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Posted: Jul 26, 2006 23:42:08   Edited by: Salutes lover

I just got back from this evening's Australian display. As they say, "Last but not least"! Woof, that was quite intense......and what a finale That was the best display I have seen this season!

I'll have my comments later this week.

Good night!

Pierre


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 00:01:00

Salut

PRESTATION EPOUSTOUFLANTE!!!!!J'arrive difficilement à me remettre après avoir vu le spectacle que nous a offert la firme Foti sur les 5 rampes de la Ronde.
Wow!!.........une et même deux coches de plus que les autres...de très belles pièces pyro savamment choisies pour bien représenter le passage musical..une très belle trame sonore..une mise en scène dirigée de main de maître..un syncro AAA ...du rytme..de l'intensité bien graduée dans chacun des segments et dans l'ensemble...J'ai été captivé par ce feu du début à la fin...Les Austaliens m'on surpris..ils m'ont aussi ému surtout pendant le segment sur JC Superstar. Je crois que je n'ai jamais vu une firme utiliser la musique de cet opéra rock...un des moments très fort à mon avis...Et la finale....vraiment la meilleure que j'ai vu cette année..Cà crachait le feu pas à peu près avec 2 versions de Fortuna..Et l'utilisation fort créative de la 5 ième rampe, ces petits arc en ciel pendant Over the rainbow...Oh la la
Je laisse les commentaires plus techniques à mes confrères du forum.Mon coeur à parlé ce soir. Pas de doute dans mon esprit.Mesdames et messieurs le JUPITER D'OR revient à L'AUSTRALIE représenté par la firme Foti international.

Je capote ben raide, je n'ai plus d'énergie et je vais me coucher

Bonne nuit


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 00:28:45   Edited by: Enkil

lol @ passion se capote!

Yes, tonight's display was another excellent exciting one from Foti. Fascinating. It really felt like an Australian show, maybe like Syd Howard Fireworks International? I felt that way, but anyhow.

In general, this is what I call a real pryromusical show at La Ronde. I just loved how they invade the whole ramps and everywhere in the sky. There were many huge shells. It makes me wonder how big and fat they are! Everything about the quality of the piece was perfect.

The synchronization was almost flawless with a great enjoyable music. Some may wonder what the famous Notre Dame song has to do with an Austrilian show, but what the hell, I loved that segment and it was very well done.

My only minor criticism would the repetition of the piece used and sometimes very minor boring moments following a sudden huge shell exploding in the sky and "waking" you up. However, this only happened to me one or two times.

Other than that, everything was good for an excellent show.

The finale was probably one of the best finales of the season, if not the greatest one. The faux finales were so well organized and executed that it only excited you even. But I think that the finale secondes of the show should have been a little more intense as I don't qualify it as a fearsome finale like France 2003 lol.

My official ratings:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. Australia
4. South Africa
5. France
6. Portugal
7. Italy
8. Switzerland
9. Argentina

Rated from Notre-Dame street and may not be debatable with those who watched the displays from elsewhere without recognizing that my viewpoint is different from theirs.

*There's actually a battle between Australia and South Africa in my list, but this is my official results.

In my opinion, judging from Notre Dame street and not from La Ronde, the Gold Jupider of 2006 goes to USA!


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 02:28:30   Edited by: Chris_2112

Pretty badass...they had a lot of cool shells, especially shaped ones...I haven't seen too many star-shapes this year, but they had a few, and more than a few circles and double-circles. Also, they had those insanely quick exploding dim-orange shells, which turned to red I think, after they exploded. Really cool. The finale WAS the best of all the shows I have seen this year (missed the first 2), they faked you out a couple times, and then hit you with a massive barrage of noise and light that lasted a very long time (over a minute, I'd wager), and then the final volley of salutes to end it, I felt those in my digestive system, man. Crazy! France came close, and South Africa's and the U.S.'s weren't bad either, but this topped them all. But as for overall quality of show, my rankings are (from the bridge):

1) U.S.
2) South Africa
3) Australia
4) France
5) Canada
6) Argentina
7) Portugal

Photos from tonight's show can be viewed on my website at:

http://eps.mcgill.ca/~devries/fireworks6.htm

If anyone is wondering why there are no France photos, I took a few but gave up, there were too many raindrops getting on my lens and messing things up. And it was smokey to boot. That was definitely the worst weather of this competition, but France still impressed me a lot.

Question: I want to go to La Ronde to check out the final show on Saturday, but the ticket prices are kind of putting me off. I understand that they include park admission for the day too...is there any way to buy cheaper tickets that do not include park admission...I have no interest in rides, and huge interest in fireworks. Thanks!


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 02:48:54   Edited by: Enkil

Funny you ask that question Chris_2112. I was thinking about making a topic about a similar question. I've heard that there have been some unempty seats at La Ronde. I've also heard that they were making the passport owners pay an additional 2-5$ for a seat.

Six Flag really exaggerated by increasing the price so high so suddenly. Though, I can understand why they had to, but it happened too fast for Montrealers who aren't used to pay 44-50$ per ticket.

I also don't mind paying for a seat only, Chris_2112 lol. But I hope I'll get a passport next season!

Anyways, enough for today, time to sleep.


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 03:45:21

So that's a no? It's ridiculous to pay that much for 30 minutes of entertainment. If I was going to La Ronde and taking advantage of rides it would be worth it, but I am not. They are, I am sure, losing many many potential customers besides me if they indeed require La Ronde admission. Very stupid move. Always give the consumer MORE options!


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 09:09:42

The problem with just allowing admission to the fireworks is its almost impossible, Laronde doesn`t stamp your hand anymore when you walk in, so there is no one of telling if you paid for rides or not. This is an issue because there is no way to get to the seats without walking through laronde itself. So if they allowed this, people would take advantage, pay the 3$ for a fireworks seat and run around laronde going on rides.


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 09:12:55

My ratings for last night.

Best show of the year for me by far. The music was great and the syncro was great. Their finale was amazing imo. The best one i have scene in years.

1. Australia
2. South Africa
3. USA
4. France

The rest really don`t matter, as they just really can`t be comparied to these shows.


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 19:10:02   Edited by: Smoke

Hi guys,

Heavy thunderstorms and rains were a threat to the Australian team tonight, but at least we were spared from the calamity and onslaught that could have been possible. Temperatures stayed near the 25-26 Celsius mark while the air itself was stagnant. Thankfully enough, we additionally had enough wind velocity to clear the smoke. Well, despite the impressive thunder and lightning in the distance at around 8:20-9:20 and the earlier sporadic rains during the course of the day, we were treated to a highly anticipated display from Foti along with a splendid diversity of effects and colors that surely promised to capture the souls of the attendants this evening.

This was the most fabulous show I've seen this season with plenty of action from beginning to end with non-stop variations of quick paces from every direction. The colors used were equally as rich as that of France while much advantage was taken with the lower effects. The display started off with the notion of a serious faux finale with plenty of noise and a furious exploitation of shells of intense blue rings and red stars accompanied by elongated white roman candles.

I personally found that a lot of the special effects made an impeccable appearance, especially those literal star shaped purple shells at mid level and those double and single ringed shells. There were many deep blue single ringed shells that would explode into power packed salutes that made plenty of noise at the beginning. Not too long after, there were these rapid bright orange photoflashes that made splendid noises as they descended towards the river. The shells of swirls were also incredible while some of them would burst into loud cracklers. The white and glittering kamuros were also considerable, especially the way they burst into white stars at the edges. Similarly, there were many shells of pink, red and green (or in combination) that burst into subsequent stars, which gave a dramatic impression as they increased in pace. I also loved the pink glitters that lit up the sky at mid to extremely high levels! The colorful pistils and brocades were also multi-dimensional in nature giving off a positive lasting impression, especially those that lasted longer. Finally the Saturn shells and the red rings that have two white-like fans on each side are always a favorite to Montrealers! The scatter shots were also nicely used with the associated blue and white colors. And, of course, the screaming serpents were also distinctive when making their missile/UFO noise.

The colors were fundamentally rich, which is analogous to the French team’s performance, but, of course, used in a different way. I personally loved the mixtures of the mild yellows and whites and well as the delicate kamuros of white. The transitions were also most apparent while a lot of the color mixtures really backed it up. There were many patriotic colors, especially when constrained within some of the massive shells of blue and red mixtures. I also personally loved the deep blues and purples used at times. There was also, once again, the appearance of the shells of intense orange stars while lower mines and fans of varying color helped to blend in.

Sequencing was superb, especially in the bottom effects with the roman candles and the rapid paced shots during the second ABBA song. I loved the intrinsic colorful candles that sometimes danced in a fan-like fashion from left to right and the tightly note-synchronized shots, which were most subtle in nature. The sequencing of mines were also quite unique and well executed, particularly with the reds and greens. As a result, synchronization was excellent and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I loved the incredible rhythmic flow as well since it brought things into equilibrium while considering the theme, which was very traditional.

The construction of the display was fantastic and was practically perfect. I loved the intensity of the display all the way through along with an impressive start to a glamorous and scary finish. In fact, this display consisted of mainly a series of faux finales, which was valued deeply by the crowd. The balance between the bottom and top levels of the display was totally perfect while both areas tended to always connect very nicely! I was enamored by a lot of the variety of the effects used, especially when we consider the thematic attempt. I particularly liked the firing scheme in one segment where there were numerous firings of massive shells at the mid levels and then increased in height leading to one massive (and 3 more later on) shell(s) on red stars encompassed by a white ring. I also loved the firing rates during the show, especially with the music. The crescendo was impeccable while a lot of the firing paces caught you off guard for much of the display. The speeds during the display were well respected and certainly paid their tribute considering that most of the show was packed with action. Some of the shells at the top were so loud that that they just made my ears ring while blowing my chest away, which was much of the scenario like the American and French displays. At times, there were unexpected loud salute-like booms that set off in between while the shells were equally exploding. Finally, the theme chosen was appropriate and was frequently supported by either the choice of music or the effects used.

The choice of music was totally enjoyable and with a neat preference and variety that's sure to bring on delight to the audience. I personally loved the "Grease Lightning" segment since it fitted in to some irony; weather wise today. The segment itself was very intense and showed much promise, especially with those gold glitters and that typical heavy rain sound. It was then followed by a lot of shells of colored stars that drooped downwards and later exploded. The other soundtrack "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was also a classic example of pace variation with the delicate start of those shells of red and green fans and brocades that exploded at the top. As the music continued to towards its climax, the fireworks rapidly once again deployed to incredible heights, making it seem like another faux finale. Furthermore, pretty much every color that makes up the color spectrum of a rainbow was used in there, which was rather admirable and quite glamorous. I loved the serenity of some of the colors, especially in response to more tranquil areas of the display. I’m also sure that you enjoyed those 2 ABBA songs as much as I did, Pierre!

I noticed the rainbow effect earlier in the middle, which certainly had a positive impression, especially when accompanied by the flashing red/white flares side by side. The silver fountains and fountains of sparkles were also quite delicate and astonishing while many of the nautical flashes were quite illuminating. The ground effects were something to talk about, especially those red flashing flares and the flashing oranges at the bottom. There was also a piece just above the bottom at low altitude where loud cracklers burst with extravagance and gave the appearance of a lightning simulation. The mauve stars that sprouted just over the bottom mixing in with the swirls during the second ABBA soundtrack were adorable, especially the way it was delivered with the fast paced candles. The latter comets were quite ubiquitous and really captivated the audience when accompanied by those massive shells at the top.

The finale was out of this world, especially since we perceived that it couldn’t be any bigger than some of the regular segments in the display. Of course, this ended up being the king of it all with plenty of colors and beautiful crescendo. The high leveled shells exploded in utter vehemence while accompanied with lower leveled comets, shells and crackling mines via lower levels. There were plenty of colors and a lasting impression that cannot be deviated from such a debut. The action increased to levels beyond belief to a degree never thought possible. There were so many shells exploding everywhere that when you think it would end, it just simply didn’t. By the time that was finished, another intense piece, which went excellent with the music, started to launch with impressive sequencing force later followed by a barrage of trailing colors leading to deafening salutes and a thunderous climactic close leading to a strong roar of approval from the audience. Despite the ending, much of the display was chest thumping and bridge vibrating. In fact, there was a time when I thought the penultimate area was the real thing by comparison to the more cordial parts. There was also the impression of a weeping willow finale at around 10:20! There was so much action in this display that you’d think the ending wouldn’t be anything out of what was already seen. To be honest, I was cheering and jumping like crazy for more to keep going; and so it did. This was certainly analogous to a thunderstorm out of control!

The only minor criticisms I can think of are perhaps the slightly late start during the "Grease Lightning" segment as well as one weeping willow of white stars that lasted a little too long after the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" soundtrack. In addition, perhaps there was a tad of repetition in firing scheme, particularly in the segment I described earlier, though I still very much enjoyed it predominantly because it was so rapidly fired despite the same execution fashion. The small bit of narration wasn't much of a problem, though, during the Phantom of the Opera piece and worked perfectly to introduce the latter parts. Finally, on a personal scale, this display would have also suited for some girandolas as well as some shell of shells, considering that this was the most active and loudest display this year, in my humble opinion.

Travis' personal rankings and display criteria rankings:

-Synchronization: 9.2/10-The best synchronization I’ve seen this year, in my opinion, especially when dedicated to the lower level pieces that consisted of candles and mines!
-Color: 9.5/10-Like France, this display had a wide array of intense and flamboyant colors that could seriously leave you breathless. I loved the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” segment and the way the colors were used in a subtle respect to represent the actual spectrum. The Grease Lightning segment was also in admiration when reflected on the intensity! “Like Grease Lightning!”
-Creativity/Originality/Concept: 9/10-A very serious attempt at creativity here, especially with the huge amount of colors used within this display. I loved the effects as well considering that they were frequently integrated to the theme and thus being very creative, particularly those purple star shaped shells that made a brief appearance at mid to high levels. The show was more and less original, especially with firing rates, but very traditional and quite conceptual, though not as what was seen by France or Canada, for example, but still very conceptual in their own perspective.
-Choice of music: 9.7/10-The best choice of music while simultaneously working well with the theme. The music was the most enjoyable to me and certainly worked well in helping with rhythmic flow in which the fireworks felt like they were dancing.
-Finale/Overall Appreciation: 9.3/10-The best finale this year with a thunderous climax and the full package prior to that. It certainly felt intense considering that a lot of the finales we’ve seen in the past 2 years weren’t all of it. The display had excellent lasting appeal and was greatly appreciated. The faces of the audience, much like my own, were as bright as the sunshine. I’m also hoping that you got the finale recorded, Pierre! I’m also sure that you were as excited as I was!
-Overall: 9.3/10

My personal top 3 displays:

1st-Australia
2nd-France
3rd-USA
^^^
It’s quite the possibility that Canada, Italy, Argentina, South Africa and Portugal could also fit in there, assuming if personal opinion comes down to the final decision. Out of this, I suspect that either South Africa or Canada could appear in 2nd or 3rd place respectively given artistry and creativity.

My jury predictions thus far:

1st-Australia
2nd-USA
3rd-France (perhaps Canada or South Africa for either 2nd or 3rd)

My favorite endings:

1st-Australia
2nd-South Africa
3rd-USA
4th-Italy
5th-France

In all, I feel that Australia deserves 1st place, or at least in serious contention for a prize, mainly because everything was practically flawless, especially the effective correlation of the thematic approach while the display itself felt somewhat nebular. I personally loved the attempts at choreography as well as the way the entire display was simply concocted. Finally, you honestly can't go wrong with a display of this caliber, especially in terms of excitement. What was demonstrated tonight was a well propelled display, particularly when it came to the integration, like France, of colors. The effects were also quite unique, though at times, a touch repetitive. I loved the powerful shells that exploded overhead while a lot of those screaming serpents could be typically admired. The opening acted as a beautiful catalyst that really caught most off guard and had the best opening this season. The quality of materials used was totally valued and were ultimately noticeable in every respect; most apparent with the mixtures of materials in between segments. Symmetry was rarely ever lost within the display, especially in between the main ramp areas along the middle and the shells that contain more than one color, safe for one of the gold glittering kamuros obscured somewhat by smoke. In my humble opinion, this was a fabulous way to end the competition, guys. It's simultaneously true that this display really excited the audience in ways I haven’t seen in a long time, not to mention the way they tended not to give us a break, which reminded me of the Australian display in 2000. They really did a fascinating job and have really been obviously creative. The colors were also an important part of this display since they did it justice in defining many areas of the show in relation to the music. The music itself was highly in acquiescence with what they were trying to collaborate. I personally loved the transitions between certain soundtracks as well. Despite the effects, they did take a lot of advantage in deterring away from redundancy, especially in the colors used. The music, too, was very enjoyable and well respected to both the actual theme and for the enjoyment of the fireworks to the audience. The team received a well-deserved standing ovation for their efforts while I also sympathetically feel good that such a display was not ruined by storms.

Now, off to formulating my individual comments on each show and then to come up with a concise decision! It’s certainly going to be hard for the judges this year and, like every other year, there’s bound to be disappointment since at least 5-6 displays really deserve a prize, but sadly, only 3 can get make it on the podium.

And guys, I'm sorry I was not as in depth as I could have been with the other past 3 displays since I was rather busy for the second half of the competition. But I will be sure to give my respective standard rankings for them; you can be sure.

Cheers,

Trav.


Posted: Jul 27, 2006 19:52:56

Chris,

As always, I love the pictures you posted there. I've also taken a glimpse at previous displays and I can certainly acknowledge that these are delicate and, perhaps in some sense, inquisitive shots. For this, I sincerely appreciate them and am very thankful that you have shared them with us.

I can also see that you've gotten an impressive picture of some cloud to ground lightning strikes some distance from your position. Being a lightning and weather fanatic, I was wondering if you could show me some techniques of taking pictures of lightning. I'm aware of the standard and general tactics, but I'd like to know how to get intrinsic and distinctive photos. I know it's not exactly the place for it, but perhaps some brief details.

It was sort of a waste for me since we got so many impressive thunderstorms this year, especially the ones that occured at night. I remember the one on July 17th very well.

Thanks again, Chris.

Regards,

Trav.


Posted: Jul 28, 2006 15:26:42   Edited by: fredbastien

Hi everyone!

The Australian show was awesome! I think that the setup was the most impressive this year with a large number of pieces throughout five firing ramps, including seven floating platforms on the lake. In opposition to what has been announced by the English press release, the 4-meter chandelier was not suspended, but installed on the fourth ramp, that is, on the roof of a control room.

First, it was the most interesting start this season. We heard the sound of shells launching before the end of the countdown. (By the way, the lights on Giant Wheel were not synchronized at all with the countdown this time!) The first segment was more intense than the finale of some displays! Then, my first WOW! happened as soon as the second segment, with a barrage of eight cakes shooting stars of different colours, stars which changed into a flying fish effect! Another fascinating moment was with the fast percussion sequence in the music of Grease Lightning : wonderful Z-cakes came into life on the fifth ramp, filling the sky with a golden crackling embers effect ended by stars! The finale was the most intense in 2006. Foti was very wise to insert a narrative at the end of the penultimate segment to thank the audience, giving the impression that the show was over! The show looked like out-of-control, with a storm of firework everywhere! WOW again!

The richness of colour was very good, with several multicolour effects. I recall the cakes of multicolour stars during the second part. In the third segment, some shells were similar to the popping multicolour bunches used by Bugano. The colours of several shells of stars have changed throughout the display, and some shells changed of colour two times, by the penultimate part of the show.

Foti created interesting depth effects by dispatching some pyrotechnic pieces among the second, third and fifth firing ramps. Several small rainbows (I guess more than 20) appeared across the stage area with "Somewhere over the Rainbow". Also, close to the end of the finale, huge white crossing comets were launched from the fifth ramp as other appeared just behind, over the third ramp.

From our viewpoint at La Ronde, several technical problems were obvious and many people talked about them just after the show. In the third part (Aquarius), what looked like a fault helix lit up and burned. As the (too long) "Belle" segment began, we saw along the third ramp a front of helix and fountains; many of them didn't make the appropriate effect. In the same part, two spectacular cakes which, I think, were scheduled to be fired on the music of "Grease Lightning", started. Always with "Belle", three rainbows lit up too early. At another time, some green nautical flares also appeared on the lake at the wrong time. Moreover, the chandelier (a set-up piece installed on the ramp 4) expected during the segment with the music of "Phantom of the opera" never came into life.

About the synchronization, I must add that pyrotechnic effects have begun a couple of seconds after the music on the 8th (You're the one that I want) and 12th (Phantom of the opera) parts, and that the music was over when the barrage of salutes burst at the end of the show. For the rest of the show, the synchronization was very good. I noted the thunderbolt-synchronized orange flames erupted at the start of the "Phantom..." segment.

A small criticism is that most of the soundtrack was not very original. This year, we already heard Abba’s "Waterloo" (Bugano), "All That Jazz" (title according to the official website; heard in the American show under the title Chicago), "Phantom of the Opera" (USA) and "O Fortuna" (South Africa). However, the versions used for the latter two were not the same. Foti selected a techno version of the "Phantom..." and was very creative with the finale made of two segments from very different versions of "O Fortuna" (classic and techno), separated by two rewinding effects surrounding a very special and dynamic music.

It would be a shame if the Australian display is not reward by a well-deserved Jupiter prize. I think that teams from South Africa, Portugal, USA, France and Australia have made award-winning shows. It is very difficult to made a prediction. On one hand, many people in this forum (like me!) were sure in 2005 that the Swedish team would be on the podium and it didn’t; a member of the jury wrote later to us that the reason, in his opinion, was that the show comprised too many technical problems. On the other hand, the Australian team was the last to compete and I believe that the last contestants have an advantage over the first ones. I am going to release my personal ranking soon!

Fred


Posted: Jul 28, 2006 15:48:12

Chris,

I just started another topic about the price of tickets:

http://www.montreal-fireworks.com/forum/index.php?action=vthread&forum =5&topic=592

Fred


Posted: Jul 28, 2006 16:59:32

Hi Fred,

I just read your review and I am also confident that the Australian team will pick up an award, but I'm hoping it's first place.

However, I completely forgot to acknowledge the soundtrack appearance and originality, but I, too, also noticed that it was used in different versions, which still makes it competitive. But yes, the soundtrack wasn't exactly original, but it was still enjoyable to practically the entire audience and, I'm sure, the jury members. However, I remember, in addition to the music you mentioned, that "Grease Lightning" was also used in the American display in 2003 with the part with all those bright photoflashes. In any case, the good news is that all the sountrack really worked well with the overall theme, so, in this respect, it was original, but not as a fundamental entity. I personally feel that the team really nicely chose their soundtrack in a subtle fashion because I'm sure they knew it would work well with this sort of exploitation.

As for the dilemmas seen from your perspective, well, I'm sorry to hear that things didn't go off when they should have, but it, in a sense, shows the complexity of the entire display, despite the problems here and there. I see it's rather tough and tedious to be perfect!

Of course, I remember that Sweden didn't make it as we had hoped last year; they didn't even make it anyhwere, for that matter! Furthermore, we never expected Canada to even make an appearance on the podium, so I suppose we have to expect the unexpected, though this always brings about disappointment.

I'll have my final personal rankings after I have gone through my reviews and critically analyzed all the shows. I'll also have to readjust all my scores, as usual, but there wouldn't be a huge standard deviation.

Regards,

Trav.


Posted: Jul 28, 2006 17:48:39

Video of Austrailia's entry. Unfortunately the camera was constantly shaking so it slowly pointed away from the fireworks.


Posted: Jul 31, 2006 13:04:32

The interview with Celestino Foti is available on PyroPlanet:

http://www.pyroplanet.com/Article313.html

Fred


Posted: Aug 8, 2006 03:25:21

I can also see that you've gotten an impressive picture of some cloud to ground lightning strikes some distance from your position. Being a lightning and weather fanatic, I was wondering if you could show me some techniques of taking pictures of lightning. I'm aware of the standard and general tactics, but I'd like to know how to get intrinsic and distinctive photos. I know it's not exactly the place for it, but perhaps some brief details.

Just noticed this now, sorry for the late response!

Lightning is really (mostly) a matter of luck. You up your f-stop as high as you can go during the day...at night, you don't need to so much. Set an exposure time of at least 2 seconds (if it's dark enough, increase this as much as you can), aim to where you think you're going to see lightning, and take many many photos. You might need to adjust your aperture and exposure time a bit based on how light it is outside. This technique has produced many good results for me, but most storms I shoot, I get nothing at all (maybe some blurry tree branches silhouetted against some sheet lightning )...you also have to consider that you don't want to get your camera too wet ...I have also found that you can improve your odds by noticing the lightning's recurrance interval...how long it takes for the charge to build up. Anyway, if you've seen a lot of nice forks of lightning, grab that camera, set up your tripod, and give it a go, you will probably get something that is at least okay.

Note: people tend to gawk at lightning photos, and give them the absolute highest praise, even if the photo isn't that great, and despite the fact that it's mostly luck anyway. So you gotta make it sound like it's such a burden taking such awesome photos, and play it up, make them think it was hard, otherwise, the jig's up


Posted: Aug 11, 2006 16:52:36

Hi Chris,

I thank you for your advice regarding the lightning pictures. I'm aware of most of what you said since getting pics of lightning is a matter of luck given its unpredictability. I'm also aware that it's best to actually interpret where you "think" the flash/bolt will strike in a main viewpoint area in addition to taking multiple photographs on that spot.

Aside from that, thanks for the points and tips on a smaller scale regarding the camera techniques. I wasn't too clear on how to actually keep the camera in focus as well as the exposure time, but thank you for the clarifications. However, what type of camera do you use? Would all cameras be equally as effective?

As for giving credit to lightning pictures, trust me, I can point out really good shots, especially when the time is ideal, as well as the given area. I've seen many attempts out there and I can certainly say that I've seen some great photos of this atmospheric electrical phenomenon. Given that sheet lightning/intra cloud ligthtning is the most common of all types, it's rare to get cloud to ground bolts given that you get those roughly 25% of the time, which is why I thought you got a pretty nice photo there while taking into consideration that it was night time, which made it more feasible.

In any case, Chris, thank you for the advice, but I'm sure we could have gotten a lot of excellent shots on the night of the big storm on August 1st! The strength and frequency of strong charge build-up that evening was incredible because of the degree of the updraft. As a result, due to all the factors (which I won't go into detail), many types of lightning could form with ease! We had at least 2-3 to even 4 strikes/flashes per second which ultimately denotes a supercell. I was thinking about getting shots that night, but it was too dangerous to do so because of the time interval between strikes.

Cheers,

Trav.
 

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