This was a good way to start my 40th year of shooting lightning, having gone full circle to less than 200 yards from the spot where I captured my first lightning photo on film. A lot has changed since 1986 on the OU campus: built, torn down, built some more. The parking garage from which I shot this didn’t exist until the years began with 20. But the same atmosphere does, and the same principles of capturing lightning still apply. These two discharges occurred just a few seconds apart within a time exposure at “B” (bulb) setting, using all-manual controls on the DSLR just like I did on the film SLR so long ago. The only difference is that I don’t have to wait days to weeks to get film developed, to see if I did it right. Digital shooting offers near-instant feedback, and unlike with film, ISO/ASA can be adjusted on the fly (as well as aperture, exposure time, focus, and focal length as before). A longstanding habituation to all-manual shooting absolutely has its advantages in the digital era!
Norman OK (29 Mar 25) Looking ENE
35.2015, -97.4416