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Most of us have become numb to the majestic power of a thunderstorm, barely batting an eye when the sky unleashes its most spectacular light show. We've forgotten how beautiful such a relatively common natural phenomenon is. The thunderstorm photography I set out to create is an attempt to remind us of how awe-inspiring and humbling our planet can be.
In the United States, most powerful weather fronts move from west to east, with the leading edge of a storm packing the biggest punch. Therefore, the best lightning photos are created while out ahead of the storm on the eastern side, in front of the advancing rain curtain that would otherwise obscure the view.
I was on high above the eastern bank of the Hudson River in New York City at midnight on this particular night when an enormous and highly-active front began to roll across New Jersey to my west. I was impressed with the incredible height and texture of the storm clouds that towered into the stratosphere. Of course, this magnificent display of cloud formations was only visible for fleeting moments when a bolt of lightning would illuminate it.
I worked furiously to prepare my gear and settings to capture a perfect exposure of this display. And, as luck would have it, shortly before the storm overtook me, a gorgeous bolt lept upwards high into the heavens above the Jersey City skyline. The breathtaking visual memory I have of that moment was thankfully captured by the camera and is now something that I can share with others.
Note: This is an "upconverted" VAST photo: it has been meticulously created to identically mimic a single-exposure photo.
Learn about the VAST upconversion process on our blog
View the original single-exposure image of the lightning strike
Date & Time | August 17, 2016: 12:31am |
Location | Jersey City, New Jersey |
Coordinates | 40.719438, -74.011959 |
Focal Length | 400mm |
Aperture | f/7.1 |
Shutter | 20 sec |
ISO | 100 |
Num of Exposures | 39 |
VAST photos are the highest resolution photos ever made.
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Its resolution is 5,700% greater than a typical photo. Click on the boxes below to zoom in.
Our ready-to-hang canvas prints are created using a specialty printer that carefully lays pigment inks down onto archival-quality fine art canvas material. The canvas is then stretched around a 1.5-inch-deep wood support structure to provide depth and elegance. Our canvas material has a delightfully matte finish that looks spectacular in any lighting conditions while retaining maximum vibrancy and contrast. Click here to learn more.
A VAST Print™ represents the pinnacle of the photographic medium. Each print is a true photograph created specifically for you using light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom with the industry's highest precision exposure technique. Your print is then sealed with a shine-enhancing protective glossy coating*, adhered to a sturdy aluminum composite backing, and finished in one of two ready-to-hang formats:
*Note: a non-glossy, satin matte coating is alternatively available on request.
Due to their record-setting resolutions, VAST photos are the most versatile images ever created, with the quality necessary to look great at any size and in any project. Purchasing one of our standard royalty-free licenses provides you with the digital file at your choice of resolution and a permit to use it for most types of projects. Click here to learn more.
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Total Pixels | 1,216,567,560 px |
Width | 33,470 px |
Height | 36,348 px |
Aspect Ratio | 0.92 : 1 |
Date & Time | August 17, 2016: 12:31am |
Location | Jersey City, New Jersey |
Coordinates | 40.719438, -74.011959 |
Focal Length | 400mm |
Aperture | f/7.1 |
Shutter | 20 sec |
ISO | 100 |
Num of Exposures | 39 |
Here are some rough guidelines for this specific photo: