- NYC photographer Gary Hershorn captured the moment two lightning bolts hit the Hudson River and perfectly framed One World Trade Center on Monday.
- Hershorn told Insider it was one of the best pictures he's ever taken in his 40-year career.
- He snapped the photo from a patio at the back of a restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Hershorn loves taking photographs that capture the juxtaposition of NYC and the natural world.
In his 40 years as a photographer, Gary Hershorn has captured plenty of incredible moments — especially in
There have been jaw-dropping rainbows stretching over the Empire State Building. Moons so majestic, they almost look painted onto the sky. Sunsets dripping in gold, or the purples and pinks of cotton candy.
But it was on Monday night that Hershorn captured a picture that truly took his breath away, as two lightning bolts hit the Hudson River and perfectly framed One World Trade Center.
"It was definitely a wow moment," Hershorn told Insider. "Even though I've been around for 40 years, when you photograph something that is truly beautiful or spectacular in the natural world, you're not jaded. You do still have these incredibly wow moments."
Hershorn is no stranger to taking photographs in thunderstorms
He uses professional
"Chasing lightning and chasing storms is not random at all," he said. "It's very precise and calculated. With the app, you can see what storms have lightning in it — because some are just rain and that's it. You need a professional app to point you in the direction of where the lightning is, and when it's coming."
And there was already a hint that Monday's tempestuous weather was no ordinary downpour. The app showed that there was a storm with lightning moving from north to south, and another storm with lightning moving from south to north.
"They kind of converged over
So Hershorn went to one of his favorite spots to photograph storms — a patio at the back of restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey
"The patio has a covering on it, so you're well-protected and you don't get wet there. I wasn't even wearing a raincoat yesterday," Hershorn said of the spot, which is on 2nd Street. "You can truly stay dry, with a perfect view of lower
Hershorn was briefly alone at his spot on Monday, but he's usually surrounded by fellow photojournalists when a storm hits New York these days. And what they're all searching for is that moment when lightning hits either One World Trade Center or the Empire State Building.
"It's a big thing on Instagram," he said with a laugh. "Those are the two photos we're all trying to get."
The antenna on One World Trade Center was struck by lightning six times on Monday, but Hershorn didn't capture any of it
When the bolts hit the river and he looked down at his camera, Hershorn already knew it was the best shot of the storm.
"I saw the lightning hit the river and it was like, wow!" he recalled. "I looked at what I had photographed and was like, 'There it is! You got it!'"
"Once I saw that picture, I knew no photo of lightning hitting the World Trade Center yesterday was going to be better than this particular picture. Of all the lightning that I've shot, it's the best lightning photo. It has the most intensity, and shows off the power of the lightning more than any other photo."
Hershorn has always loved taking photos of One World Trade Center
"It's the tallest building in the city, so it stands out," he said. "That building represents the revitalization and return of New York to the world stage after 10 years following the 9/11 attacks. It's unmistakable, we know exactly what that building is. It stands for a lot."
But when Hershorn left the world of news
What Hershorn really wanted to capture was the juxtaposition of New York City and the natural world.
"People think of New York as being this tall, old, cement, steel, glass place," he said. "And when you're in the city, you don't understand the natural beauty that exists around you. When you're in the city, you're never going to see the full rainbow. You can't fully comprehend the color of the sunset reflecting on the buildings. You don't see the moon until it's way up in the sky."
"It's not enough for me to photograph New York," he added. "I stand back and see what Manhattan looks like when the sun comes up or a storm comes through. It's a real joy for me, being on the outside of Manhattan. They only see bits and pieces, and I get to show them the whole picture."
And because New York is New York, it's not just the people who live in Manhattan that appreciate Hershorn's photos. It's people all over the world.
Many of Hershorn's images garner thousands of likes on his Instagram — such as the picture of a rainbow stretching from the Empire State Building to One World Trade Center.
"It was on April 15, at the height of lockdown in New York," Hershorn said. "It was a very significant picture for a lot of people. We look at rainbows as hope."
Hershorn credits luck for these picture-perfect moments, rather than something celestial. But he believes people will always find poetry — and meaning — in New York City.
"Lightning happens everywhere, every day," he said. "But when it happens in New York, it's a news story. It's amazing."
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