Lightning over Phoenix, 1982

Thanks, all..!

The shot was taken from inside a thick-walled stone building in South Mountain Park, which contains an east-west ridge of mountains along Phoenix's (AZ) southern edge. No window glass, just an open-air building because it doesn't get very cold there.

I'd ridden up there on my motorcycle on a night when the weather was rather wild and windy in the valley below. IIRC from my memory now, it was October / November 1983, which is one of the seasons for storms in that area.

I was young and single and bored, lots of free time to just try new things on a whim. When I arrived, I could see rainy areas scattered in the valley below. I'd been up there many times before to shoot the valley below at night, all lit up, so knew the exposure. I pulled out my mini-tripod and my 35mm SLR and my stopwatch. Exposure was 4 minutes, f5.6, on Kodachrome 25. I took 3 shots; this was the first. The second shot all the lightning bolts were in one area on the left, and the third shot the show was over, there was no lightning.

I can't say it was just luck, because it wasn't just luck that I had my camear and tripod and knew the exposure. I was prepared for something, but didn't know just what when I left my apartment in Tempe AZ. But I sure can't take all the credit, because I couldn't control where the lightning bolts came down at, or where they appeared in the frame.

Thanks again.

One mistake in my directions above - I meant 1982, not 1983. The month and year are on the slide, and when I put the photo on Pnet, I quoted from the slide's date, which is correct. My memory, nearly 25 years later, was off by a year.

Doug Grosjean

Comments welcome, constructive or otherwise. I have pretty thick

skin... Thanks, Doug Grosjean

excellent mood

7/7

FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!! cheers Jana

Spectacular time-capture many, many moons ago Doug.  I love the color and the framing from the old window or cave.  WOW!

Ken and all,

Thanks for the kind words.

I'd only purchased my first camera a few months prior to the lightning photo, but I was a quick study because I really threw myself into photography.  Although I'd wanted to get into photography all through high school (I was 19 in 1982), photography was a diversion that I finally jumped into when the girl back home dumped me, and I wanted to get my mind off her with a new hobby.

The lightning shot, taken early on, on slide film, boosted my confidence in my ability to take photos, and to learn new things in general.  I could see it was special, and realized it was both luck (timing) and skill (proper composition, exposure, focus).

The framing is a stone, open-air observation hut with thick walls, built by the WPA in the Depression.  If I could change one thing, I'd fire a fill flash from outside and below to slightly illuminate the 2' thickness of the stone wall.

Oh, the girlfriend?  I moved back to Ohio in 1984 for college, but never saw her again.  Recently our paths crossed on Facebook, and we're platonic friends now, after no contact since 1982.  We'd long since forgiven each other, and I thanked her for booting me on a path that has led to a lot of joy, and to my entire adult life being documented by photos (my childhood is not).

Great composition and capture! I've gotten a number of lightning shots but nothing to compare to this. Good job, Doug!