Storm chasing season is coming!!

I love chasing storms!!!

I am not a fan when storms come and chase me, but if I can go after them it is AMAZING!!!!  Below is some information on my storm chasing gear so you can be ready when things heat up!

Lightning storm
Evening storm

BEFORE I START A WARNING ABOUT STORM CHASING!!!

It is great to get some amazing storm pictures but be careful!!!  If you are not familiar with storms find someone to go out with for the first few times or take a course.  No picture is worth a death!!

Lightning Set-up for photographing a storm

I often get asked about how I do my lightning pictures so below is my current set-up. I have it tweaked so that it works really well and at the same time it keeps me safe. With this set-up I can shoot a storm and keep following it across southern Alberta without a problem.

Tips

  • I usually run two cameras at a time set on different areas of the sky. Sometimes even with different ISO, Shutter speed and aperture to get different effects
  • Camera settings (ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture) will vary with the lightning, intensity and the time of day that you are shooting
  • I like this set-up over using the tripod as it is safer and I am able to move to follow the storm easily with minimal packing
  • I have two additional vehicles for shooting from.  The first one is a class C motor home, when I am doing lightning from this unit I find a good spot and shoot the storm as it passes.  The class C is designed to get to an area and shoot the storm and not to follow. The next vehicle is just getting ready for this years storm season and that is a Ford Transit van, with the sliding side door on the side I can shoot out of the van while sitting inside.
Lightning
Canon 40D with wired remote shutter release. Works great without rain, or light rain. (For heavy rain I use the next set-up or a tripod set up under the tail gate for distant lightning). Lens usually is either a 17 – 85 or a 10 – 20 – depends on what the other camera has on.
Lightning 3
The thing I like about this vehicle is that the seat folds down and the laptop has its own table.
Lightning 2
Canon 40D with laptop and Canon capture software. Camera is on the dash so in heavy rains at night I can run the wipers to keep the window clear and I am inside in the dryness. Capture software can be set to timer mode to fire repeatedly.

Forgot to add – Shut the vehicle off when shooting, pictures will be sharper!

Purchase from my online shop

Paterson Photography Lethbridge Fine art nature and wildlife art work for sale

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