Lightning Over Salzburg, Austria

Photographer: Oliver Stiehler
Summary Author: Jim Foster, Oliver Stiehler

The photo above showing vivid lightning strikes over Salzburg, Austria was taken during a boisterous thunderstorm on June 22, 2008, at 1:00 a.m. I was positioned at an altitude of approximately 3,940 ft (1,200 m), overlooking the city. Although cumulonimbus build-ups and severe weather events don't occur as frequently in Europe as they do across most other continents they're by no means uncommon during the summer season.

Photo details: Pentax K10D camera; focal length 27; f/5.6; ISO 100; exposure time of approximately 2 minutes. Software used:  Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows.