The best thing about photography is being somewhere when something happens.  Showing up for who knows exactly what, but being ready to capture it when it comes.

I have been taking pictures for years.  There is a different mindset now that I am trying to shoot photographs.

This was one of those days where (in the pre-camera life) I would have spent the evening doing any number of mindless tasks, capped off with some time on the couch.  These days, at least a couple of times I week, I pack up the camera gear, recruit a kid or two, and head out to see what we can find.

This past week, doing that turned what would have otherwise been a Tuesday night just like any of the thousands before it, into something special.

After hitting Sonic for a slush (may have something to do with getting eager volunteers for the expedition), we headed for Roxborough State Park to check out a storm that was coming in fast.

We saw an amazing number of lightning strikes and managed to capture a few.  It was a great experience to share together, and a memory that we will be able to talk about for years to come.  Especially the part where, as I was explaining something to them, I snapped my fingers at the exact moment a huge flash and thunderclap boomed all around us.

I keep telling them you can’t get the good shots while you’re home sitting on the couch.  This was a perfect learning experience to see how getting out and working for something can yeild a good result.  Plus, it was just awesome to see.

I don’t have a neutral density filter to cut down the light entering the lens, so I had to make due by closing down the aperature as far as it would go and hope for darker skies.  By doing that I was able to stretch the shutter speed to 1 second, which meant I took 1 sec pictures over and over and over again, and hoped to get lucky with one of them.  I did.