Captain Kilowatt

When you do something considered dangerous for a living, people tend to give you odd names to describe their point of view. Keith Kent would be one of those examples. He is a lightning photographer.

The term Storm Chaser has been used for photographers interested in tornados and even hurricanes because of the fascinating images that nature serves up under these adverse conditions. Their labours are prized by hundreds of publications not just because the pictures are intriguing but because they are unrepeatable. One also does not get the chance to really look long and hard at such disasters to learn or even emotionally digest the occurrences - much better to see the thing printed on paper than be at its mercy…

Lightning is a little different. It too is fleeting and dangerous. The difference is knowledge and predictability. There is not predictable pattern to tornados or hurricanes. But lightning has the 1001, 1002 going for it. Under the right conditions and armed with information one can somewhat predict when lightning will strike; sadly, however, not where. For the lightning photographer it takes intuition.

Keith has a few techniques up his sleeve that help him get amazing shots of lightning. He will set up multiple cameras on tripods and set the shutters to various speeds. He sometimes used a metronome to help him keep timing accurate while he either opens or closes a shutter. Occasionally several strikes will be caught in a single image. Sometimes a beautiful strike will be captures by only one camera and it will be too far to the side to be effective for Keith’s agents. But that is the nature of the job.

The other main problem of the lightning photographer is the actual storm. They are not daily, weekly or even monthly occurrences. The best are in parts of the country that have few, poop or no roads to access. Mr. Kent’s favourite area for breathtaking strikes is Tucson, Arizona. There three mountainous regions focus warm air into a central column often creating thunderheads – the birthplace of lightning. When a bolt manifests the distance between ground and cloud it makes for a superior visual impact. It can be referred to as Tall Sky.

And sky is what Keith likes best. He is a pilot. His favourite sport is Ultralight flight. He has made several of these craft himself, redesigning existing designs to fit his needs. He often mounts a video camera onboard so he can share the experience with others. His website (www.thinkultralight.com) is being redesigned so he can spread the excitement of Ultralight flight.

And if that wasn’t satisfying enough he has over 1000 parachute jumps… but that’s another story.

BuzzNet Tags: Valmonte Living Magazine ~ July Issue,lightning photographer,Ultralights,thinkultralight,Captain Kilowatt,Niki Chanel