Lightning never strikes twice?
Maybe not, but apparently it can be photographed twice. Three times even.
At least three local photographers grabbed the same eye-catching shot of a dramatic, squiggly-lined lightning strike over the Portland skyline Wednesday night.
“It’s pretty crazy,” said Benjamin Williamson of Brunswick, one of the three. “There are a lot of people with cameras out there, I guess.”
A large bolt of lightning lights up the sky between Monument Square and Munjoy Hill in Portland. Benjamin Williamson Photo
Two of the photographers, Michael Leonard of Yarmouth and Colin Chase of Gray, had set up their cameras at the parking lot of the American Legion hall on Broadway in South Portland, where the Portland Camera Club meets. Williamson is a professional photographer who was standing about a two-minute drive away, near the U.S. Coast Guard station on High Street in South Portland.
“I’ve taken hundreds of pictures of lightning bolts, and I’ve never seen one quite like this,” said Leonard, 51, vice president of the camera club.
A view of Portland shot from South Portland. Michael Leonard Photo
Though they all grabbed the same split-second view of lightning in the same area, they used different tools.
Leonard and Chase used a lightning sensor on their cameras. The device senses the lightning before it’s visible and automatically takes the picture. Williamson set his camera for a 30-second exposure, meaning any lightning that struck within that time would be photographed.
The lightning bolt struck at about 8:30 p.m., in a steady rain. Leonard and Chase picked their location because they figured they could run into the hall for cover, if need be. Williamson chose his spot mostly for aesthetic reasons.
A view of Portland shot from across the harbor. Colin A. Chase Photo
“I knew that spot had a good wide view of downtown Portland, and you need a wide view for weather,” said Williamson, 31. “I’m always looking for good images of Portland to sell.”
He’s already had one order for his dramatic lightning shot.
Williamson, Chase and Leonard might never have known they all got the same shot, but Leonard emailed his shot to the Weather Channel. Meteorologist Keith Carson, who used to work at Portland’s WCSH-TV, Channel 6, posted the picture on his Facebook page.
On Thursday, Williamson saw Leonard’s shot and then posted his own, to Carson’s Facebook page.
“I was a little jealous that he got the scoop on me,” Williamson said of Leonard’s picture being posted first. “I felt like I was just tagging along.”
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.