The monsoon season, mid-July to mid-August is the best time to visit either the North or South Rim of the Grand canyon. There are frequent afternoon and evening showers with rainbows and lightning.

Feature Image Details

• EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera
• Canon 24-105MM F4 L Lens
• 1/13th second ISO 200 F11
• Focal length 28mm

This image was taken at Cape Royal. It’s about an hour from the lodge by car, then a short 15-minute level walk to an excellent overlook with 180 degree views.

Lightning Trigger

I used a Lightning Trigger by Stepping Stone Products to capture the strike.

Other than continual exposures or long ones, there is no way to capture a strike. Human reaction times are too slow even with your finger on the shutter.

Lightning sends out an electrostatic charge before it happens and the trigger picks up on that. You do need a camera with quick reaction time. Sometimes there is weak, cloud to cloud lightning that the trigger picks up on. If so expect a lot of throwaways.

The best time to catch multiple strikes is about 15 minutes into the “blue hour”. That’s when you can get a long 15-30 second exposure without blowing out the highlights or having black shadows.

That was the subject of my last post. 

I used a Lightning Trigger by Stepping Stone Products to capture the strike.

Highly recommend but the case for it is too small. There were quirks getting it to work for my EOS R5 but support is excellent.https://t.co/gFD9OeJV1l

— Mike "Mish" Shedlock (@MishGEA) December 15, 2022

Equipment

Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.

Previous Grand Canyon Posts

• Grand Canyon North Rim, Sunset Rainbows
• Grand Canyon North Rim, Rainbow and Anticrepuscular Rays
• Grand Canyon North Rim, Lightning Display

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Mike “Mish” Shedlock