With perfect timing at sunset two storms, one to the north and one to the south, began to merge. Backlighting is always dramatic, especially with the big sky views ever-present here. I was able to record the drama but didn't like the power poles and lines in the composition. I scurried about a quarter mile to my north for a clear sky view but alas when I arrived the drama was gone and the two storms were one.
But... about an hour and a half later that newly combined storm gave even more dramatic images. Lightning strikes and internally lit clouds. I opted to stay close to shelter and accepted the power poles in those exposures for safety. I don't stand out in the open near thunder storms without some shelter close by. It was OK though, I am still very pleased with the results.
I have been complemented on my photographic technique and asked to share some of my secrets. Thanks I say with all humility but there are no real secrets. I have many hours in front of a computer screen using the program PhotoShop. In fact I have been using it since 1996.
I must state my philosophy regarding digital manipulation. If you used 'canned filter techniques' as found in abundance on cell phone apps and many imaging sites you are using some programers idea of creativity. That is Ok but not the way I work. I have spent many hours trying many different effects on different parts of the image, and in unlimited combinations. Some results I like, many I do not. Those I do like are saved and archived for possible future use with other images. I do this both when I am working on scanned large format film or digital images.
Loosely adapting a technique named 'pre-visualization' by the Master Ansel Adams has become my routine. Saint Ansel learned see his image before he even made the exposure. Then he would use various degrees of exposure, negative development, and complex dodging and burning of the print. He said, "Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships." I have added digital manipulation and third party filters to dodging and burning. When using a digital camera exposure bracketing has become the replacement for film development variations.
Caution, Photo Geek Stuff...
Camera brand does not mater, I use Nikon because that is what I have been using for 40 years. For me it works best.
All three of the above images were recorded using a Nikon D700 mounted on a sturdy tripod, with a Nikor 17-35mm f2.8. The focal length varies but I tend to prefer around 20mm for my fine art scenic work. (D700 is a full frame camera)
ISO 200 is my usual daylight setting.
Usually I set the exposure mode to aperture preferred but often use manual. Focus is usually manual. I bracket five exposures at .7 stops per exposure. (-1.4 | -0.7 | on | +0.7 | +1.4 )
The tripod is ESSENTIAL if you want to combine parts of one image onto another. ie if normal exposure yields a good foreground and two stops under gives better sky you can more easilly combine the two. I combine images occasionally but always bracket.
With the aforementioned lens a lot of depth is the norm and I set the f-stop to either f8, f11, f16 depending on the composition. Choosing the smaller opening if there is something close in the foreground. Usually I allow the aperture preferred setting to select the shutter speed.
The Lightning image is considerably different from the daylight images. First the ISo was set to 800. The final image is three separate 10 second @ f5.6 exposures sandwiched together using photoshop. I chose to combine those 3 from over 50 exposures I made. All while the camera was mounted on the tripod thus allowing some ease to assemble them into one. There is much more to this technique though. Enough for a complete tutorial in itself.
All these words can be shrunk down to a simple statement. Know what you want to see, and know how to create it. In this last image on the top is what the camera recorded on the bottom is what I saw/created. The difference is in the pre-visualizing.
lovely... as usual!
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