High winds and heavy rains
Although we are not necessarily immune to thunderstorm activity during the winter months, I think it would be safe to say that lightning will probably be sparse for the next few months. In fact, it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities that the next thunderstorm will not roll through the state until the arrival of the 2021 spring season. With that in mind, I began making plans upon learning that a recent front was escorting a line of thunderstorms across Arkansas. The storms were not forecast to enter our neck of the woods from around midnight to 1 a.m., but I was prepared to burn a little midnight oil. I had no intentions of sleeping through what might be the last opportunity to capture exposures of lightning dancing across the night sky in 2020. I gathered my rain jacket and the gear that was most conducive to lightning photography. Judging from what I had seen on the radar, the storms would pretty much be traveling due east, so where could I set up and get the best view to the west? I chose a destination in short order and began making arrangements to arrive atop a tall mountain on a friend’s property about an hour before the light show began. I could literally see for 30 or 40 miles from this particular location. I could capture distant images long before the cloud reached my destination. Yep. This was panning out to be the perfect scenario for photographing a volatile night sky. I arrived at and unlocked my friend’s gate about 30 minutes before I had originally planned. But that was fine, as I welcomed ample time to secure my camera on a tripod and fine tune the meter settings. But I began to grow a little concerned upon making the ascent up the steep road. It all began with just a trace of fog. But the moisture in the air continued to thicken as I gained altitude. And I could hardly see 10 feet in front of me upon reaching the mountaintop. To say I was disappointed would prove an understatement. I had been anticipating the opportunity to photograph lightning throughout the entire day, and here I was, in a blanket of heavy fog. This obviously was not going to work. But all was not lost, as I would simply resort to plan “B”, but the cloud was nearing, and I had no time to waste. So I sped down the hill and made a beeline to yet another location that was situated at a far lower altitude. With a little luck, this spot would be fog free. Sure enough, I could see for miles from this location. In fact, I could see occasional bursts of light illuminating behind the distant mountain. So I quickly gathered my gear and began to prepare for that magical moment when the ominous cloud crept over the horizon. I’ll have to admit that I was excited. I was only moments away from capturing the fury of Mother Nature. And I eagerly pointed my camera toward the west and adjusted my lens to infinity. But the excitement began to wane as the conditions began to decline. I was more than prepared for rainfall, as I had chosen a location from where I could set my tripod up under the roof of a small pavilion. However, I was not prepared for the high winds that soon followed. And the heavy downpour was just about as detrimental to capturing clean lightning photos as was the aforementioned fog atop the mountain. The conditions did nothing but worsen as the cloud neared, and it quickly grew clear that my efforts were all in vain. Although I had high expectations, Mother Nature had other plans. My only obvious choice was to relent and simply begin preparing for future storms. Yep, I was somewhat disappointed during my soggy journey home, but this wasn’t my first rodeo. As an outdoor photographer, I was accustomed to being at the mercy of an uncontrollable environment. That in mind, I simply made a vow to once again strike out into the darkness when ominous clouds brought a storm our way.