That lightning detector looks like a fun project. One question about the design: given the huge tolerances on ceramic disc caps, does it make sense to replace the one in the tank circuit with a trimmer?
What's the timing of the output pulses like, relative to lightning strikes? Does it detect the "build-up" of potential energy, so the pulse leads the strike? Or is it detecting a product of the ionization, so the pulse lags? That would make a big difference in how it could be used for shutter control.
Ran