Photographer’s Epic Journey to Capture Stunning Image of Rare Lightning Sprite

Matt Growcoot
A vibrant night landscape shows a glowing sunset, scattered trees, rocks, fireflies lighting up the foreground, and red lightning-like sprites above the horizon under a starry sky.
Fireflies and lightning sprites. | Nature by JJ

A photographer has revealed the journey he went on to capture an incredible photo of a rare form of lightning sprites.

Lightning sprites, formally known as transient luminous events, are a type of upper-atmospheric lightning that occurs some 50 miles above Earth in a layer called the mesosphere. They have fascinated photographers, scientists, and even astronauts on board the International Space Station.

Sprites were first recorded on camera in 1989, and are still poorly understood. Very few photographers have captured sprites in great detail. And the most sought-after kind of sprite, a jellyfish, is one of the most uncommon.

A cow skull lies on sandy ground at dusk, with a glowing sunset on the horizon and red sprites illuminating the night sky above scattered stars and silhouettes of trees.
A smaller lightning sprite.
A dark, rural road stretches into the distance beneath a starry night sky. Above the horizon, bright red streaks known as sprites appear in the sky, while trees line both sides of the road.
Nature by JJ

JJ is a photographer from northern Australia who was out with his friend Danny a few months back, trying to capture lightning sprites. While Danny was able to capture one, JJ missed the split-second event and so made it his mission to capture one himself.

“Over the last couple of years, I’ve dedicated hundreds of hours towards tracking down some of the most elusive natural phenomena on the planet called transient luminous events, of which the red sprite is probably the most well-known,” JJ explains.

A dark, starry night sky with a distant red lightning phenomenon called a sprite glowing above the horizon. Silhouettes of trees and two tripods with cameras are visible in the foreground.

In a recent YouTube video (above), JJ takes viewers on a four-hour drive through a remote stretch of northern Australia to an ancient Devonian reef, searching for the perfect vantage point — far enough from an active storm to capture a sprite, should one appear. These fleeting phenomena can tower up to 50 miles high, meaning the photographer needs a vast, unobstructed frame to stand any chance of capturing them.

Aerial view of rugged rock formations surrounded by green vegetation, with a vast landscape and a pastel-colored sky at sunset or sunrise.
The Devonian Reef

As he settled in for the night, JJ began witnessing sprites, but they were appearing much farther away than he hoped. “The storm was putting out sprites in the wrong places,” JJ says in the video. On top of that, JJ had to deal with being stabbed by prickly grass called spinifex and being bitten by mosquitoes. “Annoyance was turning into despair,” he says.

But despite the frustration, mosquitoes, and spiky grass, JJ persevered and realized he just had to enjoy the moment of being out there taking photos. And wouldn’t you know it, JJ captured an epic shot of not just the sprites, but also fireflies glowing in the foreground.

A grassy rocky landscape at dusk with a star-filled sky and clouds. Bright yellow fireflies float in the air, and rare red sprites appear above the horizon, creating colorful light streaks in the sky.

A dramatic sunset landscape with silhouetted trees and rocks, glowing green fireflies, and bright red lightning sprites illuminating the night sky above.
‘Presence’

“Those little fireflies reminded me of why I do this in the first place. It reminded me that it wasn’t about getting something better; it was about fully appreciating things there in the moment. And this is why I named the image ‘Presence.’

More of JJ’s work can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Image credits: Nature by JJ

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