This is an article by guest author Julien Leveau that opens this section evoking an exciting and respectful theme: flash photography. With your advice today, photographing them will seem much more affordable.
Taking pictures of lightning during a thunderstorm can be very satisfying for a photographer, producing the most powerful images he has ever created; however, this practice is a dangerous exercise, both for you and your team, if done wrong. guide I give you the keys to reduce risks and take the most extraordinary photographs.
- Obviously.
- The first condition to be met to take flash photos is to witness a storm.
- In my case.
- Living in Puerto Vallarta.
- Mexico.
- This often happens during the summer and its wonderful rainy season.
- The feeling of adrenaline that fills my body when I witness The display of power of nature is inexplicable.
- Feeling the wind start blowing.
- Cooling the atmosphere while charging with the moisture needed for the torrent of rain and electricity is a unique experience.
Then the show begins: rain or not, the display of sudden light followed by thunder can either fascinate or terrify. I am excited. Admiring the rapid flashes is part of the privileged life of the storm photographer and the child in all of us.
Storms usually have patterns, see if they tend to form at about the same time and if they move in the same direction. This will help you plan and increase security.
To take the flash photo you’ve always dreamed of, you need several things:
While the safest thing to do in the event of a thunderstorm is to be in and away from open windows, without pipes, cables or electronic devices nearby, you could hardly receive lightning like this. zero risk, but with these tricks you will greatly reduce the chances of being struck by lightning.
What if you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a storm and can’t take cover?
Depending on the location and lighting conditions of the moment, the settings may change, in my case I always photograph at night and these are the settings that work for me, you will have to evaluate if they are also valid for you;).
There are several techniques for shooting at the right time, all with their pros and cons:
When it comes to composing your ray photography, are there elements that, well controlled, allow you to create a composition that you like and then there are the rays?Unfortunately, you can’t control them. It will always depend in part on how lucky we are to take it wherever we want, so I recommend you be patient and shoot as many times as necessary to get the desired shot.
Also consider the most active area of the shelves to focus on it and better frame the scene. A larger framing area will increase the chances of capturing rays.
Don’t just photograph the rays, include some of the terrain to contextualize (land, sea, city?) And also an element in the foreground to give depth. Also try vertical framing.
Since ray photography is quite impressive in itself, it hardly needs to be modified. The only thing I personally add is a little contrast and saturation to further enhance the dramatic aspect without being exaggerated. You can also adjust the white balance if you are shooting in RAW or switch to black and white.
If you’re thinking about getting serious about publishing and don’t know where to start, here’s the Mario Lightzoom course, which explains the Lightroom tool from scratch and without technicalities, with clear and simple language.
If you wanted more images, I’ll leave you with a little gallery
This is an article by Julien Leveau, professional photographer of marriage and architecture. You can follow his work at Julien Leveau and Studio Arcenciel.
If you also want to participate as a guest author, click here.
Did you like the article? Thanks to Julien for his advice sharing the article on your favorite social network so that others can enjoy his fantastic work and the advice he offers. Thanks and soon.