On a hot July evening last summer, I found myself chasing storms out on the Harquahala Plain.
I drove along the Salome Road, a desolate stretch of highway connecting Salome to Interstate 10. Seeing a storm cell dropping lightning bolts make a move south, I knew I had to try to catch a bolt striking over the highway itself.
After spending about 20 minutes standing next to a tripod in the middle of the road — always looking for headlights behind me, of course — this is what I came back with.
The bolt is kind of over the highway. Not a perfect alignment, but still pretty cool.
And of course, I had no control over where exactly the lightning would strike. That’s part of what makes photographing lightning fun, the unpredictability. You never quite know what you will get.
Control what you can control, and then let Mother Nature work her electric magic.
I think there’s a life lesson in there somewhere too. But let’s not get too heavy, it is Friday after all.
That said, enjoy your weekend if you can. My thoughts are mostly with those affected by the fires in California. Let’s send some positive vibes out that direction.
Best,
-Jake
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