Storm Warning

They say it never rains in Southern California—until a thunderstorm rolls in without warning. This evening, I ventured out for a late-day walk and progressed one-and-a-half blocks from my apartment, when rain drops started falling. I had been looking West to mainly clear skies, where hung a crescent moon. A downpour commenced seconds later, and I took refuge in an apartment building carport. Meanwhile, lightning flashed and thunder roared.

I used Leica Q2 Monochrom to capture the Featured Image, looking out at the clear horizon while water pummeled everything about me. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/1.7, ISO 5000, 1/125 sec, 28mm; 7:33 p.m. PDT. The photo is cropped to remove building overhang but otherwise is presented as rendered RAW.

Because the sun set 30 minutes earlier, I had prepped for black and white, knowing that the camera delivers dazzling detail in low light. Otherwise, the shot would be color, from Leica Q2.

I returned home to find my wife wondering where was her husband; devices restarting from electrical disruption; our ginger cat Neko hiding under the bed; and water on my desk from an open window.