Thunderstorms are powerful and dynamic weather events that form when warm, moist air near the Earth’s surface rises rapidly into cooler layers of the atmosphere. This upward motion is often triggered by surface heating, a cold front, or terrain such as mountains forcing air upward. As the moist air rises, it cools and condenses into clouds, releasing latent heat that further fuels the updraft. When this process continues, towering cumulonimbus clouds develop, reaching high into the atmosphere. Within these clouds, strong air currents create friction among particles of water and ice, generating electrical charges that lead to lightning. The resulting thunder is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of air heated by the lightning bolt. Thunderstorms can bring intense rain, hail, gusty winds, and even tornadoes, depending on atmospheric conditions, and they are most common in warm, humid environments, particularly during the afternoon and early evening hours.

This thunderstorm came through the DFW area on June 13, 2012 and held up play for a period of time at the Ballpark in Arlington. Since it was late in the day and the Sun was low on the horizon the brightness, contrast and colors were really vivid and ever changing as this storm moved through. It was ideally placed and of the right size which made it a perfect target for the DSLR.