I wanted to share a few thoughts on storm-chasing and lightning trips. I was in Everglades City recently and I forgot my Lightning Bug infrared detector, so I 'winged' it and did time-lapses instead. The value in doing time-lapses for lightning is that even if I don't get any lightning, I should end up with a pretty cool video of the clouds rolling by. That being said... I have some thoughts going forward.

Like I said, you DON'T need a lightning detector to photograph lightning! It can be helpful, but not necessary. And if you're not sure about spending that kind of money for a single-use item, on a genre that you’re not sure you’ll enjoy, the time-lapse method will allow you to photograph lightning, without the added expense. Here's how...

If you don’t have one already, get yourself a shutter release cable (or intervalometer). (See bottom for images of all items, some with links).
Make sure you have plenty of memory card space or carry spare cards. (I was out for only 4 hours and took over 1,700 images! (because of the time-lapses). I had to put in my backup card - mid shoot. If you run out of memory card space in mid-time-lapse shoot, it'll mess up your video a bit, and you could potentially miss some lightning.)
Find a storm, then find a nice composition. Set up your camera with the proper equipment, lens, shutter release, CPL and or ND filter, tripod, rain sleeve etc.
Take a few test shots and fine tune your settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed). Make sure everything you want in focus is IN focus. Do edge patrol and make sure you're not including anything you don't want. Recompose if necessary. (Doing spot removal on 100+ images is NO BUENO!)
When ready, press your shutter release and slide it into position. This will engage your shutter indefinitely (until you shut it off), and then let mother nature do her magic!
I did all of the above, and when I felt the 'weather' was too close for comfort, I sat in my car for safety, until a) the storm passed, or b) it started raining. (My camera is weather sealed and I was ok with it getting a little wet, but too many drops on the lens or lens filter degrade the images).

Take the time before a dedicated lightning or storm-chasing trip to get the proper gear, if you don't have it already. Shutter release cables / intervalometers are fairly cheap at your favorite online camera stores. while shopping, pick up some plastic rain sleeves, and extra memory cards if you don't have them already (time-lapses will burn through your memory cards REAL fast!)

The time-lapse of the image shown above is on my photography Facebook page if you'd like to see it.

Let me know if you have any questions. Drop me an email at info@sfnpcc.org.