Patience is a key element to taking photographs, it is ironic again that I find my self indulged in photography with the amount of patience, or lack there of, that I possess. Before actually bringing out my camera to take pictures of this storm, I remember standing in silence, listening to the sounds of the storm and the distant rain, enjoying the storm God provided. As I stood and listened I prayed to God that He would out of all things just give me patience to endure the trial and errors of shooting, giving me just one good picture. As I began to shoot I took about 100 pictures toying with the aperture (amount of light let in by the lens), the shutter speed (how long the shutter is open which is directly related to the aperture) and the ISO (film speed or the films sensitivity to light which determines how the photo develops). As you can imagine I remained patience and kept shooting. Just kidding... I wanted to rip my hair out, I hadn't even gotten the shooting settings right yet and the storm was a rollin' and the rain was coming even closer. I continued to pray that God would give me patience again and again so that I could remain calm and continue to shoot.
Once I got the film settings right I thought I was set, but then I struggled getting the focal point right. Since it was so dark the lens had no point of subject to focus on. Making me even more frustrated as the storm grew even closer, I had to set a manual focal point using the "Manual Selection" option on my camera. In reality it isn's all that hard, nor does it consume to much time, but when the odds are against you (even though I knew God was on my side) it makes the conditions even more tense.
Finally everything was set I shot about 200 more pictures or so and called it quits. The storm really got violent at this point and the rain was eminent as several rain drops spat out of the sky. I got back in my car and drove home figuring I got several good shots. When I got back to my house I began panning my 300+ photos feeling disappointment one after the other as I viewed blank screen after blank screen or just houses or trees silhouetted by the after light of the lightning. In the midst of all 300 picture there was one, the one you see about. And as I looked at this picture I remember feeling this sense of achievement as I remembered that all I asked God for was one good shot, one picture that I could use as a testimony to His glory. As always God provided, not in my own time or my own demands, but in his own.
Great job howie!!
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