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Photographer Captures Rare Moment When Lightning Strikes the Statue of Liberty

By Jessica Stewart on April 8, 2024

New York City's iconic skyline has always inspired photographer Dan Martland. He loves it when stormy skies take over, as they often make for unique images. Martland was certainly lucky last week, when he got a rare shot of a lightning bolt striking Lady Liberty during a storm in the city.

While this isn't the first time that Martland has captured lightning striking the Statue of Liberty, he was still surprised when he came away with the shot. “I wasn’t really expecting to get anything yesterday,” he tells My Modern Met. “I usually go for city shots, but the clouds were so low you couldn’t even see the buildings, so I decided to head to Liberty State Park and aim my cameras at the Statue of Liberty. A massive gamble focusing on something so small and precise. So, to get what I got was so lucky.”

Thanks to a dual camera setup, Martland actually caught a wide shot and a tight shot as the lightning bolt touched down on the statue's torch. Incredibly, the shot is all down to timing, with Martland using a “lightning trigger” to ensure that he set off the shutter at the right time. As with all storm photography, this combination of precision, patience, and timing can make for some incredible shots.

“I usually track the weather with apps and head out if it’s looking good,” Martland explained while responding to comments on Instagram. “I’ve had a time where I’ve been out for eight hours and got nothing. Today was only an hour. The storm passed pretty quick. And the apps showed that there were no more cells coming my way.”

To purchase a print of this image, or any of Martland's work, head over to his online shop.