Topic: Electrical storm Dubbo NSW

[RobFord]

Hi Forum,
 I wish I had found this site many years ago!! I find the sight of a good storm brewing fascinating and the power it contains amazing. The only problem is they have not found the perfect way the record it....I don't think a photograph or a video can capture the power as well as the human eye. I am hoping to get some inspiration  and tips and tricks from the forum to record what I see.

 A few years ago I lived in Dubbo NSW. One night I saw a big storm front moving in.As usual it split and moved around town. Over the next half hour we witnessed a powerful lightning show that would have been alot more scary if we'd been caught out in it.

There is a railway line running left to right behind the buildings in the background of the photos. The strikes appeared to be touching down in the railway corridor and I was not game to go for a walk to see if they were.That would have been flirting with death.Perhaps they were actually kms away but that info was on a need to know basis.

I grabbed my Nikon F3 and the manfrotto and took some hasty time exposures. They are overexposed and poorly focused but they give you an idea.Let me know what you think.I don't think I could do any worse and the only way is up with more practice.
Thanks
Rob

PS For some reason I cannot attach more than one photo.When I press the more attachments line it goes to a blank screen with the word true in the corner. Driving me crazy:)

[DanTheMan]

Fantastic storm and lightning! It seems like lightning out there today?

[Michael Bath]

Yeah, there is an attach bug that affects some browsers.   Attach one photo, post, then click modify and attach another etc. That is one way around it.   

No, cameras will not do a weather scene justice a lot of the time but that's all we've got
Some lightning tips I put together are here - but looks like you know what to do anyway:

http://www.lightningphotography.com/tips.html

regards, Michael

[RobFord]

Thanks Michael for the link to your photographing lightning tips.Appreciate that very much. I have great trouble photographing strikes that are happening in the afternoon.I overexpose way too much.Night stuff I can manage but more experience is always necessary.

I have just been given a hand me down Canon Powershot Pro digital SLR and I am having a ball with it.Forums like this sure get the imagination going and I find that I am more inspired to take that photo and have a look straightaway.I have been a film dinosaur too long but i intend to keep the old girls for a while yet.

Thanks again for the tips

Regards
Rob

[Jimmy Deguara]

Rob,

Does this storm happen to be the 23rd December 2004 lightning event? That was one massive electrical display. This lightning display began south of Dubbo and ventured east

http://www.australiasevereweather.com/video/stills/2004/20041223.html

http://www.australiasevereweather.com/video/stills/2004/2004122302.html

http://www.australiasevereweather.com/video/stills/2004/2004122303.html

http://www.australiasevereweather.com/video/stills/2004/2004122304.html

http://www.australiasevereweather.com/video/stills/2004/2004122305.html

Regards,

jimmy Deguara

[RobFord]

Hi Jimmy,
No I don't think they were the same event. From memory I had left work by November 2004 and did not have access to the work camera for the storm you mentioned.My one could be summer of 2003/04 tho. I am kicking myself for not writing it down.I might have to see if I kept any of the calenders from that period.The links you gave in your post were awesome.Dubbo is in a bowl so you don't always get to get a clear view of what is coming in from the horizon.You can see the flash but buildings and trees obscure the full sphincter releasing strike shot. I would have loved to see the storms you showed.The smell of the vegetation during/after a storm is something I will never forget from there.
Have a good Christmas.Hope Santa brings you a storm to chase
Regards
Rob