I have now visited Joshua Tree National Park twice. Contrary to what one might expect from the desert, both visits (February and October) have involved rain and lightning. I just yesterday returned from this second trip to Joshua Tree, and ahead of the other pictures I thought these deserved their own post. I have always wanted to shoot lightning pictures. I have never had the opportunity to do so from a safe distance. As luck would have it, yesterday morning afforded me the opportunity I had long waited for. I was on a backpacking trip to summit Quail Mountain, the highest peak in the Little San Bernardino Mountains. Starting around 4am, a huge light show played out to our east. I just had my 5D Mark II, 24-105mm lens and a tiny Gorillapod Focus (with the ballhead X). A rock outcrop provided a high platform for this setup so I could get a good view of the action from camp. I kept the camera close enough that I could keep an eye on it from my tent, and run out and fetch it if it started to rain, which it did twice.
![Thunderstorm and Star Trails at Joshua Tree Thunderstorm and Star Trails at Joshua Tree](http://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_9875.jpg)
Thunderstorm and Star Trails at Joshua Tree
Wow! That’s what I thought when this exposure finished. I decided that I would pretty much spend the rest of the morning taking pictures instead of sleeping. Who needs sleep when you’ve got this going on?
![Thunderstorm and Star Trails Take 2 Thunderstorm and Star Trails Take 2](http://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_9877.jpg)
Thunderstorm and Star Trails Take 2
As the storm moved north it got closer to us. The lightning became more and more visible. The storm was so electrically active that there was almost a strike or cloud to cloud bolt every second, with a faint distant roar of thunder. It was really quite a show.
![Pre-sunrise glow with lightning Pre-sunrise glow with lightning](http://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_9883.jpg)
Pre-sunrise glow with lightning
Here the sun was beginning to rise on the distant horizon. The horizon was 99% blocked by the storm except for a brief time where I could see a little red on the left.
![Lightning 1 Lightning 1](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 1
![Lightning 2 Lightning 2](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 2
![Lightning 3 Lightning 3](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 3
![Lightning 4 Lightning 4](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 4
![Lightning 5 Lightning 5](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 5
![Lightning 6 Lightning 6](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 6
![Lightning 7 Lightning 7](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Lightning 7
In this last one the lightning almost seems to wrap around a cylinder of rain. All in all I’m ecstatic about my first ever lightning pictures. What an amazing trip this was!
Finally, here is a star trail picture I took earlier in the evening when the skies were clear.
![Star Trails at Joshua Tree Star Trails at Joshua Tree](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Star Trails at Joshua Tree
Which lightning picture is your favorite? Let me know in the comments please!
by Kurt
Sally O'Brien - 6 is my favorite. GORGEOUS.
Anthony - Love the star trails. I think lightning 3 & 7 are my favs.
Kristen - These are AWESOME, Kurt. It’s hard to choose between the lightning pictures — maybe 1 or 6? The very first picture is my favorite of the whole bunch, though.