Twilight lightning (w-638-17)

In gallery: Photos of the month (2005)
Related photos: Lightning Lightning (2005)

I arrived too late for this storm and could only capture a few lightning flashes on film before it died. A few minutes earlier and I would have photographed much more spectacular purple lightning in a blood-red virga fallstreak, colored by the sunset. Also, I was dressed in a simple T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops, which is unsuitable to walk the New Mexican desert into. I had to stay close to a road. I was being attacked by mosquitos - luckily I haven't contracted West Nile disease! Nevertheless, this was a storm to remember, being very beautiful to watch and photograph.

The storm occurred in the evening of August 25, to the northwest of Lemitar in New Mexico. Photographed with Nikon FE and 135mm telephoto lens at f/11 on Fujichrome Provia 100F. The exposure time was about 4 seconds, determined by the twilight.