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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Banjax on 15 October 2010, 06:36:50

Title: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Banjax on 15 October 2010, 06:36:50
(http://i334.photobucket.com/albums/m411/bannjaxx/lightningstatueofliberty/_49482272_caters_lightning_new_york_01.jpg)

beautiful isn't it? looks like something out of Ghostbusters  8-)

original link here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11531637
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Richie London on 15 October 2010, 08:04:20
pretty awesome, wouldnt like to be struck down by that  :y
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 October 2010, 09:45:22
Hmm. I'm wondering if that's genuine. :-/

IMHO, either the lightning's striking the ground well behind the statue and the perspective happens to work or the statue's been photoshopped in.

Either way, I'd love to catch a decent picture of lightning. Have tried a few times but yet to get really lucky.

Kevin
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Banjax on 15 October 2010, 10:04:52
don't think it was photo-shopped:

This is the moment a lightning bolt appears to strike the Statue of Liberty in New York. New York photographer Jay Fine had spent the night braving the storm in Battery Park City, Manhattan, in a bid to get the perfect picture. Jay spent nearly two hours poised with his camera and took more than 80 shots before striking lucky with this particular bolt of lightning at 8.45pm on 22 September. He said he had been waiting 40 years to get the picture.

To capture the shots Jay used a Nikon D300s with 60mm f/2.8 lens on the following settings: Aperture: F/10, Shutterspeed: 5 seconds, ISO: 200.


the longer he waited - the luckier he got  :y
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: feeutfo on 15 October 2010, 10:38:56
It doesn't look right though, why would the lightening strike the side/back of the statue when the top is so close? Unless the strike is some distance behind? Would still think lightening would be drawn to the top of the old girl from some considerable range surely?

Cracking pic though, I love extreme weather, unless I'm in it of course.
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: aaronjb on 15 October 2010, 10:46:34
I wondered if that was the lightening running 'down' the outside of the statue to some lightening conductor .. a little like you can see it run 'around' the outside of an aircraft.

Either way it's a nice shot, though I think I preferred the one of the aircraft passing the moon :)
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 October 2010, 11:55:01
Quote
It doesn't look right though, why would the lightening strike the side/back of the statue when the top is so close? Unless the strike is some distance behind? Would still think lightening would be drawn to the top of the old girl from some considerable range surely?

Cracking pic though, I love extreme weather, unless I'm in it of course.

That's what made me wonder. I would have thought it would strike the top of her arm and get conducted to ground from there. Hence wondering if the strike actually hit something behind the statue. Still, it is a very lucky picture nonetheless. Shame it's a bit noisy but I'm just being picky now. ;)

Kevin
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 October 2010, 11:57:26
Quote
To capture the shots Jay used a Nikon D300s with 60mm f/2.8 lens on the following settings: Aperture: F/10, Shutterspeed: 5 seconds, ISO: 200.

For a D300s at ISO 200 I am surprised at the level of noise.

Kevin
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 15 October 2010, 12:32:53
Quote
(http://i334.photobucket.com/albums/m411/bannjaxx/lightningstatueofliberty/_49482272_caters_lightning_new_york_01.jpg)

beautiful isn't it? looks like something out of Ghostbusters  8-)

original link here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11531637

I like it.. Thanks Banjaxx :) :y :y
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 15 October 2010, 12:38:35
if I were him I wouldnt use iso 200.. at least 800 or 1600 would be my choice..

today I was busy as its salary day..  :(

huh..did somebody say salary..where is it, mine evaporated the moment I took >:(

credit cards, bills .. finito :'(

Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Kevin Wood on 15 October 2010, 14:45:05
Quote
if I were him I wouldnt use iso 200.. at least 800 or 1600 would be my choice..

Then it will be noisy. ;)

He's used a medium ISO and stopped-down the lens to ensure a reasonably long exposure on the "fixed" parts of the image which increases the probability of catching some lightning while the shutter's open, I guess.

Then just lock the shutter button down on repeat until it strikes, and hope your memory card doesn't fill up first. ;D

Kevin
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Omega_Dan on 15 October 2010, 14:55:04
looks genuine to me, know nothing about cameras and what quality of lens you need but nature can produce some amazing scenes :)
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 15 October 2010, 15:23:36
Quote
Quote
if I were him I wouldnt use iso 200.. at least 800 or 1600 would be my choice..

Then it will be noisy. ;)

He's used a medium ISO and stopped-down the lens to ensure a reasonably long exposure on the "fixed" parts of the image which increases the probability of catching some lightning while the shutter's open, I guess.

Then just lock the shutter button down on repeat until it strikes, and hope your memory card doesn't fill up first. ;D

Kevin

Kevin, for those kind of photos I tend use analog machines (I use a minolta -although processor based its analog) which I believe have very good resolution..

but with those catching up a lightning is very hard.. ;D
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Turk on 15 October 2010, 23:18:07
Quote
Quote
It doesn't look right though, why would the lightening strike the side/back of the statue when the top is so close? Unless the strike is some distance behind? Would still think lightening would be drawn to the top of the old girl from some considerable range surely?

Cracking pic though, I love extreme weather, unless I'm in it of course.

That's what made me wonder. I would have thought it would strike the top of her arm and get conducted to ground from there. Hence wondering if the strike actually hit something behind the statue. Still, it is a very lucky picture nonetheless. Shame it's a bit noisy but I'm just being picky now. ;)

Kevin
:y  That's what I thought. 

Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: albitz on 15 October 2010, 23:22:57
I saw this in the paper yesterday, and came to the conclusion that the lightning is probably touching ground on the shoreline at the far side of the statue. A bit of an optical illusion imo.
Pretty sure the lightning conductor runs from the torch down the arm and eventually to the ground. Probably got some close up photos at home but I dont fancy rooting about in the loft to find them. ::)
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Shimmy on 16 October 2010, 00:12:45
Looks awfully noisy for ISO 200 and an exposure of 5 seconds.  I reckon it must be massive crop considering the lens he has used, 60mm is really quite wide for this.

Would have been a lot better had he used a telephoto to keep the IQ w/o needing a huge crop.  Which also suggests the bit about "waiting for 40 years" for that shot is false, I know if I was waiting for the right moment I would have the right lens attached for it.
Title: Re: For Cem: Statue of Liberty Lightning pic
Post by: Kevin Wood on 16 October 2010, 00:29:42
Quote
Looks awfully noisy for ISO 200 and an exposure of 5 seconds.  I reckon it must be massive crop considering the lens he has used, 60mm is really quite wide for this.

Would have been a lot better had he used a telephoto to keep the IQ w/o needing a huge crop.  Which also suggests the bit about "waiting for 40 years" for that shot is false, I know if I was waiting for the right moment I would have the right lens attached for it.

That's another possibility, of course. :y

And, of course, the wider the lens you have, the greater the probability that the lightning will be somewhere in the field of view.  ;) Just crop off all the empty sky around it.

It's a nice image, but it wouldn't win any prizes, IMHO. If that were the culmination of 40 years of my effort I would be looking for another hobby, I think.

Kevin