Chasing Light by Chris Lane

How to Photograph Lightning using two different methods

Funny enough lightning pictures aren’t that easy to come by, as you need a fair bit of luck and good fortune. But when you do, it’s a pretty great feeling to nail a lightning bolt picture. The two different methods I’ve used to photograph lightning are

1) Point, Aim, Fire

2) Long exposure via a tripod.

Point Aim Fire Method

With this picture here, as a pretty heavy storm hit Sydney, I headed to the coast with the plan on shooting some cool storm pictures over Botany Bay in Sydney.

I just remember standing in the rain on beach and firing away at will aiming towards the sound of thunder, with the hope of jagging something.

It’s not that easy to time a lightning bolt and to record it in your camera. Usually by the time you see a lightning bolt then take a picture it’s all over and you’ve missed it.

The trick is to just be consistently taking pictures every few seconds towards the sounds of thunder and more predicting it than timing it, and with a little bit of luck you’ll jag a lightning bolt.

But if there is a fair bit of lightning activity with many lightning bolts it is possible to photograph lightning using the point, aim, fire method. You just need to be consistently taking pictures into the storm.

Similar to this version here below, I was driving through a pretty heavy storm and the loud claps of thunder were hitting off on the horizon.

So thinking it was a great chance to shoot some lightning I pulled over and started shooting towards the sound of thunder as I stood on the side of the road.

After a few minutes of taking a picture every few seconds towards the thunder, I was lucky to capture this pretty strong lightning bolt. Then it was time to jump back in the car and dry off.

So there’s a couple of examples using the point, aim, fire method which I’ve used many a times in my career. It works pretty well and if you’re lucky it can work out great for you too.

Long exposure method

Another method to photograph lightning is to set up your camera on a tripod and aim towards the storm.

Then using a long exposure of 30 seconds with the hope that somewhere in that 30 second exposure a lightning bolt will hit.

Or you may get multiple lightning bolts to add to a even more dramatic picture. It’s just a case of consistently taking 30 seconds exposures back to back until the storm activity is over.

But sometimes you don’t always have the time for that or access to a tripod when a storm hits, so that’s when the point, aim, fire method can come in handy.

I hope these little tips helps with your pursuit of photographing lightning. It’s a pretty awesome feeling when you do get a great shot.

Til next time!

Chris

Austinmer Rock Pool and the beautiful twins

Name: Austinmer Rock Pools

Where: Austinmer Beach, Wollongong NSW

Built: Early 1900’s

Tips: Parking is plentiful outside of peak times.

Pools of the Sea Series: 7/100

Austinmer Rock Pools

The beautiful twin pools of Austinmer beach is just a little south of Coledale on the Wollongong Coast, NSW.

This was the beach I went to most as a kid so it was a real treat to get back here and take some pictures by air and it also comes in at number 7 on my way to 100 in my Pools of the Sea series. Some more on my project here https://chasinglight.photo.blog/2021/07/10/pools-of-the-sea/

It wasn’t a classic sunny day out by any means, but I love the mood that the overcast weather produces in the south coast. The mist coming in over the escarpment really adds to a dramatic looking scene and it definitely brings up some memories of my youth.

It’s quite unique to have twin pools that are so close together, it’s definitely not something that you see at the majority of rock pools. In fact it’s the only one I’ve encountered so far on my travels. But it adds to a pretty cool looking picture because of it.

The thinner pool is more used for lap swimming and the larger pool is more for the kids. It’s a great looking site due to the two pools so close together, I’m sure that there is a great story behind why the two pools as well.

I regret not taking a few pictures of the historic clubhouse that sits on the southern side of the pools. But I guess that just means I’ll have to get back there for another photoshoot or two.

I’ll definitely be back soon for some more pictures here, as I really do love the south coast of NSW. With so many rock pools and beautiful beaches the list is endless for the stunning coastline of Wollongong.

Til next time!

Chris

Where to find the best Jacaranda trees in Sydney’s South

Name: Jacaranda Mimosifolia

Colour: Purple-Blue/Violet/Lilac

Origin: South America

Height: 10-15 meters

Season: Mid October-end of November in NSW

Where to find them in Sydney: The Rocks, the Royal Botanic Gardens, McDougall Street in Kirribilli, Sydney’s North Shore, and much more.

Jacaranda trees in Sydney, NSW

If you are a nature lover and enjoy the purple sights of the Jacaranda tree, this time of year in Sydney is the place to be.

Over the past few weeks the colors of the Jacaranda have been popping up everywhere, in the streets, the parks, out the front of homes and of course your social media feed. It’s hard to ignore the draping purple flowers and as a photographer it’s even harder to not take a picture of these beautiful looking trees.

This season is my first in exploring the Jacaranda trees in Sydney, so I’ve stayed on the south side of the Harbour Bridge. Next year I’ll head north and see how they look from over that side of the bridge.

With the amount of trees in our city you’d think they are native to NSW, but they are actually from South America and particularly from Argentina and Brazil. But you can’t blame anyone from importing them to Sydney and adding some very nice purple to our landscapes.

The trees themselves can live up to 50 years so there’s no wonder why they are everywhere at the moment and hopefully they will be around a lot longer as they make for a great picture wherever you are.

Jacaranda season last for around 6-8 weeks so that’s from mid October to the end of November. There are plenty of great spots to view these purple specimens so here are some of my favourites so far.

Sydney’s Town Hall

The purple of the Jacaranda against the city backdrop adds a great contrast and adds for a perfect scene.

And one well worth a picture or two.

George Street in the CBD and out the front of Town Hall.

St Andrews Church, Sydney CBD

Against the sandstone backdrop of the historic St Andrew’s Church, its a special view and mixed in with the classic green of the surrounding trees, it’s as great a shot as you’ll see.

Belmore Park at Central Station

You normally wouldn’t think of nature around Sydney’s busy Central Train Station, but of the north side of Central lies Belmore park and the contrast is awesome.

The Rocks

Possibly the best place in Sydney to see the Jacaranda tree is in The Rocks. It also happens to be my favorite part of Sydney and with great views of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, it’s a must to add to your list of places to see the Jacaranda trees in Sydney.

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney

Just a short walk from the Rocks in The Royal Botanic Gardens is a classic Sydney view of both the Jacaranda and our famous skyline. With views of The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, mixed in with the Jacaranda tress it’s just a classic Sydney view.

Como in Sydney’s South

45 minutes from Sydney is the historic Sutherland Shire suburb of Como. A beautiful river town and with a row of Jacaranda trees in the main street of Como. This view out the front of the Como Hotel is well worth a trip south.

Como showing the purple of the Jacaranda.

Hogben Park Kogarah

This was by far the busiest place I’ve seen when trying to find Jacaranda trees in Sydney. A nice open park with plenty of Jacaranda trees so close together they photograph really well here. The hardest part was trying to get a clean shot as there was a fair few people enjoying the park and a few selfies. But a great park to visit and worth adding to your list.

Erskineville, Ashmore Street

One of the prettier and less known streets to find the Jacaranda trees in Sydney. Ashmore Street in Erskineville is a perfect spot to add to the list of locations. With trees lining both sides of the road it creates a purple canopy and is great for a few pictures.

So there you have it, some of the best places to see the Jacaranda trees in Sydney. With even more than the places named here, it’s a great time of year to get out and experience the best things that Sydney has to offer.

Next season I’ll explore a little more north and see what else we can find. But til then here are my favourites.

Til next time!

Chris