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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Lightning pictures: How do you take good photographs of a storm? | Lightning pictures: How do you take good photographs of a storm? |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Thunderstorms have arrived in many parts of the UK, with forecasters saying heavy rain could cause flooding and travel disruption. | Thunderstorms have arrived in many parts of the UK, with forecasters saying heavy rain could cause flooding and travel disruption. |
| The Met Office has put in place yellow warnings for most of the UK until the end of Monday. | The Met Office has put in place yellow warnings for most of the UK until the end of Monday. |
| It says sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions, train cancellations, and power cuts. | It says sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions, train cancellations, and power cuts. |
| But, while severe weather can cause misery, it can also lead to spectacular photos - if you know how to take them. | But, while severe weather can cause misery, it can also lead to spectacular photos - if you know how to take them. |
| BBC picture editor Phil Coomes shares his tips on how to get the best photographs of a thunderstorm. | BBC picture editor Phil Coomes shares his tips on how to get the best photographs of a thunderstorm. |
| 1. Find a vantage point | 1. Find a vantage point |
| "Set up the camera so it captures a wide arc of the horizon. Ideally you will want to capture lots of lightning strikes in one frame," says Coomes. | "Set up the camera so it captures a wide arc of the horizon. Ideally you will want to capture lots of lightning strikes in one frame," says Coomes. |
| "You might want to include the landscape in the bottom part of the frame so the lighting has somewhere to go. It can work well if you have a night cityscape, for example." | "You might want to include the landscape in the bottom part of the frame so the lighting has somewhere to go. It can work well if you have a night cityscape, for example." |
| 2. Use a low shutter speed | 2. Use a low shutter speed |
| Coomes says the most common mistake amateur photographers make is "trying to take a picture when you see it". | Coomes says the most common mistake amateur photographers make is "trying to take a picture when you see it". |
| Instead, he says, you should set up your camera ahead of the storm. | Instead, he says, you should set up your camera ahead of the storm. |
| "What you really need is long exposure, allowing the shutter to remain open as the lightning lights up the sky," Coomes says. | "What you really need is long exposure, allowing the shutter to remain open as the lightning lights up the sky," Coomes says. |
| He recommends experimenting with shutter speeds upwards of half a second. | He recommends experimenting with shutter speeds upwards of half a second. |
| "Depending on the intensity of the lightning, you can adjust your aperture and ISO settings to get the correct exposure," he adds. | "Depending on the intensity of the lightning, you can adjust your aperture and ISO settings to get the correct exposure," he adds. |
| If you're taking pictures on a phone, don't worry. | If you're taking pictures on a phone, don't worry. |
| Some more recent models allow you to manually change the camera settings. If yours does not, there are a number of apps designed to help you capture lightning strikes. | Some more recent models allow you to manually change the camera settings. If yours does not, there are a number of apps designed to help you capture lightning strikes. |
| 3. Use a stable surface | 3. Use a stable surface |
| "Steadying the camera is essential," Coomes says. "People try to hand hold it, which you can't really do at that kind of exposure." | "Steadying the camera is essential," Coomes says. "People try to hand hold it, which you can't really do at that kind of exposure." |
| Using some sort of tripod, whether for your phone or camera, will help. You could even make your own. | Using some sort of tripod, whether for your phone or camera, will help. You could even make your own. |
| 4. Stay safe | 4. Stay safe |
| Lastly, Coomes says the most important thing is to stay safe. | Lastly, Coomes says the most important thing is to stay safe. |
| "If the lightning starts landing around you - don't worry about taking a picture," he says. | "If the lightning starts landing around you - don't worry about taking a picture," he says. |
| Share your images of the storms with us. Please keep yourself out of any danger but if you do share any images, please include the location and your details. | |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | |
| Or use the form below: |