How Adam Schallau Got This Electrifying Grand Canyon Shot
Having spent the last decade exploring every nook and cranny the Grand Canyon has to offer, landscape photographer Adam Schallau is an expert in capturing the beauty of this natural wonder.
Originally published July 12, 2018, by Emma Crawford. Updated October 16, 2026, by PHLEARN Staff: new layout with a shot box, kit cards and a storm safety box; the story is unchanged.
This 2018 story explains how landscape photographer Adam Schallau planned and shot Thunder Over the Confluence, a single lightning strike over the Grand Canyon in monsoon season, and how he stayed safe doing it.
As the park’s Artist-in-Residence, Adam spends his time passing his knowledge of the Canyon on to others, leading workshops through the national park.
Monsoon Season at the Canyon
Every year, photographers flock to the Canyon during monsoon season, a dangerous but beautiful period between June and September. Despite Adam’s familiarity with the landscape, the changing climate keeps him on his feet, and the monsoon season of 2012 was no exception.
While the season often brings flash floods and raging thunderstorms, Adam sees the beauty in the situation, explaining to Cowboys & Indians Magazine that he “[needs] something going on in the way of weather, whether that’s a thunderstorm, rain falling, lightning crashing down, or snow falling.”
Before the season hit, Adam already had this image mapped in his mind. The photographer was hoping to capture the drama of the storm as well as the serenity of the Colorado River, something which could only be accomplished from a handful of positions throughout the park. Adam needed a vantage point where he had both a commanding view of the river as well as an easy escape from the elements – otherwise known as his trusty 4Runner.
Chasing the Storm
Adam spent the entire day tracking weather patterns on his phone when the perfect storm arrived. Knowing that he only had a few minutes to grab this photo, he took a chance and set up his tripod in the eastern end of the park in an area known as the Desert View Watchtower. Keeping his safety in mind, Adam only got a handful of shots before the storm got too close, making the decision to head for safety once the lightning began striking 10 miles away.
The area featured in Adam’s shot Thunder Over the Confluence has since been a site of conflict, making Adam’s photo all the more spectacular. With developers closing in on an attempt to open a tourist-friendly complex along the canyon, photos like these tend to remind us how much there is to love about the Grand Canyon in its natural state.
The Gear and Settings Adam Schallau Used
Cameras & Settings
DSLR camera with 22-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and wide range ISO setting of 100 – 25600
Load Capacity: 55 lb, Max Height: 57.5″, Weight: 4.5 lb
Arca-Type Quick Release System, Separate Pan & Friction Control Knobs
To capture the lightning over the Confluence, Adam used his Canon EOS 5D Mark III, a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens and a Gitzo Series 3 carbon fiber tripod & Kirk BH-1 ballhead. In a post on B&H Photo, Adam explained that “the resulting image was captured in a single exposure at ISO 160, f/9, and 30 seconds on the shutter.” That evening, Adam captured multiple images of the lightning strikes across the canyon, selecting this photo because of the single powerful strike.
Once he got started on the editing process, Adam had to select the individual shots he was going to work on. Most post-production work was completed in Lightroom 4, where an S-Curve was added for contrast, blues were desaturated, and chromatic aberrations were removed.
Know Your Terrain
If there’s anything we can take home from Adam’s experience, it’s that you can never really know your terrain too well.
Emma Crawford
If there’s anything we can take home from Adam’s experience, it’s that you can never really know your terrain too well. His knowledge of the environment helped him capture the beauty of an otherwise dangerous season in the Canyon, and his sharpened instincts kept him at a safe distance. For those hoping to take in the beauty of this national park yourself, check out some of Adam’s workshops to learn from the best, and be sure to visit his Instagram and Facebook page to be kept up to date with these scenic snapshots.
Common Questions About Adam Schallau’s Lightning Shot
Who is Adam Schallau? A landscape photographer who, when this article ran in 2018, had spent a decade exploring the Grand Canyon. As the park’s Artist-in-Residence, he passed his knowledge of the canyon on to others by leading photography workshops in the national park.
How did Adam Schallau photograph lightning over the Grand Canyon? He had the image mapped in his mind before the 2012 monsoon season: the drama of a storm over the calm Colorado River, which only a handful of spots in the park could show. On the day, he tracked the weather on his phone, set up his tripod at the Desert View Watchtower at the eastern end of the park, took a handful of shots, and left once lightning began striking 10 miles away.
What camera settings did Adam Schallau use? A Canon EOS 5D Mark III with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens on a Gitzo Series 3 carbon fiber tripod with a Kirk BH-1 ballhead. The photo is a single exposure at ISO 160, f/9 and 30 seconds. He edited it in Lightroom 4, adding an S-curve for contrast, desaturating the blues and removing chromatic aberrations.
When is monsoon season at the Grand Canyon? The article puts it between June and September, a dangerous but beautiful period that brings flash floods and thunderstorms, and draws photographers to the canyon every year.
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