Among the most technically demanding and visually arresting images in Chapter 2 of the photographer’s Top 100 Journey, this capture of a lightning strike over Tampa Bay represents a masterful convergence of patience, preparation, and meteorological fortune. Photographed from Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, the image transforms a transient weather event into a sustained meditation on nature’s raw power and the atmospheric spectacle that defines Florida’s subtropical climate.
The composition presents a study in horizontal stratification—water, distant shoreline, and sky arranged in classical landscape proportions, yet animated by the extraordinary electrical discharge that commands the frame’s center. A single lightning bolt descends vertically through towering cumulonimbus clouds, creating a luminous column that connects the charged atmosphere to the bay’s surface. The strike illuminates the cloud structure from within, revealing billowing formations in shades of pearl, lavender, and steel blue against a gradient sky that transitions from deep indigo to warm amber.
Technical execution reflects the specialized demands of storm photography. Working with a Nikon D610 at the wide end of an 18-35mm lens, the photographer selected an 18mm focal length to encompass both the expansive cloud system and the reflective water below. The thirty-second exposure at f/5.6 and ISO 400 represents a calculated approach to lightning capture—a long enough duration to increase the probability of recording a strike within the frame, yet controlled enough to prevent overexposure of ambient light sources visible along the distant horizon. This extended shutter speed also smooths the bay’s surface into a mirror-like plane, its subtle texture suggesting gentle motion while maintaining enough definition to anchor the composition.
The color palette distinguishes this work within the chapter’s broader collection. Where the architectural study of Signature Place employed monochrome austerity, this image embraces the full chromatic range of atmospheric phenomena. The storm cell’s cool blues and purples contrast with the warm ochre glow infiltrating from the right edge of the frame—likely light pollution from Tampa’s urban corridor or residual sunset illumination scattered through distant clouds. This interplay of cool and warm tones creates visual tension that enhances the image’s dramatic impact without resorting to artificial enhancement.
Within Chapter 2’s exploration of Florida Landscapes & Cityscapes, this photograph occupies essential territory. Florida’s identity remains inextricably linked to its volatile weather patterns—the daily thunderstorm cycles of summer, the atmospheric electricity that makes the state the lightning capital of North America. By documenting this phenomenon, the photographer engages with environmental storytelling that moves beyond picturesque representation toward a more complete portrait of place.
The work also demonstrates sophisticated understanding of the sublime in contemporary landscape photography. The tradition of depicting nature’s awesome power—from nineteenth-century Romantic painters to mid-century photographers like Ansel Adams capturing Sierra storms—finds fresh expression here. The lightning strike serves as both subject and metaphor: a literal discharge of atmospheric energy and a symbolic representation of nature’s capacity to humble human observers.
Viewed alongside the chapter’s urban architectural studies, this image provides necessary balance. Together, these photographs suggest a photographer equally attentive to built and natural environments, capable of finding visual poetry in glass towers and electrical storms alike. Such range indicates a mature artistic vision—one that recognizes Florida’s complexity as both a site of intensive human development and a landscape still subject to forces beyond human control.
Greg Urbano 