Lightning Streaks Behind Buildings - a photo on Flickriver

            Update Nov 10 2015: I haven't found any place yet to watch storms in Boston, and also I've been sick the past few weeks and so haven't been able to take any new photos. Additionally, Flickr glitched the other day and deleted all the favorites on most of my top photos, which I know doesn't really matter, but was kind of a bummer. So, all around, I'm taking the opportunity to bump up a few of my old favorite photos to the top of my photo stream. This one was one of my first really successful lightning shots, taken with a point and shoot camera running a motion detect script, on a mini tripod on my windowsill. 

Original caption:
After watching the storms and the camera carefully, I had an idea last night. Storms here come from behind my apartment and go in the direction my window faces. At the beginning of the storm I sometimes get close by lightning before the rain hits to get in the way, but there's only a few minutes of that and the close by lightning often washes out the whole shot. Then the rain comes and the window gets covered in droplets and the rain and clouds block the lightning bolts. But I realized that as the storm moves farther away again, there starts to be clearer lightning farther away by the horizon/skyline. So I decided to zoom in on one part of the horizon - that way I could see bolts more clearly but they aren't bright enough to wash out the whole photo. Also, that way I could position my camera in between droplets on the window (by then it had stopped actively raining). I think it worked out pretty well! 
   

Taken in: United States / Illinois / Chicago / Loop (show map)

Taken on: August 2, 2011

Tags:

lightning

weather

storm

thunderstorm

skyline

buildings

chdk

Motion detect script

thunder

night

Midwest

Illinois

City

Lightning behind buildings « less

Sets appears in: • Most Interesting by Flickr Algorithm • Chicago more » • Stuff you can do with a Point & Shoot Camera • Thunderstorms • Jessica's Top Photos (Old) • Most Interesting as of Nov 4, 2015 • My Top Photos - old • Best Lightning • All Lightning • My Own Favorites • calendar xmas 2013 • calendar xmas 2012 • Summer 2011 • Top 50 (old) • Old photos that could be reposted « less

Groups appears in: • Chicago... • Lightning more » • Skyscapes • SkyscraperCity • storm light • Weather Photos • Storms • Lightning Images. • Now That's Sky • Awesome Nature • STORM • Storms in the City • The perfect storm • Lightning photos tests, trys, and advice • CSSS: Storms - There Be A Storm A Brewin! • Chicago Weather • RAYOS Y TRUENOS - THUNDER AND LIGHTNING • Clouds, Storms, Sunsets & Sunrises • chdk • Sky pictures • Lightning Photos • Anvil Crawler Lightning • Lake Michigan Weather • STORMS and LIGHTNING • CSSS: Storms - Severe Thunderstorms • Skies of Blue • Canon Compact Cameras • CSSS: Storms - S T O R M S C A P E S « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS, f/4.9, 1 sec, 18.6mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS
Aperture:	f/4.9
Exposure Time:	1
Focal Length:	18.6mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Show full info

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