Lighting

I’ve been wandering all my life in search of great light to photograph. To make it into something remarkable.  It is a rarer occasion when the light comes to me.

This is how this project started – at home, awake before sunrise, sipping a delicious cup of coffee.  I could see flashes from behind the closed shutters and the coming of the rain and wind.  Out on my balcony in the distance I see lightning striking the sea…and getting closer (I count the flash and thunder times to gauge the distance). Soon it was right in front of me over the sea.  And being a chaser of light I had my tripod and camera setup already.  If the light wants to come to me, so be it, I will be ready.  

It is usually very very dark if not pitch black when the exposures are made so the only light is from the bolts. It is these strikes that cause the clouds and rain to be illuminated displaying their hidden depth and complexity. My exposure may be 2 minutes but the instant of light can be measured in milliseconds.

I had never tried to capture lighting before. It was always in my mind that going out and standing within a lightning storm to be a fool’s folly.  And I am correct. It can be quite dangerous. Many a photographer or golfer have discovered this to their great dismay with the result being death or disfiguration. But what the hell, I’m on my balcony safe as far as it goes.

So I started capturing lighting from the comfort of home. I am lucky enough that it is not too uncommon to have a passing storm full of bolts of light.  And this is my fourth year doing so.

Now it is habitual for me to check my weather up for potential moments I could capture.  Sometimes the rain is too thick or the bolt too far away but patience has always been one of my tools.  And it is patience that makes this such a profound personal experience – I don’t have to be by my camera to take the photos as it is doing what I want it to do, but I stay anyway and take in the experience.  Being surrounded by lighting is a tremendous experience, it is humbling in a way that you will never feel in the realms of civilization. It is raw energy, unharnessed, intimidating, random and boy o boy does it make the best smell!  The ionisation of the air is pungent and uplifting. 

That morning was the beginning of a new obsession for me.  The images were stunning and even more so close up and enlarged as prints. Truly unbelievable – to see the detail, the fine threads of light and the bursts of colour captured with my camera that are invisible to the naked eye. It is just too fast and too bright to truly appreciate what you’re seeing.

In my last shoot the storm was many kilometres away with little rain so I ventured out to the beach and set up there.  This was even better than my cosy balcony – the storm was far away but it is better to be in the elements if one can.  The results were great and I can’t wait for the passing storm.

If you are interested in purchasing a print please contact me at mail@anthonyepes.com