Lightning Over the Atlantic

[mwatson]

Camera Pentax K10D
Exposure 212 sec
Aperture f/9.5
Focal Length 10 mm
ISO Speed 100

Okay, I haven't been on the landscape blog for a while. I am attempting to learn how to photograph people and started a self portrait project. This has taken up a lot of my time so I have not been able to get out and go landscapes lately.

South Florida, (before hurricane Irene) has been getting some crazy lightning storms and I went with my dad down to the local peer to take some pictures of the lightning off the ocean. This was my first attempt at catching lightning and I am fairly pleased with the results but I know there is a better way to do it.

The only way I could even imagine making this shot was to have the longest exposure my camera could handle and wait for the bolts. Is there a better way to do this? This picture has a LOT of noise and looking back at it, 3.5 minutes might have been a little long. But this bolt happened within the last 10 seconds of the shot.

With the approaching hurricane we should get some pretty gnarly stuff off the coast before it gets here and I really want to go out there and try it again.

Does anyone have any suggestions on exposure?
Anyone know what to do with the color of the sky? Should I turn down the purple or leave it as is?
Is the composition interesting? Or should I crop it down?

[flytyer57]

I haven't had the chance to photograph lightning before, but when I do, I will follow this tutorial.

HOW TO PHOTGRAPH LIGHTNING

As for noise, most DSLR's have the capability to reduce long exposure noise. Most decent post processing software comes with denoising filters aslo.

I think the picture looks good. Composition wise, color, everything. I'd leave it.

[arlon]

Very cool picture. Next time try the slow shutter noise reduction. It does wonders for that type of noise. Of course it means waiting another 212s but if you have the patience it may be worth the wait. Definitely a nice view of the pier..