Arches light show

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted July 29, 20111,497 views25 comments

This is a long exposure taken during a dry storm in Arches NP last month. I cropped this to pano form to eliminate my shadow that was cast by a full moon.

Comments

25 comments

Comment posted by Merle Cook on July 30, 2011 at 7:42 AM

WOW !!!!! This is a great shot Pam. Other than the obvious with the lightning strikes, I like the sky blending from cloudless blue over to the black of the storm on the right.This shows the power of these dry storms. Oh yeah, the lights of the town give a nice showing of civilization in this rugged country.

Registered on July 15, 2007, 27 Posts, 140 Comments

Comment posted by Sebastian Kraus on July 30, 2011 at 12:01 PM

Stunning...

Registered on March 17, 2011, 30 Posts, 132 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on July 30, 2011 at 4:55 PM

Awesome! Wonderful shot Pam.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Barry Ashenhurst on July 30, 2011 at 6:58 PM

Darn impressive that. And by moonight as well!

Registered on August 4, 2009, 253 Posts, 455 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on July 31, 2011 at 11:58 AM

Great capture! How long was the exposure?

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Pam Colander on July 31, 2011 at 12:26 PM

Thanks everyone! It was an amazing show and luckily fairly predictable as the strikes were frequently in the same vicinity.

Mark...this exposure was 48 seconds, ISO 400, f8. I held the lens cover lightly in front of the lens to block it in between bolts (which I totally guessed at!) Sort of a shooting fireworks technique.

Registered on December 7, 2006, 210 Posts, 1062 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Kayne on July 31, 2011 at 12:58 PM

Registered on November 1, 2003, 573 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Colvin on July 31, 2011 at 2:09 PM

Beautiful. I still have a hard time with my lightning shots.

Registered on December 2, 2009, 15 Posts, 93 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on July 31, 2011 at 7:17 PM

Great capture, Pam! I've always wanted to photograph an image with lightning
in it. Thank you for the explanation for the manner and timing of how you got
this shot. What was your White Balance setting--shade, cloudy, bulb,
or did you have your camera on manual?

Thank you.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Pam Colander on July 31, 2011 at 8:39 PM

Thanks Robert...I used bulb and auto for the color balance

Registered on December 7, 2006, 210 Posts, 1062 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on July 31, 2011 at 9:56 PM

Impressive display of nature and good use of the rule of thirds

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on August 1, 2011 at 8:40 PM

Pam, this is really cool! I have never been able to do anything with lightning worth a hoot, nevermind something like this. Foreground is great too.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on August 1, 2011 at 11:26 PM

Yes !!

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on August 2, 2011 at 4:34 AM

Powerful image. The colors and comp are great. The sky is powerful.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on August 3, 2011 at 12:11 PM

Pam,

Congratulations on the EP! I would have bet it was coming your way.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on August 3, 2011 at 5:15 PM

Holy cow! What a cool, cool shot, Pam! I like other details in the image, too, such as the greenish light in the clouds so typical in thunderstorms. Eerie. The landscape features only add to the drama, and the fact that the red in the rocks is so visible is really great. Thanks for the info on the technique. If I'm ever brave enough to be out and about in that kind of weather, it would sure be amazing to get a shot anything close to this. Kudos for the EP-- well deserved.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Olsen on August 3, 2011 at 6:09 PM

Wow Pam!! How did I miss seeing this??
Awsome photo! and congrats on WP!!!!

Registered on October 19, 2006, 306 Posts, 1571 Comments

Comment posted by Pam Colander on August 3, 2011 at 6:22 PM

Well I am overwhelmed at the responses and am so grateful to be selected out of the weeks submissions for this honor! Thank you!

Registered on December 7, 2006, 210 Posts, 1062 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on August 3, 2011 at 6:34 PM

Well deserved, its a wonderful image!

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on August 3, 2011 at 10:10 PM

Gorgeous - congrats on the WP!
Extremely tough to catch lightning!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on August 5, 2011 at 7:33 PM

Great !! I have a phobia a bout lightning so I'm glad you took it.

JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Eric Mannino on August 7, 2011 at 8:42 AM

WOW!! That is one of the best lightning shots I've seen in a while. Great work and congrats on the EP.

Registered on November 16, 2009, 22 Posts, 65 Comments

Comment posted by Sam Rua on August 14, 2011 at 10:31 PM

Nicely captured, Pam. I like your technique for the multiple exposure --- and your sense of timing to capture the bolts, It does seem at times that each storm cell has a rhythm to the strikes.