Lightning Photography
A variety of lightning photos featuring
the land, sky and, cityscapes of New Mexico. How to
photograph lightnng: here I share my hard earned knowledge of lightning photography.
For more specific information on how each individual image was taken see my
15 new lightning photos on
this site.
Why Lightning Photography?
When I moved back to my hometown of Santa Fe in 1991 the land and sky
inspired me to take up photography. Lightning has always fascinated me since childhood so it was natural
that I soon set my sights on capturing it on film. It didn't come easy though, I had to become
practiced in techniques to keep my cameras out of the rain and my body out of harm's way.
Luck and perserverance were equal players as well; it was over a year before I got my first decent
lightning photos. Sometimes I still only get one or two good shots during the "monsoon" season
in northern New Mexico.
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"Atomica" #2....
11"x14" (Edition #40)..$275
An isolated thunderstorm in White Lakes, New Mexico.
Along the way to building a library of lightning photos I've had my share of adventures too. I once was caught in a hailstorm east of Las Vegas, NM on Highway 104: Imagine you're trying to drive through marbles six inches deep. That was the scenario more or less, It's do-able, but at only 4 or 5 miles per hour in a small car. Meanwhile, I'm either trying to handhold an exposure while driving, or looking for a dry spot to stop and attach my camera to a tripod or window mount.
Another time I was stranded on a mountain/mesa by a sudden and severe storm. It started to rain so hard that I couldn't even see enough drive - all I could do was to park on the high side of the road and wait it out. The rising water on the angled road started to rock my little Subaru wagon, and friends, I started to wonder if this was the end for me. What did I do? I pulled out my camera and started taking pictures through the car window of course.
After half an hour the rain slowed and then stopped. Now I had to decide how to get home. I was in unfamiliar territory, after flooding rains, and at night. The dirt road I had taken in was surely either a mudpit or underwater in enough places to make it questionable. So I went the opposite direction which I thought wasn't far from pavement and NM State Road 3. From there I could connect with I-25 north and home to Santa Fe.
Contact Information
Mail: Robert Luis Chavez
Phone: 505/982-4457
E-mail: pictures@robertchavez.com
2 Torreon Place
Santa Fe NM, 87505