Lone Bolt Striking the Beijing Skyline

by Skye Studio

A single bolt of lightning drops through a deep indigo sky and lands on the roofline of a tall building, where it splinters into dozens of fine, threadlike branches. The strike is dazzling white at its core, fading to pale lilac as it climbs back up toward a glowing patch of cloud that appears to be lit from within. A second, fainter bolt zigzags down the upper left, answering the main strike from far away.

The sky itself moves through layers of colour, from soft violet and orchid at the top, through a purple haze, to a dense, inky blue near the horizon. Beneath it, the city sits dark and quiet. Rows of apartment blocks show scattered amber windows, and one tall building glows orange at its edge, giving a human-scale touch of warmth against the cold electric colour above.

Photographed in Beijing during a thunderstorm, the image captures a split second of raw power meeting a sleeping city. It comes from the same storm as Violet Lightning over Beijing at Night, which shows the sky's whole network of bolts, and the two photographs work well as a pair. The mood is tense, exhilarating and strangely beautiful, and the tall composition draws the eye straight up the bolt. It will appeal to anyone who loves storm photography, night cityscapes and rich purple skies.