Incredible lightning photos

[Bill, KD0HG]

These time exposures taken during a recent storm are awesome...
Make my hair stand up!
Look carefully, you can see the falling rain illuminated by the strokes.

[Glenn NY4NC]

WOW... excellent!. I've always wanted to photograph lightning and since I moved to North Carolina recently I may actually get my chance. It seems everytime it rains down here, there is a thundersrorm, lots of thunderstorms  . The only problem is finding a safe place to take the shots! 

[W1QWT]

Excellant! Thanks
Very informative. Who ever said lightning takes the shortest path to ground and that it strikes the
tallest objects? These pictures, from the way I interpret them disproves that.

Regards
Q

[W3SLK]

Awesome pictures Bill. I would hate like hell to be situated at the top of that peak. No doubt a HAZMAT event would take place in my drawers!

[John Holotko]

Excellant! Thanks
Very informative. Who ever said lightning takes the shortest path to ground and that it strikes the
tallest objects? These pictures, from the way I interpret them disproves that.
Regards
Q

Very true. I also heard that lightning can strike anywhere from 5 to 10 miles ahead or behind of the storm.  It does not have to be directly overhead as many people think. Therefore you could be standing under clear sunny skies and get hit by a bolt of lightening from a storm several miles away.

[wa1knx]

nice shots. tucson is noted for its super lighting shows. i've only seen a few because
i'm not there in the summers, buts its incredible. if i get a camera, i'll try and
catch some on film

[Glenn NY4NC]

I didn't realize that! 

I have a large open field on the front of my property. Last week there was a thuderstorm happening which seemed to be several miles away.. I figured since the storm wasn't overhead yet, it was safe to get on my tractor and mow the grass, which I did. Guess that wasn't a good idea!

Very true. I also heard that lightning can strike anywhere from 5 to 10 miles ahead or behind of the storm.  It does not have to be directly overhead as many people think. Therefore you could be standing under clear sunny skies and get hit by a bolt of lightening from a storm several miles away.

[W3SLK]

John said:

Very true. I also heard that lightning can strike anywhere from 5 to 10 miles ahead or behind of the storm.  It does not have to be directly overhead as many people think. Therefore you could be standing under clear sunny skies and get hit by a bolt of lightening from a storm several miles away

There has been documented evidence that lightning can strike as far away as 50 miles away. This has been called 'lightning out of the blue'.

[W1RKW]

I didn't learn a lesson from last year after getting bopped by lightning and was dumb enough to stand out in my garage again today and watch an intense set of storms roll through late this afternoon.  We had some very vivid lightning strokes. I wish I had film in my camera to attempt some time exposures. this set of storms made me feel like I was in a war zone today.

I was out in the middle of the back yard shoring up feed lines.  I sliced a finger open with pocket knife while hastily trying to weather proof connectors fearing I'd get wacked by an induced strike.  All within a matter of minutes rain, lightning, wind and you name it was flying sideways.

The weather has been nuts around here recently. Nuttier than I can remember of recent times.

Bill those are some awesome photogs.