All these pics are taken with a Fuji S7000 6.3 megapix digi cam.
For lightning pix, I use the movie mode, at 640x480 to create AVI files.
I then use a program called Virtual Dub to extract frames from the movie file. I have found that the 640x480
resolution produces much better quality images than the 320x240 resolution mode. The fourth pic is in
320x240 as a comparison (the Greystanes area strike).
NOTE: ... c-c = cloud to cloud strike, c-g = cloud to ground strike
Whilst on a quick work related trip up to Katoomba on the 1st Sept 2004, a large thunderhead developed overhead.
The underside was so black that many of us coming out of the shops just stopped and stared
Left Pic ... A C-G Strike out west towards Greystanes area. Sunday, 5th Sept 04, mid afternoon
Middle Pic ... This zap didnt reach the ground, it came vertically down out of the cloud then turned Right Pic ... A C-C zap, to the south from Ryde. Sunday, 5th Sept 04, mid afternoon
at the sight.
I drove to the 3 Sisters lookout and looking back over the town centre, photographed the cloud.
The right pic is a closeup on the centre of the cell. The cell did produce some rain and hail.
Standard digital still photo's
Click here for the video clip of this strike [2 sec - 1.05mb AVI]
A C-G strike ~ 2100EST, 04 Sept 2004, this was the best of several images from the
Saturday nite storm. If you have software that you can play AVI files frame by frame in, eg Virtual Dub, its is
really worth it to see how the discharge evolves.
Virtual Dub is free off the www.
horizontal splitting into 2 branches. Sunday, 5th Sept 04, mid afternoon
Click here for the video clip of this strike [1 sec - 698kb AVI]
Sunday, 5th Sept 04, ~2030EST, The two images above and below are consecutive frames from an avi movie.
I am amazed at the detail captured in the frames of the movie that are not seen (when played in real time) till I
went through the movie frame by frame and observed the evolution of the discharge.
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