Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

It's not a big deal and of course you never know what you'll get. I just posted this
because I never photographed lightning. With Nikon's Z8 and Z9 Pre-Burst, it's so darn easy.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I wish I had some that I took many decades ago taken from the upstairs window. Camera was a Kodak 2A Brownie and on time exposure. There is an excitement to a photo like yours, Howard, and I am sure you will be taking more... and eventually have a super spectacular one ! You are addicted now...

Until I read about lightening, I did not know that it traveled from ground to clouds.
https://stormhighway.com/does_lightning_travel_upward_or_downward.php

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Irvingite Charles Loc: Irving, Tx

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

About two years ago I was casually watching a storm out a back window when a bolt of lightning hit something on my neighbor's patio. To say that I was impressed would be a gross understatement and I wished I could have photographed it. I later found out that it had fried my telephone (land line); I had to buy a new base unit. While I was at it, I bought several top of the line Belkin and Monster Power surge protectors. You are correct in that I will be taking more lightning shots ... waiting for that super spectacular shot. There are SO MANY variables that have to align; the only things I have control over is the foreground and the amount of sky my 14mm lens will cover. I watched the video you mentioned and I can't wait for Nikon to come up with a 6000 fps option! :-) :-) :-)

DougS Loc: Central Arkansas

Check out these types of lightning. https://stormhighway.com/types.php

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Yup, depending on which locations are "+" charged and "-" charged.

TommiRulz Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

Pre burst!! So much fun !! Great Photo - thanks

Desert Gecko Loc: desert southwest, USA

Nice shot! I've only caught a few bolts the old-fashioned way of a long exposure. Caught a few nice ones.

ValetaSue Loc: Panama City, Florida

You did an awesome job at getting this shot

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Not familiar with Pre-Burst Howard. Did you use a lightning trigger?

Don

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

With "Pre-Burst" nothing else is necessary. Without getting too technical ... The secret is the buffer > when I partially depress the shutter, the camera starts recording BUT does NOT write anything to the memory card. There is one second worth of recording constantly being overwritten in the buffer and nothing is being written to the memory card. When I fully depress the shutter button the camera starts writing to the memory card and the writing starts with the information already in the buffer (information that is up to one second old!) Basically, the camera will take a photo of what WAS one second BEFORE the shutter button is fully depressed. I sit watching the sky with my finger depressing the shutter button part way > THE LIGHTNING FLASHES !!! > I press the shutter button all the way down > the camera starts recording onto the memory and the recording starts with the data already in the buffer. That information is up to one second old! And so I captured the flash. I left off some details like the fact the camera is set for 120fps @ shutter speed of 1/4000th and I have the Pre-Burst setting to stop 1 second AFTER I fully depress the shutter. SO, I wind up with 240 JPG images starting one second prior to my seeing the lightning to approx. one second after the lightning strike. Somewhere in those 240 images, I will have captured the lightning strike. NOTE: I start with a fully charged battery and an empty memory card. There are some other details but they do not deal with actually getting the lightning strike. I hope this explained the "Magic".
Were you ever watching a small bird sitting on the branch of a tree. You want to get photos of the take-off ... you sit and you watch, and watch, and watch. SUDDENLY the bird isn't there anymore - you've missed the takeoff. NOT ME. :-)

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Don,
See my response above.
Howard

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

What a shocking shot 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄