Desert Storm

As I was driving through the Painted Desert in Arizona, I saw off in the distance, a possible landscape photograph. A thunderstorm was brewing with a dark cloud at the top, the ground below, and in between, a relatively clear sky and what appeared to be a large downpour of rain on the left.

Deciding to photograph this wonderful scene, I set up my camera on a tripod, made all the proper adjustments to the focus and exposure settings (250mm lens, 1/125 @ F22); and then composed the image using the rule of thirds. It was already divided horizontally into thirds with the ground, clear sky, and clouds. With the thunderstorm on the left, all I needed was something strong on the right to divide the scene into thirds vertically.

Seeing lightening all around, all I could hope for was a lightning strike on the right-hand side. As the sky became darker and the storm became larger,

I waited and watched, looking through the viewfinder for well over an hour.

Then it happened! I saw a single complete bolt of lightning, top to ground, and simultaneously pressed my finger on the shutter. I knew I captured it. It was the only chance I had. I was able to capture this incredible event.