Lightning Behind Delicate Arch

ISO 3200; f/2.8; 16mm; 30 seconds

This is one 30-second exposure capturing a thunderstorm and lightning behind the silhouette of Utah’s Delicate Arch. Above the clouds, you will see a few stars in the sky. I was with a group taking a night photography class. A brisk wind ahead of the approaching storm whipped around us at an altitude of almost 4,800 feet. I sat shivering on the sandstone tethered to my tripod and camera so the wind wouldn’t blow over my equipment while I was capturing a series of images for a time-lapse. This is one of the last images in the series. The incoming storm forced us down early. Just after midnight, we hiked 1.5 miles down the sandstone slickrock in a torrent thunderstorm that rattled the surrounding canyons.