Re: How do you shoot lightning?
i shoot lightning as often as i can, and i get results that i am often pleased with with my technique. i use a DSLR and a tripod. i usually shoot at night, with the following settings:
bulb mode and a remote . . . this allows me to expose as long as i want to. camera to camera noise will vary, and you'll need to practice to see how long you can expose before noise is objectionable while you wait for lightning to strike in your field of view, or wait until enough strikes for your taste have happened in your field of view.
turn in camera noise reduction off if you can.
i tend to use ISO 100, for noise concerns mainly, but also to not overexpose any city lights that may be in my field of view.
auto focus off, and focus for infinity.
focal ratios vary depending on several factors, but i set it to not overexpose the lightning too much. major factors are how close the lightning is, and how much rain is in between the lightning and my camera. i can shoot very distant lightning (\with a good telephoto lens and get good results at f/4 or faster. if it's close, i can shoot at f/11 or greater if needed. some experimentation here is key to get the look you want, i think.
ok, a break from the words with a few photos and then i'll discuss daytime and non-DSLR cameras. (wow, i need to update my website!)



if i want to shoot during the day, the bulb mode is out of the question. so i tend to put the camera on a low ISO, and the highest focal ratio i can shoot and still get good signal to noise with the lightning, this lets me have the longest shutter speed i can without overexposing the landscape or cityscape. i then put the camera in continuous shooting mode and just hope the timing meets up for something nice. as
as another poster mentioned, white balance for lightning is non-trivial, but play with it until you get something you like (that's what it's about, right?) i shoot raw, so i don't think about it until i am post processing the images.
for pocket digital cameras, you can still get nice results, it just takes more patience, in my experience (it's how i got started with lightning). i would say set them for settings that let you get as close to what i do with DSLR's as you can.
don't be stupid doing this: pay good attention to the movement of the storm relative to you, and to how the storm is behaving. lightning can travel a great distance before heading down, so you are usually a some risk at all times you're out in the storm. if you have a car, stay inside if the storm gets too close: the metal cage of the car should act as a faraday cage and protect you a great deal.
i hope some of you find this of use.