even altered it in any way, it reveals both upper level and cloud to ground liggtning in one shot!
Regards,
Jimmy Deguara
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Here's two of my favorites. Although they are not lightning shots I was particularly pleased capturing these storms. The sounding for the morning that day showed good shear and CAPE. By 5pm there was a severe storm warning in a 60km radius to Darwin City. I flew down to the wharf and watched this massive storm move in from the south into Darwin. Little CG activity until the storm got more organized (understatement!) but this storm packed 90kmh winds! As the storm approached the harbour the gust front was blowing up the usually flat seas and boats were getting pounded by both wind and wave. The CG lightning certainly was awesome, albeit I had to take cover in the car due to the rain that came with it. The shelf formation held for a good 20 minutes and was very photogenic. I watched some poor soul in a small fishing vessel being pushed at a phenomenal rate of knots out of the harbour, I don't think he had much control of his craft on the way out - he was being literally blown out into the bay.
The other shot is of a wall cloud that was off to my right - I didn't even notice it until between shots glanced across and saw the condensation forming underneath - I was pretty wrapped as I'd never seen a wall cloud in my chasing to date. No-one else on the wharf area was taking shots got this storm, everyone was too interested in the large shelf to the left - I only managed one shot before the downpour and wind arrived just afterwards.
We had several large storms in the area that night and it was great to have a choice of where to point and shoot and not having to actually chase them - both storms were in the Darwin wharf area. Very memorable for me anyway.
Mike
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Great choice is the second ground hugger strike there Jimmy, and Michael's 27 November 1994 moment in time is one of the all time classics!!! Cheers, Con.
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Actually Con, you need to scan a smaller version of your fantastic slides somehow and place them online! You have sensational lightning strikes including from the Tamworth region. I am a beginner in comparison.
That major shelf cloud Mike is very impressive and shows the ample moisture bringing down the cloud bases!
Regards,
Jimmy Deguara
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Hi guys,
Totally amazing shots by all to say the least! I hope we get to see a few more up on here, particularly from the coming storm season!
It's definately hard to pick a favorite from so many shots but the one I have chosen here is a particular favorite of mine as we don't see much in the way of interesting cloud structure (other than the odd nice shelf cloud) out this way? This is the closest thing I've seen resembling a short-lived wall cloud with fairly decent rotation (made nicely visible by the "clockwise" sheared cloud in the shot) in 5years so far, it was a particularly nasty cell and extremely active over 7hrs or so and I could have photographed it well into the small hours but a full camera card and flat batteries took it's toll? The great CG was a lucky, "right place at the right (exposure) time" bonus ;)
(http://www.ridgelightning.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=972&g2_serialNumber=2)
Cheers guys,
Shauno
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Nice shot! Shows the cloud base and is that the rain shaft on the left hand side? It shows a lot in that photo. Any more photos?
Mike
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Hi Mike, thanks kindly for the comment :)
I do have a series of shots from that night, perhaps as many as 60 or 70? It was a great LP cell with only a small confined rainshaft (as you noticed) on the left, I only wish I had road access to get somewhat closer but the bolts seemed close enough from where I was located! ;) I have another favorite shot from that particular night, taken not long after the wallcloud structure dissapated-
(http://www.ridgelightning.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=573&g2_serialNumber=2)
I called this shot "Insanity" as the cloud structure was, well... insane! :)
You can see a few of my other favorite shots here- http://www.ridgelightning.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=141
Cheers and take care.
Shauno
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Nice capture and the photo tells a lot about it. was this the only storm close by that you were able to capture photos of? How long did the storm last for and was there any particular setting you used?
Mike
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Dug out some late wet season CG strike shots. This storm was around at about 1:30am! The cell was pretty much moving to the NE very slowly and it was nice to capture some double strikes with lots of branching. The second shot is my all time favorite because I waited for up to 2 hours for the storm to come around to me and whilst it was producing CGs it was was too sparodic in different parts of the storm, so patience paid off with the final shot before it got to dangerous to stick around.
NB: I just had to add the last two photos that have been around for a bit - photos credits to Christophe Suarez for his shots of CGs in of all places Geneva! These photos are probably the most amazing lightning shots I personally have ever seen - and I've seen a lot! There is so much to look at and think about with his photos it's incredible.
Mike
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Hi Mike,
Those are great lightning shots you have there also!
The storm (in the shots above) was a long lived LP cell with a great back-sheared crisp anvil (just visible on the way out to it while the sun was setting) that lasted from 8:45pm (when it became visible to me on the horizon) and went well into the small hours though I retired around 11:45pm when it headed up across the border towards Hebel.
Cheers and take care!
Shauno
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Hi - great topic
top shots
Me and my sharp shooting Ricoh R1V captured this lick of light over a boiling brisbane storm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetanton/308571022/
Wish it was on film - too capture more detail
Also another perspective so its worth a look
Anton.
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Welcome Tohnanon,
Looks like an active storm producing an anvil crawler almost overhead? Awesome! Do you recall the date?
Regards,
Jimmy Deguara
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My favourites:
http://0304.netclime.net/1_5/000/000/391/9c1/11811955311496763.jpg
http://0304.netclime.net/1_5/000/000/391/9d4/11811962421298025.jpg
http://0304.netclime.net/1_5/000/000/391/98f/1181193568421445.jpg
http://0304.netclime.net/1_5/000/000/391/9da/1181196739599050.jpg
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The Flickr page indicates the photo was taken on 29th Novemebr 2005 - some very impressive storms around that afternoon !
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Great shots everybody!!!!
My Favourite images.
I posted this one in the "my profiles" thread,but heres the link. It my favourite shot,because its so unique to our other shots.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/pingtang100/P1019808cleaned.jpg
If this isnt my favouite pic,then it runs a very very close second .This was taken near Nowra,February 24 2007.This partcular storm brought 2-3cm hail and strong winds to the area. After a very wet February the countryside was nice and green,creating a lovely scene for lightning photography.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/pingtang100/P1019924edited.jpg)
My brother took this one from Shoalhaven Heads Beach near Kiama(December 29 2006). This particular storm was very lightning active flashing a few times a second. Here its located 20kms off the coast,and showing dark red radar echos at the time. Unfortunately low level cloudcover developed(thanks to a weak SE change)spoiling the show. Why is it a favourite?I like it how the lightning goes into clear air,dissapears behind the low cloud,and reappears again.The updrafts are lit up nicely as well.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/pingtang100/heads_gooden_edit_smalledit.jpg)
Cheers
Michael
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Hi guys,
More great shots here that are awesome to see as always!
Hi pingtang, I've seen that shot from Nowra a few times now and it still looks amazing, great job! Talk about being in the right place at the right time in the right storm! It always makes me laugh when you see how oblivious the cows seem to be of the "electrical carnage" going on! "BBQ anyone?" :)
Cheers and take care.
Shauno
P.S. Great thread Mike! I hope I get to add few more photos here in the coming months!