Photo of the Day

a lightning storm in West Java, Indonesia
May 13, 2014

Beach Lightning

"I’m very passionate about landscape photography," says Your Shot member Rudi Gunawan. "For me, nature always reflects the power of the sublime, and as a human, I’m very grateful to be part of the experience. This shot was taken while I was on vacation with my family at Tanjung Lesung, West Java, Indonesia. I was looking for the sunset moment, which unfortunately never came because the sky was so cloudy and covered the sun."

But Gunawan could see lightning strikes in the distance. "Quickly, I set up my tripod, changed my camera settings, and let the camera adjust the shutter speed automatically. I made a couple shots and angles to capture the moment, and after around 15 minutes this is the shot that really described what I felt about the sublime qualities of nature."

This photo was recently featured in the final story of our Nature in Black and Whiteassignment.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

Photograph by Rudi Gunawan, National Geographic Your Shot
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