A striking photo taken by Danielle Thralow is hanging in the Fine Arts Center at the Minnesota State Fair.

The photo shows a lightning bolt striking the water of Lake Superior with three ships or boats nearby.

“I kind of compare it to fishing,” Thralow said. “So very patient, lots of casting. And every once in a while, I’ll get a bite and capture a shot.”

She estimates she took about 7,000 photos during the storm that generated that lightning strike. But it’s all the little things in the photo that make it one of her best.

“The lightning strike kind of sucks you in. But then there’s like this tiny little bolt coming off,” she said. “We’ve got it literally striking in the middle of these three ships. You’ve got a saltie over here and you’ve got a laker over here, and then you’ve got the Vista Star.”

There is a little motion to the Vista Star, like it’s trying to get away.

With a little encouragement from her neighbor, Thralow submitted it for consideration at the Fair. She was thrilled when the jury accepted it.

“It’s just very affirming for me that something I’ve worked hard on for decades is appreciated,” she said.

Thralow estimates she’s taken about 1 million photos of Lake Superior.

“You know, why do I take pictures of Lake Superior? I can’t help it. I just can’t help it,” she said. “It’s a great subject. I can’t imagine a better one.”