Photographing Lightning and Storms Safely

A lightning bolt strikes in a fraction of a second, far too short to trigger by hand — photographing a storm therefore relies entirely on long exposure, which keeps the sensor open long enough to catch the lightning whenever it happens, without needing to predict it.

Safety, above every other consideration

Lightning remains a real danger : photographing a storm should always be done from a sheltered spot — indoors, behind a window, or inside a vehicle — never outdoors in the open or under an isolated tree. A long telephoto lens or simply a wide shot from a window lets you capture storm activity from a safe distance, without ever having to expose yourself directly.

A tripod, absolutely essential

An exposure of several seconds makes any hand tremor immediately visible across the whole image — a stable tripod, combined with a remote trigger or a self-timer, remains essential for this kind of shot, even more so than for most other long exposures.

Settings, in manual mode

A medium aperture (f/8 to f/11), a low sensitivity and an exposure of several seconds to around ten seconds suit most night-time storm scenes — in daylight, a neutral density filter becomes necessary to lengthen the exposure enough without overexposing the rest of the scene.

Taking many shots rather than aiming for one precise moment

Unlike other subjects where you look for the exact right instant, lightning photography relies on repetition : firing off successive exposures of several seconds each, back to back, maximises the chances that a lightning bolt happens to strike during one of them. An intervalometer, which automatically triggers a series of exposures without manual intervention, makes this wait — which can last many long minutes — much easier.