It’s hard to tell distances at the Grand Canyon in person, and even less so in a photo.
This particular lightning strike was about 14 miles from where I stood at Lipan Point. A pretty safe distance for viewing lightning, all things considered.
Of course, when I shared this shot on social media last summer — and when I share any lightning photo, really — people loved to tell me how much danger I was in.
Well, here’s the thing about storm chasing, and it won’t surprise you, but it is inherently dangerous. Tornados, hurricanes, flash floods, lightning storms, they all have the capability of ending you.
And that’s what is so enticing about it. You get to witness, to experience, and to make photographs of some of nature’s most powerful phenomena.
There’s no way to do it without some amount of risk. But to me, if I make sure an electrical storm doesn’t bowl right over the top of me (that has almost happened), I’m probably not going to die.
Sure, freak things happen. You never know exactly how it will play out. But if I was so concerned as to not put myself at risk of sudden death, I wouldn’t drive a car, I wouldn’t even ride in a car, and I probably would not ever leave my house.
And I also wouldn’t capture 98% of the nature photos that I make.
Life really is just a huge set of risks. Just gotta be reasonably smart in navigating them and then get to experience some amazing stuff along way. Like catching a daytime lightning bolt over one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Because when the time comes to cross over to the other side, all we have are memories. Make ’em count.
Happy Friday, everyone.
-Jake
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