Re: lighting pictures

Set a very small aperture. Open your shutter. Sit back and employ LOTS of patience.

The small aperture is critical since you get maximum depth of field for a something far away - plus lightening is BRIGHT - and any large aperture will blow out the shot when the lightening strikes.

Everything else depends on stuff like what the overall scene looks like. Are there city lights? If so, you can't just leave the lens open or they'll turn into a mass of overexposed blur. Are there horizon elements like trees? Do you want to see them or leave them backlit?

The key with digital photography is to shoot - look at the results - understand how your camera controls affect the way the camera records the light - then change settings to taste.

Those are the VERY basics.

Good luck.