It was a Wednesday, not a Friday the 13th.

It was definitely not a Friday the 13th when this little, and I use the term "little" loosely, storm passed through my backyard. So to speak. This thing literally came out of nowhere in just a short time as monsoons typically do.

But this was one of the easiest times I have ever had in regards to capturing lighting in the form of hi-res still shots. So, now I wonder, is the 13th really a bad luck thing, or as some cultures believe, it may just be real good luck.

This storm passed through in about 50 minutes, or just short of an hour. The shots are in sequence, unmodified or touched up. Dramatic to say the least. Some of you will pick up on the fact of why I had to quit when I did. Just observe the last few shots. Yes, the strikes were getting a bit close, and very loud. Enjoy.

For those of you that are wondering just how to shoot lightning like this, here are some quick notes:

1. Make sure you are a safe distance from the activity!

2. Make sure you are a safe distance from the activity!

3. Use a tripod.

4. Use a camera that has a manual mode.

5. Set the shutter speed to "bulb" (keeps the shutter open for as long as you wish)

6. Set the F-stop to 8.0

7. Make sure you are a safe distance from the activity!

8. Use manual focus!

9. Make sure you are a safe distance from the activity!

10. Set the focus to infinity. (Don't over crank or you will get macro on most lenses, which will in turn give you out of focus, rotten, miserable, garbagey shots - not that this ever happened to me. ;))

11. Make sure you are a safe distance from the activity!

12. Use a remote trigger so that you don't shake the camera.

13. Make sure you are a safe distance from the activity, and by activity I mean specifically lightning! Wow, 13 steps. Coincidence?