Photographing lightning during a thunderstorm: How to take pictures during a thunderstorm

It seems impossible to photograph thunderstorms at first, because the flashes are only visible for a fraction of a second. But there is a function in almost every camera with which you can photograph the natural phenomenon.

The trick: long exposure times - this is how you capture lightning during a thunderstorm

If the camera shutter does not open until it flashes, it is already too late. Therefore, you have to choose a long exposure time.

• Exposure times between 30 seconds and one minute are ideal, depending on how often the flashes discharge. With some cameras, you can also manually determine the start and end of the exposure time, i.e. cancel the exposure time as soon as the flash is over.
• The camera must be kept as still as possible during the exposure. We therefore recommend using a tripod or placing the camera on a firm, quiet surface.
• The lens should be a wide angle lens with a 16-20mm focal length. An f / 11 aperture is suitable in the dark. If it gets brighter, for example from lamps or a full moon, you can also take pictures with a smaller aperture.
• If your camera has autofocus, you should turn it off if possible. Alternatively, set it to infinity, otherwise the focus can be deflected too easily from other moving objects.
• To avoid stray light, you should switch off all unnecessary light sources or use a sun filter.
• During the day, the long-term exposure leads to overexposure in most cases. The easiest way to compensate for this effect is with so-called neutral density filters. You can also set the aperture to f / 22 to increase the exposure time.
• Otherwise, of course, you need some luck to photograph the flashes during the exposure time. With several attempts, however, it should work.

The big workshop in the CHIP Academy: Unleashed lightning

Get more out of your pictures and learn how to use the system flash correctly. Because in the CHIP Academy you will find a 2.5 hour long, extensive workshop on the subject of Unleashed lightning.

• Find out exactly how a system flash works, which equipment you need and how you can achieve the best results in photo practice.
• We issue the CHIP Academy certificate to successful participants
• You can find the course in the CHIP Academy as a video stream for 29.90 euros.

Everything about cameras can also be found in the CHIP photo world