Fine Art and Giclee Photography

Often when we look at lightning, we look at it as cloud-to-ground most the time, if not all the time. Faith and I decided to sit down and look at a few of my storm videos that I did this summer. I hadn't noticed in the video that the lightning went from ground-to-cloud instead of cloud-to-ground but thankfully it was the first thing she noticed.

How does lightning form? Lightning forms when a negative charge starts from the cloud and a positive step leader starts from the ground, person, tree or any object that is on the earths surface. That is how a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt forms. So what about a Ground-to-cloud lightning bolt. Often when a ground-to-cloud lightning bolt forms, it is shortly after a nearby cloud-to-ground lightning bolt has struck. In my video the cloud-to-ground lightning strike that initiates the ground-to-lightning is not picked up in the video very well. In my photo gallery I will break that down for you, so you can see the initial flash, that spawns the ground-to-cloud. the only reason why my camera was able to break it down was because it has 30 frames per second capabilities. I will set up a link that will allow for you to see the frames broken down and eventually I hope a little slow motion video of it too.

This is a quick overview of the lightning photos as it progresses. I will have one later that has more yet.

(1) This photograph is the first initial Cloud-to-Ground strike.

Photograph (2) shows the lightning coming from the ground moving upwards.

 Photograph (3) shows it reaching further out but still moving in an upwards sky direction along the base of the cloud.

 Photograph (4) shows it branching out more and along the base of the cloud.

Photograph (5) shows the charge dying out.

I hope you enjoyed and next year I hope to accomplish this again. I have some locations in mind. I have researching lightning a lot lately and its given me some great ideas to improve lightning photography even more.