Lightning strikes as a severe storm tracks southeast of Calgary on a summer afternoon. (Matt Melnyk/Canadian Geographic)
“I could see the storm,” Melnyk shares. “It was intensifying. It had nice structure. I could see the rain and hail core nicely isolated. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a good storm, and it’s shooting out lightning like crazy! I need to get to a spot now.’”
And for Melnyk, the reward goes far beyond the image itself.
“You’ll never get the same lightning shot twice,” he adds. “So I feel like you’re basically getting a shot in time that you’ll never, ever get again.”
Pope says that dedication, whether it’s driving hundreds of kilometres or waiting for the perfect second, is exactly what makes these images stand out.
You can click here to see and learn more about the winning photos and scroll down for a quick look at a few of the top picks!