Butch Mazzuca, BPSA
October 2025 - Electrifying!
About the Image(s)
Canon R5 ??“ Canon 15-35 @35mm ??“ ISO 100 ??“ f4.0 ??“ 1/15th second using a Lightning Trigger brand, lighting trigger.
I hesitated on submitting this image because it’s really neither fish nor fowl, i.e., sure, there’s a hidden cityscape beyond the power transformer but the star of the show is the lightning bolt and its streamers -Background story: I was watching a lightning storm off to the west of our home and thought if the lightning struck in the right place, I could capture the juxtaposition of man=made power versus nature's POWER! So, I grabbed my camera, tripod and lightning trigger, set it up, focusing on the transformer pole, waited and let the lightning trigger and camera do their thing.
6 comments posted
You shouldn't hesitate about submitting any image Butch, this group is not a competitive environment. This is a strong image of a strong subject and you got the best out of your equipment for this subject. Good composition showing your intent of man-made vs nature's power. You placed the pole well in the frame, while the lightning bolt went where-ever it wanted. And I'm sure more than one photo was taken. But I do have a question, why b&w? Personally, I would like to see some colour in the sky. Posted: 10/13/2025 05:32:35
No particular reason for using BxW except I thought it might be more dramatic, but then you answered that question :-)
And the reason I hesitated was the significant presence of the hand of man, so thank you for your comments Ian Posted: 10/13/2025 15:24:33
And the reason I hesitated was the significant presence of the hand of man, so thank you for your comments Ian Posted: 10/13/2025 15:24:33
The image is kind of incredible, I have a lightening trigger and have never used it.....mainly because I do not like being out when lightening is active. It is extremely common here in Florida and the flat ground makes them extremely visible. You have come away with a crisp clean photo of a strike...and your positioning is excellent. I'm not sure I would have thought to compare the two...but I think it comes down to envisioning what you want to portray and then accomplishing the concept. While not the subject, I really like the way the clouds are illuminated by the strike. Props on concept and execution! Posted: 10/16/2025 15:17:02
Butch, I agree with what's been said and I kinda lean toward the B&W version as I think it adds "moodiness" to the image. Even without reading the comments, I thought there was a great juxtaposition between the power pole and the lightning strike. There seems to be something of a double image around the pole on the left side as we face it and there are 2 diagonal lines coming from lower left toward the top of the pole that catch my eye for no good reason. Ray Posted: 10/18/2025 01:04:44
Thanks for your comments Raymond - a member of another discussion group suggested I submit larger files with more pixels per inch, but still staying with PSA parameters - LMK what you think next month - best, Posted: 10/21/2025 12:44:05
I think it's a great image Butch. While I immediately focus on the lightning bolt, bringing the power lines and transformer into the scene is very creative. The power pole is a reminder of how "dirty" we make the visual environment while the lightning bolt is pure nature. The lightning trigger did its job very well. Posted: 10/22/2025 18:40:55