15 electrifying photos of lightning

Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border is known for its sandstone formations and vast desert views. Toby Dingle captured this lightning strike in September 2013. Click to see some amazing lightning photos from the past few years.

In Antwerp, Belgium, Zachary Koulermos was woken up by a hailstorm in June. After the hail subsided, the rain brought an "amazing lightning storm," he said. He grabbed his camera and tripod as the clouds retreated.

Storm chaser Stacy LeClair got this shot during a severe storm that swept through Apache Junction, Arizona, on July 7. "The Superstition Mountains are a favorite landmark in Arizona, and the church offered a unique background for showing how powerful nature can be," she said.

Several severe thunderstorms came through the oceanfront city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, in June. Boris Basic, who snapped this photo, said the storms also brought hail and flash flooding. "It was intense experience," he said.

The lightning's quick movement and the way it contrasted with the colors of the sunset caught Billy Ocker's eye in his photo from Florida's Sebastian Inlet on July 21.

"I was really surprised I was able to capture a lightning strike like this," said Madeline Belt, who shot this photo off Biscayne Bay in Miami in June. The storm would later become Hurricane Arthur.

When Seattle was pummeled with a severe electrical storm in August 2013, "all of us photographers stood and watched in amazement," said Tim Durkan. He took this photo from Kerry Park in the Queen Anne neighborhood.

Shooting on a friend's balcony, David Sowa used a 15-second exposure on his Nikon and an Instagram filter to capture this image of lightning striking the Willis Tower in Chicago in July.

Matthew Burke shot this dramatic lightning strike from his Manhattan apartment window in July 2012. "There was very strong rain and wind for about 15 minutes, at which point the rain cleared and the lightning show began," he said.

This lightning storm decided to join in on the fireworks after a 2012 Fourth of July celebration in Wakefield, Massachusetts. "The rain was right where the storm cell was, so we weren't getting rained on. It was a lucky shot," said Joshua Cruse, who captured this photo.

Phil McGrew kept his camera going for an hour and a half as a storm passed over San Francisco's Bay Bridge in April 2012. He shot this 20-second exposure through a rain-soaked window. "Lightning is rare here, but I always thought it (the bridge) would be a pretty good target for lightning," he said.

Bill Vaughn and his wife were hoping to photograph the Perseid meteor shower from Red Rock, Arizona, in August 2012. "We didn't catch many meteors, but did see that wonderful storm," he said. "The natural light show was very pleasing."

"'As the storm neared, the lightning intensified, lighting up the sky nearly once a second," said Jim Clouse, who witnessed lightning striking downtown Boston in June 2011.

It's only an optical illusion, but lightning appears to be striking a lamppost in this June photo from Billy Ocker. "The storm was wicked strong," he remembered.

Aspiring photographer Kevin Wolf captured a photo of a lightning storm in Washington in September 2012. He says he caught this photo by keeping the shutter of his camera open for 60 seconds.

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• Summer produces some spectacular lightning and it shows in the photos


• Use a tripod and a wireless remote to capture lightning photos, NWS suggests


• But remember, photographing storms can be dangerous, so stay out of harm's way

(CNN) -- When a photographer is at the right place at the right time, a lightning show can be absolutely magical.

Seattle photographer Tim Durkan remembers the time he stood in a rainstorm for 90 minutes waiting for the perfect lightning shot. His clothes and his camera were soaked, but he said he loved the experience.

"The crowd of about 50 people were literally cheering each and every lightning strike!" Durkan said, describing the group of amazed photographers.

While the lightning that comes with summer storms can be some of the most beautiful natural phenomena to photograph, these storms can be dangerous.

Remember: If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you. You can reduce your risk by setting up your camera on a tripod and operating it with a wireless remote trigger while you remain inside your home or vehicle, said National Weather Service lightning safety expert John Jensenius.

The National Weather Service has compiled a list of lightning safety tips here.

Have you captured an incredible photo of lightning? Let's see what you've got. Share your best images with CNN iReport.