2011 Monsoons are whipping a punch!

So here we go again. The 2011 monsoon season started a few days ago. Of course this is now the busy season for moi. I chase these storms with vigor to capture nature's deadly beauty - a.k.a. lightning. Of course sometimes I don't have to go far at all to capture my sequences. For example, last night - basically in my front yard. Here are just a few still frames from last nights little cell, or was it?

Wild and crazy monsoon storm finally makes it this year!

These shots came about in a little over 3 hours of shooting. Amazingly enough, this time 'round it was like "shooting fish in a barrel". :)

The First 2010 Monsoon that showed its true flare...

Basically this year has been a weak monsoon season in regards to light shows. A couple of weeks ago we had one night of true illumination. Fortunately the vantage point helped as well. Nothing like getting up high with a known view of the mountain ranges around Tucson, yet still safe. I can't emphasize enough that the "safe" part is one of the most crucial components of shooting such wonders. Lightning photography is not for the amateur that knows no common sense. Think about it. You are working usually with this item called a tripod. Tripods make for great lightning rods. So if you attempt this, the very least you should be doing is staying as far away as possible to get the shot. These shots were a good 20 miles from the source. Lenses help. However, these were all shot with a 50mm/F1.2. So you don't need to zoom in either. If you do so, chances are that "Murphy" will make you aim at the wrong spot anyway. Lightning is too unpredictable to even try to zoom in on. Some of the shots (towards the end) do show just how far reaching lightning can be. What I call the "golden arch" shows one long bolt reaching from the end of one mountain range (Rincons) to the end of the other (Catalinas) - A whopping approximate 15 miles! So all I can say is, be careful. Don't go at it alone. And keep your distance. Now enjoy:

The 2010 Monsoon Season Kickoff

Well, well. The 2010 monsoon season finally kicked off. The video above is just a sampling of what's coming. From growing rainbows to gigantic thunderheads to powerful lightning strikes on the horizon. It's a frenzy! Stay tuned.

P.S. The footage you see is also available now as stock footage:

Search Stock Video by Andreas Hohl

View Andreas Hohl's Artist Profile on Pond5

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?

Monsoons 2008 - A Preview

Just a little taste of what's to come this year. This is a small compilation of some new footage shot just a few days ago along with some older footage. I thought I would give it a bit of a latin guitar twist to enhance the mood of the southwest. In this compilation there is a combo of video stock footage as well as some still shots. All of this of course is available as royalty free stock footage from you guessed it, me.