A little bit ago I wrote about how it can be frustrating when trying to get the right picture especially if it involves something that is dynamic and has no way to control or change it. I was specifically talking about weather in that blog, click here if you would like to read it, as I was trying to get some nice photographs of lightning. I did not have good luck. 

Well, I was able to have another crack at it the other day. I was at home and heard the weather outside turn. It started pouring down rain and then I heard the booms of thunder. I grabbed my gear and went hunting for a place that would give me shelter but also a chance to get some great shots. I drove around the area a bit looking and looking. I found a place that kept me out of the rain and made feel relatively safe from the lightning and watched and waited. And waited. I kept seeing the sky light up but it was right above me and not really seeming to move. There were some other strikes here and there but most of the action was seemingly right above me. Well, that just wouldn't do. So I hopped back into my car and drove for a short bit and finally got out of the rain. I rolled down my window and watched the clouds for a bit to see what the storm was doing from this angle. To my delight, I could see the storm perfectly, and, I was far enough away that I felt I could safely get some fantastic shots. So I got set up and tried my luck.

One of the first round of shots:

Well, this was what I was kind of what I was looking for, but I had too many shots that were just dark sky or the clouds lit up with no lightning. I had to make some changes. I tried a longer exposure with some other settings to see what that would give me. Bingo!

The next round of shots:

I got exactly what I was hoping for. I would have also loved a ground strike type of photograph, but it was mostly staying in the clouds. Had I given up because I couldn't get a great shot at the first place I stopped, or because I couldn't get out of the rain and in safe place immediately I would not have had these pictures. I also had to change how I was taking the photos to get the kind of shot I was looking for. Just remember that it is ok to fail as long as you learn from the mistakes made. Even better is if you try again, making adjustments, sometimes several times and succeed.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked the pictures.