Lightning Storm at Devils Tower, WY

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mainebrien

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I was on a National Parks at Night (NPAN) workshop in Devils Tower, W last summer. We were out at sunset and early evening. We saw this storm approaching and we were hoping to get one lightning strike behind the tower. Well, it approached really fast and for safety we had to get in the cars and head out of the park. Just outside the park (you can see the entrance on the left), our leader pulled over, yelled into the wind: Okay, you got 2 minutes to get your shots and we really gotta leave. We all got shots like this one. BTW, this is a single image, 25 sec, f7.1, ISO200,D850.
It was a real, live sound and light show (almost no rain). Really made it a memorable experience.
Lightning Storm-Devils Tower, WY-0712-IMG_00001-2.jpg
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Wow, that's an amazing image and absolutely incredible that you captured that much lightning activity in a single exposure!

I'd probably crop out the entrance station and right most lightning bolt (a shame) for a 4x5 aspect ratio, burn down the light from the station and print that sucker (maybe direct on metal print). It's a really cool image, everything from the stark silhouette of the tower, the amazing lighting bolts and the glow in the clouds. This is tremendous!
 
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Thanks. The reason I left the station in was because I was standing right there at that moment, so it only means something to me. People have made your suggestions before. I'll have to give it a try. I appreciate your comments.
 
That is a killer photo. We all have our own opinions but If it were me I might do a custom wide view crop just enough to remove the entrance and print that as big as possible on metal! Even with the entrance lights it looks amazing! 25 seconds looks like it was perfect.
Now I'm hungry for mashed potatoes...lol
 
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beautiful image! Like the new crop. Personally, my taste in cropping, I would loose a further half of the black bottom to get 1/5 FG, 4/5 sky. Just roll your curser down /up to see how it changes the impact.
 
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Sorry guys, I've looked at both versions and my favourite is the first one, i feel that the building gives the image more balance, a third element , another point of interest. The building is also at ground level and a way into the hill. They are both spectacular in their own right but its the fact that the hill is just cut off at each side in the second version that swayed it for me. Who would be a photography judge :geek: LOL . To be fair i think it would awesome if they were both displayed together and they are both exhibition standard material. Superb. ( sorry for being a gasbag ha ha).
 
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While I might slightly darken thebuilding, I too prefer that version for the human toch it adds to the storm photo. I also prefer to see all three lightning strikes. If you were to clone out the building, I woul do more of panorama crop to present an ultra-wide perspective. But that is just me. Wonderful shot!
 
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