Just two days before a powerful earthquake shook New York City and surrounding areas, photographer Dan Martland managed to capture jaw-dropping images of lightning appearing to zap the iconic Statue of Liberty during a severe thunderstorm.
On Wednesday, a line of intense storms brought heavy rain, high winds, and crackling lightning to the city. As the tempest rolled through, Martland was ready with his camera to hopefully catch the dramatic sight of a bolt striking one of NYC’s most famous landmarks.
Luckily, his persistence paid off in an electrifying fashion – Martland’s photos depict a brilliant fork of lightning striking directly onto the statue’s raised torch, lighting up the skies over Liberty Island in an almost supernatural way.
“She’s Electric! This afternoons passing storm didn’t disappoint. The #StatueOfLibery getting zapped by a bolt of Lightning. My first strike of 2024,” Martland wrote on Instagram, sharing his incredible images.
This wasn’t even the first time he’s photographed lightning appearing to strike the Statue of Liberty. An equally amazing shot from 2023 is featured on his Instagram as well.
The photographer explained that he carefully tracks upcoming storm systems using weather apps to determine the optimal time and location for his lightning photography attempts. Though it often requires hours of waiting, this time his planning was rewarded after just an hour.
“I’ve had times where I’ve been out for eight hours and got nothing. Today was only an hour. The storm passed pretty quick,” Martland revealed.
To the skeptics questioning if the dramatic shots were digitally manufactured, Martland confirmed they were entirely real, captured as still images using a lightning trigger.
