5 Tips on How to Shoot Lightning with Camera Trigger

Lightning is a symbol of nature's dominant power. Many myths and legends also use lightning as the subject matter, which represents a kind of energy that human beings cannot fight. Nowadays, many photographers are passionate about lightning. They are very keen to record the shocking image of lightning. So, what should a newbie pay attention to when shooting lightning? The following tips on shooting lightning are for your reference.

1.Suitable shooting time 

Please do not shoot lightning early in a thunderstorm. Although lightning is evident at this time, it is also the most dangerous time. When it stops after a rain, you can also take a flash of good lightning.

2.Best shooting location 

No matter what time you shoot, safety comes first. Don't stand within the range of lightning. Generally, choose an open, spacious, and unobstructed environment. It is best to find a high place, and it is better to indoor the house with lightning protection. Do not shoot outdoors in high-rise buildings. Otherwise, it will be hazardous!

3.Shooting tools

Shooting lightning requires a long exposure, and we need to bring a tripod, rain cover, remote shutter. A wide-angle lens is also necessary. The wider the camera lens, the broader the field of view, and the more shocking the effect. When setting up a tripod, put a rain cover on the camera. After that, it is best to clean it and put it in a moisture-proof box for maintenance. You can also use some lightning trigger, which can detect lightning strikes and trigger your shutter instantly to enable you to take photos of the lightning in mid-air. Pluto Trigger supports a host of cameras like Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. If your camera supports a wired remote control, Pluto Trigger supports it.

4.Choose the best shooting angle

Point the lens at the place where lightning is expected, adjust the angle and foreground, use the remote shutter to start shooting in a safe location. If you want to be praised for your photos, you can select a suitable foreground and angle carefully such as streets, beaches, buildings, etc. It will make the photo better and more powerful. Another important factor is luck. Lightning happens randomly, so no one can fully guarantee that it will appear in the picture you take.

5.Get some special shooting skills

Sometimes, we have not captured a few lightning bolts for a long time, so we can use post-production to put these lightning bolts together to make a spectacular picture. Besides, you can use the Pluto trigger that supports lightning mode, which can help you to capture numerous fantastic but evanescent moments. 

In Lightning mode, the sensor reading depends on the change of the light, not the light intensity itself. At the lightning moment, the sensor valve will increase dramatically and cross the threshold value. 

You can use your hand to test lightning mode by covering the light sensor. Adjust the sensitivity so that the sensor reading is lower than the threshold (small triangle in the middle of the arc). Then move your hand away quickly. If the sensor reading increases dramatically and crosses the threshold value, you need to press the start button to start the Lightning mode.

I hope this post can be of great help for you to take satisfying photos of lightning.