I shot this lightning storm over east Toronto Wednesday night.
Lightning is dramatic, extremely fast, and is one of the hardest photographic subjects to shoot successfully. Shooting a streak of lightning in the sky and nothing else may look pretty but it gives no sense of perspective. I used a wide-angle lens and included the city in the image to give context to the photograph. (Danforth Avenue runs towards the horizon and the Don Valley Parkway is visible running left to right in the centre of the photo.)
Lightning can strike in a variety of colors. The most common color of lightning is white, but lightning can actually appear red, yellow, green, even blue or purple. The hue usually depends on gases, chemicals, and impurities in the atmosphere, as well as the actual temperature of the lightning bolt. Vivid white lightning is most common. Orange or reddish-colored lightning can occur if there's a large concentration of dust or pollution in the air.
On average, lightning strikes the earth 100 times every second. Still, a photograph of a lightning trail is unique, and a once in a lifetime shot.