Incredible Time-Lapse Photo Captures Hour-Long Lightning Storm in One Shot

Composite Lightning Photograph by Uğur İkizler

Amateur astrophotographer Uğur İkizler not only loves capturing the stars but is also fascinated by the weather. He's constantly keeping tabs on upcoming storms, and so when a forecast predicted a massive lightning storm, he grabbed his gear and headed out on his balcony. In the end, his diligence was paid back tenfold by the stunning composite photo he came away with.

Over the course of 50 minutes, he was able to capture images of lightning bolts striking the water in Mudanya, Turkey. He then took 30 of his best frames and merged them together to create an amazing composite photo. While İkizler clearly stated that the photo was a composite when he posted the image on Instagram, he said that many people still believe that all the lightning struck at once.

That would be a beautiful—if not frightening—event, but that wasn't the case. İkizler actually published many of the individual photographs he used on YouTube and his blog. The final photo is a testament to his artistry and creativity, as well as his technical ability to seamlessly pull together all the photographs in an aesthetically pleasing composition.