1 December 2011

November Hail and Lightning!

29 November 2011 | johnboy

Join the conversation

FluttersBy has sent in this shot of hail found in todays downpour.

Have you got a picture of the storm? If so send it in to images@the-riotact.com .

Harold sent in this one:

Kaypezz sent in this lightning shot with this note:

I’ve been trying to perfect my lightning photography for over a year, and tonight I thought (well, I FEEL like) I hit the jackpot! This one was taken at Ngunnawal, overlooking the Gungahlin Lakes Golf Course towards the north-west.

And while we’re on the subject of the delicate sound of thunder:

These from Devil’n’Disquiz:

Hugh sent in this photo from the Cotter Dam.

Tanya sent in this one from Belcompton:

Two more from Kaypezz:

Great Civic video by MultiCotts:

Community Australia have posted this vid of Thor’s work to YouTube:

MultiCotts had even more exciting video:

This tree down on Barry Drive this morning was not one of the usual suspects:

Cary sent in this vid of lightning from Banks looking toward Brindies at 2am.

Kazza the blank one sent in an extensive set as well as this:

Nicole got a great one.

Camel’s iphone got lucky in Kaleen:

Ben took this one at 11.30 in Ngunnawal.

Robin had some great big stones:

Br1anL sent this in with the following note:

This was taken around 930 in Murrumbateman looking south towards Canberra. It is a little grainy but not too bad for a little point and shoot camera J

Join the conversation

All Comments

All Comments
Website Comments
Facebook Comments

LatestOldest

peterh12:09 am 06 Dec 11

re Greg’s images, i was on the summit of Mt Ainslie watching the fronts come in at the same time that he was. There were several photographers armed with tripods, and they were only too happy to show the results of their patience. One guy was getting shots like Greg has captured over and over – he had a prime position, looking out over Gungahlin, and his labors were well worth it. I got one measly strike photo with the iPhone, but it was worth it to be there to watch the storm coming in.

The next time there is an event like this, come on up to mount Ainslie, but only if you feel comfortable in doing so. It is magical when the cells come over Canberra, the lightning shows are spectacular, but we kept an eye on the distance the storm was from us, and bailed when it was too close for comfort.

Gregsoandso4:31 pm 04 Dec 11

johnboy said :

EvanJames said :

Greg would be pretty quick if he did photoshop those. He was out all night taking shots, and loaded those up off his card just before 4am. He really is that good, I’m afraid.

Can you get him to send me some?

I’m not sure if i’m overstepping the forum rules… but here goes anyway…..
The storm images from this event are now for sale on my website.
http://www.gregsoandso.com/

Disinformation11:48 am 02 Dec 11

Gregsoandso said :

The shots in question were shot in RAW, all using Bulb with a tripod and cable shutter release with an ISO setting of 50 or 100 for a fine grain result.

Thanks for the reply Greg. Nice lens selection. Big dollars there, but worth every cent.

ISO settings are essentially sensitivity settings which affect noise. Many film photographers carry over the grain concept to their digital explanations, but as there are always the same number of pixel elements involved, granularity never changes. Noise sure as hell does however, but your 5Dmk11 is likely to produce extremely decent noise levels out to 800 and beyond, but I expect you’re well aware of that. Noise Ninja does wonders when things get rough though.

Keep up the great work and maintain your voltage level within survivable limits at all times!

EvanJames9:33 pm 01 Dec 11

Nicely said, Greg. I have no idea how you get those shots, but I’m glad that you do!

Jivrashia9:30 pm 01 Dec 11

Gregsoandso said :

All the best to everyone for the rest of the storm season, lets hope for a repeat soon….. this event will be hard to top for some time!

Hi Greg.

Many thanks for your reply.

The reason I made the comment that festered doubts about your photo was that it made me think that it was too good to be true. It was fascinating and surreal.

Yet, I realise now that your dedication, and devotion, is what allowed us to see and enjoy(?) the fruit of your perspiration, and ongoing inspiration for chasing storms, to capture that split millisecond of a nature’s powerful moment that has struck us with awe.

I do sincerely apologies for my scepticism. Especially as you have sacrificed the hours of sleep, and braved the unforgiving weather, to take those precious pictures.

And I look forward to your future work, as I think it will be something that the masses will certainly talk about for time to come.

Best Regards,
Jiv

Gregsoandso5:36 pm 01 Dec 11

Jivrashia said :

EvanJames said :

Greg would be pretty quick if he did photoshop those.

I have no problems with a bit of touch up here and there, and adjustment of the light to allow the subject matter to be viewed more easily.

But if we were to walk around LBG or on top of that hill, will we see fulgurites??

The answer would nigh impossible to detect, but i would love to find one…. very valuable!
You can find the granite monument near Regatte Point that shows signs of the direct hit. I would assume due to the monument being wet at the time, the discharge travelled externally, merely marking the surface with a white line, not a big burnt patch that i was expecting to see the morning after.

here’s the pic of the mark:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hirdygirdyhouse/6428555963/in/photostream/

Gregsoandso5:19 pm 01 Dec 11

Jivrashia said :

EvanJames said :

For the best shots of the storm in Canberra, treat yourself to this local photographer’s page:
http://www.gregsoandso.com/

Call me a snivelling sneering sceptic, but can someone tell if any of those lightning photos are shopped?

Hi everyone, and especially to Jivrashia and Waiting For Godot…… a friend drew my attention to this forum so i thought it prudent to respond to those who are concerned that my images were fakes.

First, i’m not a professional, however i do hope to study photography at CIT in the next couple of years. I’m completely self taught. In doing so i have invested in some high level camera gear at some cost to my meagre bank balance. You don’t need a great camera to take lightning shots, however the end product is likely better if you invest in a DSLR/SLR and decent lenses. For the shots in question, i shot with a Canon 5dmk2 body with my favourite 2 lenses: 70-200mm f2.8 and the 17mm tilt shift prime, both L series lenses and quite expensive, but worth it!

I’ve been a storm chaser for 15 years, and currently am the president of the Australian Severe Weather Association, so i know a lot about storms; how they form and why they form. I’ve chased in 4 states, covered thousands of kms, and with a recent move to here in Canberra last year, have been learning about the local meteorological features that produce storms similar to the 29th/30th. Most of my friends are either enthusiasts like me, or are professional forecasters or meteorological scientists. All of this knowledge base has taken some time, but i learn more every time i hop in the car and intercept storms on the road.

The shots in question were shot in RAW, all using Bulb with a tripod and cable shutter release with an ISO setting of 50 or 100 for a fine grain result. Again, the use of good lenses, and some experience in picking the right distance to focus (easier when you have city lights to use as a guide) is paramount to the results seen.

In regards to photoshop editing – i strongly believe that a photographer, either digital or in film, should do their upmost to take the best possible image straight out of the camera, period. It makes sense to avoid post-process editing because it takes too much of ones valuable time, and it takes the value away from photography in my opinion. I stress, that i use photoshop only for removing dust bunnies (which i have none atm due to a recent clean of the sensor), cropping, straightening, and exposure adjustments which is the strength of using RAW because you have more flexibility with the end result. I wont get into the technical differences of JPG vs RAW, however RAW is much better because it’s RAW data. I never, ever, add anything to my images. That’s what photo montages and paintings are for. I only shoot if the light is right, if the composition is right, if the scene visually constitutes interest for the viewer – basic principles of good photography. I try to keep it simple.

The close lightning strike was a plan laid months ago that finally paid off. Since my move here i have scouted locations that during a local storm would give me protection for rain, hail, high winds and close lightning strikes. Chasing has it’s risks, and from my weather group’s (ASWA inc) main mission, is to observe and document storms safely; to report any dangerous storm features to the Bom that may pose a threat to life or property. The storm that produced that close strike, came from storm moving in from the NW, and it was my best estimate that it would pass over the Commonwealth Bridge which would be seen safely from the Regatta Point verandah. I got a few other strikes previous to this one, but they were further away. I just got lucky with my camera pointing in the right direction in this particular case. The RAW shot was fairly dark, but all the information is in the data, which allowed me to adjust the exposure afterwards – this is not a new technique, the same can be applied to film development the old fashioned way in a lab. I only present images that represent what i saw with my eyes at the time.

If anyone has further doubts, first go to my website, have a look at some of my other images in the gallery section. I take the same level of pride in landscapes that i do in weather shoots. I love it, so that’s why i do it. If that still doesn’t satisfy the doubters, i can arrange for you to see the RAW files themselves in person. No skin off my nose, they’re just sitting on my computer.

In addition, do a search for Troy Barrett on flickr, he’s my chase partner and was there for the second half of the night. You will find that he took shots of the same bolts from Mt.Ainslie as me. Proof that the bolts hit the ground exactly how i caught them.

Hopefully that is all that needs to be said to put this to rest.

To finish off, well done to those who took the time to have a go at taking some shots of this fantastic event. There are already great shots popping up on here and also the Canberra times, as well as the Weatherzone forum. I think everyone has a story about a storm they’ve experienced, either good or bad, which is why it can be such a great talking point. Just introduce yourself to a weather enthusiast like myself, and that person will talk your ear off! We love nothing more.

All the best to everyone for the rest of the storm season, lets hope for a repeat soon….. this event will be hard to top for some time!

Regards,

Greg Sorenson

Disinformation2:46 pm 01 Dec 11

fgzk said :

”Purist” photographers who dismiss all things digital should recognise that the digital medium is just another set of tools available to artists. If unable to accept this, perhaps they should go back to banging rocks together. “

Bang away……..

Just confirming here that I personally don’t have a problem with photoshopped images. I have an issue about assuming that something like a lightning strike is photoshopped just because the average idiot can’t comprehend that getting a real photo is a reasonably simple process for a dedicated photographer.

Rawhide Kid Part311:25 am 01 Dec 11

Mick said :

Best. Thunderstorms. EVER.

(….and people complain about a few little fireworks)

TheDancingDjinn10:22 am 01 Dec 11

Gungahlin Al said :

johnboy said :

Disinformation said :

Not all professional photographers feel that they need to use photoshop.
Considering photography started in 1826 and photoshop turned up in 1987, are you saying that excellent images didn’t appear for 161 years?

Pretty sure darkroom jiggery pokery started in 1827.

(Not saying it’s the case here by any means)

I vividly remember watching my Dad back in the late ’60s in a Canberra photographic studio laboriously hand-painting black and white photos with lipstick and dress colours. I don’t remember where it was (only 5 or 6) but I have a vague idea of it being in a basement, so I’ve wondered whether it was where Fletchers are now? Unfortunately he has Alzheimers so he can’t remember any of it either.

Love the photos by the way. Gives me the shirts that online anonymity brings out the trolls.

I have some of those types of photos of my older brother in 78 – the painted pictures are beautiful. such a talent.

View more conversations

Featured Businesses

Insurance Brokers

allinsure

Allinsure has been a trusted insurance advisory to thousands of Australian business owners for almost 20 years.

Find out more

Community Clubs

Canberra Southern Cross Club

We're proud to give you a place where friends and family can come together for good food and great entertainment.

Find out more

Electricians

True Connection Electrical

Since 2014, True Connection Electrical have been servicing residential and small commercial clients with reliable, trustworthy and top-quality electrical work.

Find out more