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Seasoned electrical-storm photographers use a specialist piece of equipment called a lightning trigger, which is about the size of a mobile phone and slides onto the camera hot shoe. The contacts on the trigger are compatible with those on most camera hot shoes and enable the camera to fire automatically when it detects lightning pulses. Such a device improves the success rate for recording lightning and takes much of the guesswork out of making time exposures with the camera shutter open while waiting for lightning to strike.

TWISTER TIME The USA is home to many of the world’s professional storm photographers because hurricanes and tornadoes occur there with seasonal regularity. The Gulf states of Texas, Louisiana and Florida are renowned for their hurricanes, which spiral into the coastline and even up to the Atlantic seaboard, usually from August. The famous Tornado Alley, a vast area through Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Ohio and other plains states, has the world’s highest annual incidence of tornadoes. A brave band of photographers make a living following these storms, getting as close as possible to photograph the extraordinary cloud formations that fill the sky, and their devastating impact on the land.

In the UK, tornadoes are rare, but should you have a chance encounter, always photograph from a safe distance. Use a short telephoto lens to fill the frame with the dark, threatening cloud and keep the full length of updraft tail from ground to cloud within the frame. The meter reading should be taken from this area, particularly if the storm is against a backlit horizon. The storm clouds can be made even more threatening by using a neutral density or grey graduated filter.

SNOW SHOW Far more common in the UK at this time of year are snowstorms. For the photographer, there isn’t much to be gained in trying to photograph snow when it’s actually falling, as snowfalls are usually accompanied by a heavy cover of grey cloud, which makes for flat, dull lighting. The real photographic appeal lies in the aftermath: the early morning after overnight snow when the sun rises to reveal a soft, white landscape unblemished by footprints and other signs of activity.

Snow creates a pale blank canvas, emphasising the shape and line of subjects both natural and manmade. Even in the most densely populated cities, a really heavy fall will block out distracting colours and urban eyesores, such as red cars parked in the street or piles of uncollected refuse.

The best tip for photographing any scene after a snowstorm is to get out early, before anyone else, so the only footprints you encounter are your own. Also, remember to overexpose by around one to two stops more than the camera’s meter reading. Try several different exposure values for each shot and compare results on the monitor, making sure that the images you save are those that render the snow as close to white as possible. Too many otherwise excellent compositions of snow-covered scenery are ruined by inaccurate exposures that render the snow as grey, slightly yellow, or even blue. Simply, if the snow on your screen isn’t white, it isn’t right.

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Dos & don’ts of photographing storms

DO

DON’T

Study the weather forecast. Local forecasts can usually supply you with enough detail to know what to expect Take the tripod. Low-light conditions require longer exposure times, as does shooting lightning, so fix your camera and lens to a tripod Pack a range of lenses that give you a variety of shooting options: from a wide-angle for vast storm clouds to a long telephoto for distant lightning storms

Go out with a camera system that can’t cope with water and extreme temperatures. Use a camera that has plenty of O-ring seals in its construction Dress inappropriately. Expect a soaking, so wear a waterproof jacket, warm boots and plenty of layers Rely on your camera’s automatic settings. Cold weather can seriously drain your camera’s power supply, so switch off the autofocus and override the automatic meter readings

NEXT MONTH: C AM E R A T R A P S

RECOMMENDED READING ADVENTURES IN TORNADO ALLEY by Mike Hollingshead and Eric Nguyen,

Thames & Hudson, hb, £14.95 STORM CHASER: A PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY

by Jim Reed, Abrams Books, hb, £17.95 WEATHER WORLD: PHOTOGRAPHING THE

GLOBAL SPECTACLE by the Met O ce, David & Charles, hb, £18.99

EQUIPMENT

S E L E C T I O N S

Clothing option TOUCH-SCREEN GLOVES Touch-screen technology has spread rapidly to all types of electronic goods, from mobile phones and iPads to camera monitors. The trouble is, they become redundant if it’s so cold that you need to wear gloves, unless those gloves happen to be Fivepoint gloves made by Etre (£25). As well as keeping your hands warm, these gloves have specially designed conductive fingertips that allow you to use touch screens out in the cold air. They are made from lamb’s wool and come in a range of sizes.

become redundant if it’s so cold that you need to wear gloves, unless those gloves happen to be Fivepoint gloves made by Etre (£25). As well as keeping your hands warm, these gloves have specially designed conductive fingertips that allow you to use touch screens out in the cold air. They are made from lamb’s wool and come in a range of sizes.

Accessory option LIGHTNING TRIGGER Don’t be alarmed – this very useful device doesn’t attract lightning, as its name may suggest. Instead, it’s a form of remote release that trips the camera’s shutter release whenever lightning or another brilliant light source (such as fireworks) flashes across the sky. Simply slide the device into the camera hot shoe and switch it on. The lightning trigger is compatible with more than 150 different camera models. Made in the USA, the suggested retail price is US$329.

camera hot shoe and switch it on. The lightning trigger is compatible with more than 150

Camera option COMPACT SYSTEM CAMERA In most cases, the ability to change lenses is the prime advantage of a bulky SLR camera over a slim-build fixed-lens compact. However, several companies are continuing to produce compact cameras with interchangeable lenses. The latest entry into the market is the Panasonic GF2 (£600–£730) – now the smallest and lightest of these camera types, it can slip easily into a coat pocket. Despite its diminutive appearance, the GF2 is a high-calibre camera with a 12.1-megapixel image sensor and fast image processor. It features a 460,000-dot LCD touch-screen monitor and HD movie capability.

pocket. Despite its diminutive appearance, the i www.etretouchy.com

Clothing option: www.etretouchy.com Accessory option: www.lightningtrigger.com

Camera option: www.panasonic.co.uk

76 www.geographical.co.uk FEBRUARY 2011