Storm Photography Settings and Tips

2 February 2025

What is Storm Photography?

Storm photography is the art of capturing nature's raw power and beauty during severe weather events. It's a thrilling and challenging type of photography that requires skill, courage, and a love for the dramatic; having the right camera gear helps too!

Let's start with some storm photography tips, so you can be prepared to capture some stunning images next time you spot a dark change in the weather forecast.

Storm Photography Tips

The first thing you should consider when embarking on storm photography is your safety. Storms can produce some dangerous situations. While the best storm photography images are great to have in your photography portfolio, it’s not worth risking your well-being to capture them. Here are some other handy storm photography tips to get you started.

  • Research and Plan: Study weather patterns and choose safe locations to capture the storm. While watching the TV news is one way to be notified of an approaching storm, you can utilise a smartphone app to be better prepared and receive more information about the storm, including its intensity, the amount of rainfall and more.
Storm Photography Settings and TipsStorm Photography Settings and Tips
  • Gear Up: Storm-friendly photography equipment includes weather-sealed cameras and lenses, dedicated camera rain covers, such as this Manfrotto option, as well as spare batteries for your camera. You don’t want to pause to recharge your batteries during a storm.
  • Use a Tripod: Want to know how to stabilise your camera and capture sharper images? The answer is a humble tripod. If you need help choosing a model for your camera gear, read through our tripod buying guide.
  • Experiment with Exposure:  As conditions can differ drastically from storm to storm, we advise you to not be afraid to experiment with different exposure settings to capture the storm's intensity. See more storm photography settings below.
  • Consider Black and White: Black and white photography can add a dramatic and timeless feel to storm images.

Storm Photography Settings

To capture the dramatic and awe-inspiring beauty of storms, understanding the right camera settings is crucial.

Basic storm photography settings:
Storm Photography Settings and TipsStorm Photography Settings and Tips
  • Aperture: If you want to control the depth of field of your image, aperture is the key camera setting. Use a wide aperture (f/2.8 or lower) to blur the background and focus on the storm.
  • Shutter Speed: Experiment with different shutter speeds to capture the movement of the storm. Don't be afraid to use bulb mode, so you can hold down the shutter off your camera for as long as you need to create an exposure.
  • ISO: Keep the ISO setting low to reduce noise and maintain image quality, remembering that it can be raised if necessary to help you achieve good exposures.

 

Lightning is a magical type of storm and requires you to have your camera set up and ready to fire at a moment's notice. Here are some basic settings for good lightning photography:

  • Use manual focus: Your autofocus system will struggle to find a focal point during the flashes and excitement of a lightning storm. To save any blurry images and cut down on any time of your camera hunting for focus, use manual focus and set it to infinity.
  • Aperture: A moderate aperture of around f5.6-f8 is best for lightning photography. This keeps everything in focus and allows you to experiment with shutter speed without overexposing
Lightning Storm Photography Settings and TipsLightning Storm Photography Settings and Tips
  • Shutter speed: Long exposure photography goes perfectly with lightning photography. With the shutter open for a longer period you will have greater success capturing the lightning flashes, while your camera will also be able to capture details in darker areas for maximum photographic impact.

A special note about Snow Storm Photography

Snow Storm Photography Settings and TipsSnow Storm Photography Settings and Tips

While with snow photography you may not be out shooting during the storm, but rather capturing the remnants of the storm, it is still an important type of weather photography that requires its own unique skill sets and considerations.

  • Dress Warm: Don't think only about photography when headed for some time in the snow, also consider your own comfort. Wear layers of warm clothing and waterproof gear to stay comfortable.
  • Use a Lens Hood: A lens hood can help prevent snow from getting on your lens and it also helps reduce reflections and flare in your images. The result is improved contrast.
  • Consider Polarising Filters: Polarising filters can reduce glare and enhance the contrast of snow.
  • Capture the Details: Look for close-ups of snowflakes, snow-covered landscapes or other unique elements that illustrate the impact of the latest snowfall.

By following these tips and experimenting with different techniques, you can capture stunning storm photographs that showcase the power and beauty of nature.

Save $10*

When you subscribe to ClubTed today!

Save $10*

When you subscribe to ClubTed today!