This is the closest I've been to a lightning strike! These fingers of lightning, known as leaders, come down all around the central point of a lightning strike like an umbrella. The bolt struck about a hundred yards behind me and thus illuminated the entire midnight scene. This photo was made circa 1996 on Zion Road near Jefferson City Missouri. It was taken with a Nikon F3 with 100 Velvia Slide film and recently scanned with a Nikor V scanner.