Capturing electricity on camera

Thunderstorms were expected through the Ouachita Mountains shortly after dark, and as early evening neared the forecast looked accurate. Storms were stacking up in northeast Texas, headed in our direction. Hopefully, the clouds would hold together long enough to pass over Lake Ouachita, lending ample opportunities to capture lightning photos.

Storms were moving north-northeasterly and looked to clip the western edge of the reservoir. Conditions looked photographer-friendly. Atop Hickory Nut Mountain, we could capture exposures of lightning dancing across the distant sky without worries of nearby strikes or being doused with torrential rain.

Bursts of light flashed in the western horizon as we drove along the dirt road leading atop the mountain. But just before reaching the peak, driving into an environment uncontrolled, we were greeted with a heavy blanket of fog.

Visibility was practically zero and the damp, thick air proved a huge natural diffuser. Distant lightning bolts appeared nothing more than a burst of light illuminating thousands of acres of forest land. Our chances of capturing bolts dancing across the sky from this perspective were slim to none.

Thus, it was to devise Plan B. We relocated to the storms' path, lightning and rain coming more into play.

With no time to dally, the line of storms moving past, we headed west, watching the thunderheads ease over the distant horizon. From our new destination, we secured our gear from back of the SUV and made a short trek to the point's end. We had made the right decision. Although we could not see the thunderstorm brewing so clearly as at lower elevations, there was no fog. What proved a huge glow of light from atop Hickory Nut Mountain appeared as crisp lightning bolts in the night sky.

The first couple of clouds took the exact route we expected. Fortunately, the heavy rains remained northwest of our whereabouts. But the intensity of the storms appeared to dissipate about the time they reached the lake.

A few bolts were still popping, but most lightning appeared within the clouds. Opportunities were sparse and the thunderheads were quickly disappearing behind the mountains.

We could have called it an evening, but a single thunderstorm brewed in the distance -- a cloud that appeared a real doozy. Judging from her track on radar, she would go directly overhead. Thus we took refuge from inside the vehicle. With the storm behind us, we would have a small window of time for some shots as it continued across the lake.

Rumbles resonated from the night sky and bursts of light illuminated from behind the distant ridgeline. Before long, the storm rolled overhead, dumping torrential rainfall and producing a light-show unsurpassed. Just as the precipitation lightened, we secured our cameras to the tripods and were engulfed in photographing the storm.

This cloud didn't let us down, bolts of lightning dancing across the sky and occasionally splintered down to the distant mountains. The balmy night air was filled with oohs and aahs as Todd and I captured several magnificent demonstrations of the disturbance's intensity.

The cloud finally disappearing over the horizon, we headed back to a much more controlled environment, both overwhelmed with anticipation. Sleep would come later, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to browze through our images at home.

Sports on 05/24/2015

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