"2003
LAKE TAHOE OUTRIGGER CRITERION"
August 31, 2003
Lake Tahoe, California
"Lightning
Strike on Super 8mm Film"
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These images originated on a Bauer 715XLS super 8mm movie camera. In its day (circa 1981) the camera was the top of the line (retailing over US$2000.00 in 1981) in movie cameras with unsurpassed optics (Angenieux 6-90mm f1.4 zoom lens). Super 8mm film is motion picture film (Kodak 40ASA color reversal film to be exact) and is still used commercially in music videos and television commercials. Each cartridge contains 50-feet of film and lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds when shot at 24 frames per second. Processing is only available in Switzerland, hence the two-week turnaround time for processing.
Obviously, I still shoot super 8mm regularly and was fortunate enough to be on the water filming when the lightning struck. Taken at 24 frames per second, only two frames captured the burst of lightning. Needless to say, I did not capture it with my Nikon 35mm still camera. The images are incredibly grainy due to the small frame size (8mm wide, or 1/16th the area of a 35mm frame). They have that 1970's Bigfoot quality to them if you recall that footage on TV. I just love it!
One day I will begin transferring all of this footage to the PC and make Quicktime movies to share... Stay tuned!
Mahalo,
Michael Nyberg
September 2003
