I reckon I’ve wasted so much time over the years trying to take a picture of lightning. I’ve even tried to take screen-shots of video footage. It always looked rubbish.
I used to be quite scared of storms when I was a kid. I think most kids are. But then my mum took me out into the back garden during a storm under a little plastic dome tent and I’ve loved them ever since.
Mrs Romance and I were in Coogee recently when a lightning storm hit just off the coast. From our balcony in the Crowne Plaza, I managed to snap a whole load of lightning strikes just with my phone.
I was quite pleased with the results, so I thought you might like to see how I did it:
To start with, you need an iPhone 5S. This phone has a unique function called Photo Burst. It was designed to take a range of action shots of someone – for example jumping on a bed!
This is what I used to take a burst of photos to capture the storm.
All you do is hold the shutter button down on your iPhone and the camera takes over 300 shots every 30 seconds. The phone even chooses the ones it thinks is the best or most in focus.
We were both really surprised with the results.
I’m just waiting for the next storm to hit!
The iPhone 5S can do some pretty cool stuff – here are our 7 favourite features the 5S has to offer.
Do you like thunder storms? My nan used to hide under the dinner table during storms – did yours? What’s your favourite thing about your phone’s camera? Tell us in the comments!
Bele
Wow! They’re fantastic shots and great tips. I need to tell hubby about this. He’s obsessed with taking photos of lightning. He sits for hours on the verandah with his camera, tripod and cable release. Like I said, obsessed x
Mr Romance
Thanks Bele! Yes, this is much easier than those very technical long exposure shots you need with a DSLR – though the quality is going to be so much better than what you’d get with a phone camera. Still, for a bit of fun, this is perfect!
Jx
Gonzo
I’ll have to try that one out next time I’ve got the chance. If you do have a digital SLR, I might be able to suggest a couple of easy ways to get some great lighting shots, been playing around with them for a while. Mostly it’s just patience and pure dumb luck ;-)) Oh, and a good bottle of red to keep you warm while you do it!
Mr Romance
I love those long exposure lightning shots you see in mags and online from time to time, Gordon. Apart from the company (I hear rioja is popular in your household!) the results are well worth the wait. Mrs Romance has a DSLR – I reckon she’d love to hear what you’ve got to say. I’m a 100% novice when it comes to SLR cameras, but I’m keen to learn! 🙂
J
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