July storm 5

This will be the last picture from this storm. It's also the last picture I took before I decided things were getting a little too crazy and it was time to head for shelter. This picture also reminds me that there are way too many electric lines around here. It's hard to find a place where they won't show up in the picture.

July Storm 4

Ok, this one isn't quite as good as the others, but there are several bolts so I've included it.

July Storm 3

Another picture from the same storm. Like I said, very active.

July Storm (2)

Some more lightning pictures from the same storm. Before the storm got too close, it was ideal conditions for taking lightning pictures; virtually no wind, little rain and lots of lots of lightning.

Big July Storm

The next several posts will be getting back to my favorite photographic subject. These pictures were all from a very active storm in late July. It was so active, I eventually had to pack things up and head for safety. It was making me a little too nervous.

Flying Bee

Another picture from my visit to the flower patch. This time a flying bee. No flower picture collection is complete without one.

UPDATE: It took me awhile, but I think I finally figured out that this plant is not an invasive, but rather it is called Prairie Blazingstar (Liatris pycnostachya).

Butterflies

Two pictures this time, because I took a ton of this butterfly and couldn't decide on one. Every year this flowering plant blooms in large numbers in late summer. Someone told me it was an invasive species, but the insects sure love it, whatever it is.

Summer Flowers

Continuing on a theme away from lightning pictures, here are some macro shots of some flowers taken on the same day as the dragonfly picture.

Dragonfly

I'm not sure what kind of dragonfly this is, but there are lots of them around here. I used them as an opportunity to try some macro shots with my new camera. This one turned out pretty good, but most did not. I think this is a good excuse to by a macro lens.

The Arch

Something a little different than what I have been posting. This is obviously a picture of the Arch in St. Louis. We were getting some food at the 4th of July festival there and I liked this perspective of the arch.

Fireworks

We went to St. Louis this 4th of July and we set out our spot for fireworks watching early so that I could take pictures of fireworks through the Arch. I think it would have turned out great had the wind not been blowing towards us, pushing smoke in front of our view.

Separate June Storm

This is another June storm that developed just to the east of my house. Better yet, no mosquitoes eating me alive this time..

More Lightning

This is the last picture from this particular storm. I really like the shadows and texture on the top part of this cloud that is illuminated by the lightning.

June Lightning

This is another picture from the same storm. Great stuff.

Lightning Pictures

Yep, more lightning pictures. What can I say, they are my favorite thing to photograph and this has been one hell of a good start to the season. These next few are from a storm that gave off one of the most impressive lightning displays I've ever seen. I think the pictures would have been better too, but I didn't bring my tripod (because I hadn't intended to shoot lightning originally) and I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes while trying to hold the camera steady.

Another Sunset Picture

Yeah, it's another sunset picture, but there's nothing else around here to take a picture of. Plus I really like how this one turned out with the new camera. Not sure if you can see it in this version (I think you can), but I really like the detail in the trees in the distance. They would never have been that sharp with my old camera. I also really like the colors in this picture.

New Camera

Haven't posted in a while, but have many reasons, the most important being that I left my camera at my in-laws in November. However, I recently bought a camera that I've been saving 2 years for. It's the Nikon D90 and so far I in love with it. Here is a picture I took of the sunset the other day. I love the rich colors and crisp images this camera produces and I have yet to figure out how to use it to it's full potential. I can't wait to learn..

Final Storm Picture

Ok, this is the final picture from the latest storm and my personal favorite. Like I said before, this has been a good year for photographing lightning and I have learned a lot. The most important thing I've learned is how critical aperture is when photographing lightning and the need to adjust it as the distance to the storm changes. A small aperture for a storm too far away produces a bolt that can barely be seen. Too large an aperture for a storm that is close produces a bright white spot with no discernible bolt. Interestingly, my favorite shots are from my first attempts when I didn't know what the hell I was doing. So I guess luck plays a large role as well.

More from the latest storm

This is another picture from the storm last night. I liked that there were multiple bolts in this picture, though I was upset at myself for not framing it correctly.

Last Storm of the Season?

Last night we had some pretty good lightning displays and I managed to catch a few that I'll be posting over the next few days. This may have been the last good storm of the season and I'm glad I decided to go out and get some pictures.