Page 1: Convection before dark
It was getting dark and storms were developing fast in France. We had more than an hour drive ahead so we drove on towards Calais, trying to catch up with the storms moving north from Abbeville. But we didn't have to drive that far. Along the highway, storms were developing alongside with lightning. Before we reached Calais, we stopped to start photosgraphing the newly developed storms Show larger map |
First picture was a hit right away! |
A few shots later another hit |
We moved on since all these storms were short lived pulse storms, and CG lightning sessions were impulsive too. Sometimes CG's would fire several times with average time intervals, than stopped for minutes, and fired up again as a new tower (invisible to the eye) developed Show larger map |
What I should've known is that all along the highway between Dunkerque and Calais, there are powerlines. Really everywhere. But because the region is really dark, you don't see them until you check your pictures into detail at home. Had a lot of work cloning all those horizontal high lines away. But I didn't do it for every picture. |
See what I mean? ..... |
No, it's NOT hitting the parking lot. Had to force up the highlights to make the lightning channel come out better. This was looking north, using the 5D with the 70-200mm |
One of my favorites from this chase. This was looking north, using the 5D with the 70-200mm |
Another nice bolt. This was looking north, using the 5D with the 70-200mm |
A roll cloud shows up. This was looking north, using the 5D with the 70-200mm |
Corner from a failed shot. I was moving the tripod without closing the shutter. Before I set it up properly, this CG came in the top right corner or the frame. |
Set up properly, shooting with both 5D and 5D MkII in the same direction now. |
fotobeschrijving |
fotobeschrijving |
fotobeschrijving |
Rain set in on the previous location, and checking the radar, it looked like everything turned into rain further west to Calais. So we went back east as by now a line of storms along a convergence line developed from Dunkerque till almost the south of France. We soon got out of the rain and started on an oncoming storm from the south Show larger map |
Distant lightning (cropped) |
Multiple lightning strike |
Crop from the picture above |
Nice detail in the bottom left corner of the above picture: a moth flying in front of the lens gets lit up stroboscopicly in the counterlight of multiple return strokes |
Nice cloud compostion |
Detail of the picture above |
Another multiple discharge - getting closer now |
Long vertical CG |
Detail of the above picture - moth still trying to look good on picture |
Double vertical CG |
Detail of the picture above |
Lightning was getting too close and rain set in again from this storm. We moved furters east again to a new spot Show larger map |
Shooting along the powerlines |
Shooting along the powerlines |
CG west |
CG west |
Double CG north |
CG north |
Apart from the trees one of my best lightning shots (of course, if there is only one bush, lightning will perfectly hide itself behind it) |
CG north |
CG north |
Detail of the picture above |
CG north |
Same picture with the 70-200 (and cropped) |
CG north |
CG north |
Same as above with 70-200 (and cropped) |
CG north |
Same as above with 70-200 (and cropped) |
Lightning activity north over the Channel was decaying and moving away. It was past 3am as well and there still 2 active showers somehow along the way home. Unfortunately the highway was under construction and we could not take the exit we wanted and had to drive on further past the storm. From a parking lot facility, we were able to take a few more distant shots Show larger map |
Distant CG north of the parking lot |
Distant CG north of the parking lot |
Detail from the picture above |
We ended with a nice sunset close to home, with view on yes: another newly developed line of storms NE of our home location. Too late for picture though, but we still saw some nice lightning in the distance |
Page 1: Convection before dark
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