photography

Thunderstorm safety for photographers

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Spectacular lightning strike over salt lake outback Australia, in camera photograph, not digital manipulation, to illustrate blog post for outback photography about thunderstorm safety.
This is a single shot; the only enhancements were contrast and a tweak to the colour balance. There were no additional lightning strikes or cloud effects added to the photograph. And yes, the photographer was in the “death zone”, an idiotic thing to do.

 

Thunderstorm safety

Thunderstorms are a common natural occurrence. These storms are characterised by lightning, thunder, heavy rainfall, and strong winds. Photographers must know the dangers to avoid dying for that shot.

Thunderstorms can be dangerous and cause property damage or personal injury, and it’s essential to practice thunderstorm safety measures. One of the most important measures is maintaining a safe distance from electrical storms. In this blog post, we will explain how to estimate the reach of a thunderstorm and maintain a safe distance.

The first step to estimating the distance of a thunderstorm is to count the time between the lightning flash and the thunderclap. Sound travels approximately 340 meters per second, while light travels about 299,792 kilometres per second. The time delay between seeing the lightning flash and hearing the thunder can be used to estimate the storm’s distance.

Estimating the distance.

To estimate the distance of a thunderstorm, count the number of seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder and divide by five. For example, if you count 10 seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder, the storm is approximately 3 kilometres away. If you count 30 seconds, the storm is about ten kilometres away.
Maintain a safe distance from electrical storms, generally considered at least 10 kilometres away. Thunderstorms can produce lightning strikes that can travel several kilometres from the storm. Avoid being the highest point in an area during a thunderstorm, as lightning takes the shortest path from cloud to ground.

In conclusion, practising thunderstorm safety is crucial to avoiding potential danger during electrical storms. Estimating the distance of a thunderstorm using the time between lightning and thunder is a simple way to maintain a safe distance from the storm. Remember to stay at least 10 kilometres from any thunderstorm and avoid being at the highest point in the area.

Commercial and editorial stock photography

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example to illustrate an article on commercial and editorial photography on outback photography.au

Know the difference between commercial and editorial stock photography.

Understanding the difference between the two is crucial. Ensuring you’re using the right image for your needs.

Commercial stock photos are images used in advertising, marketing, and other commercial contexts. These images often feature models or staged scenes designed to sell a product or service. They may include recognisable brands or logos and often require a model and property releases.

Editorial stock photos are images used to illustrate news stories, feature articles, and other non-commercial content. These images are often candid or documentary in nature and may feature people, events, or locations that are newsworthy. Editorial images, often don’t have the required commercial releases to be used in advertising.

One of the main differences between commercial and editorial stock photos is their intended use. Commercial images are explicitly created to promote products or services. Editorial pictures are used to illustrate news and feature stories. As a result, the licensing agreements for these images can be quite different.

Commercial stock photos are typically licensed for commercial use, meaning they can be used to sell products or services or to promote a brand or company. For example, somebody may use them in advertising campaigns, websites, brochures or flyers, and other marketing materials. Licenses for commercial stock photos often have restrictions on how the images can be used.

Editorial stock photos, on the other hand, are licensed for editorial use only. They can only be used to illustrate news stories or other non-commercial content. Mostly used in newspapers, magazines, online publications, or other editorial contexts.

Understanding the difference between commercial and editorial stock photography is important to ensure that you’re using the right type of image for your needs.  When licensing  images, it’s important to pay attention to the licensing agreement and any restrictions that may apply to your use of the image.

Starting your photographic journey

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Chances are most will have already started their photographic journey.

Few humans, indeed the ones living or travelling in Australia, haven’t already started their photographic journey. Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a phone with an inbuilt camera? And who doesn’t use it regularly to record something they see? Even if all these people with mobile phones haven’t yet realised, they are photographers.

Being a photographer isn’t defined by the brand or type of recording device you use. It is simply the fact that you record images.
Good photographs are not defined by the equipment used to create them but by the vision of the human in command.

Outback photography, old rusting fridge door with contrasting logo for your photographic journey Nes post.
Whatever your vision, chances are your will find plenty of interest as you make your way through outback Australia.

 

If you are reading this, chances are you have already commenced your photographic journey. No one can predict where that trip takes you or what you will see and learn during your travels. I can only tell you that your camera is a passport to adventure.

I want to tell you about some of my journey with a camera, or should I say cameras, because, over the fifty years I have identified as a photographer, there have been a whole bunch of cameras. Small compact cameras through to massive, cumbersome pieces of kit that held only one shot in the chamber, miss the shot, and it’s gone.

I tell my photo workshop attendees that I pack heavy and shoot lite. And then point out my preferred means of transport. An old 70 series Toyota Landcruiser Troop Carrier. Affectionately known as the Troopy, and from here on only referred to as the Troopy. The point is the cavernous storage area would be full of photographic essentials. Then I would pull out one camera and one lens and shoot all day with that and nothing else.

Check out our blog post the how and why of photography