Joel Meyerowitz
American, born 1938
Porch, Provincetown
1977
Chromogenic color print
39.4 x 49.4 cm
Restricted gift of The National Endowment for the Arts, 1982.1247
© Joel Meyerowitz

To take a photograph, the camera’s shutter must be opened to allow light to record the image on film. The amount of time the shutter is open is called exposure time. For this photograph of a porch on Cape Cod, Joel Meyerowitz was experimenting with a new camera that required a long exposure time. While his shutter was open, a single lightning bolt unexpectedly shot through the sky. This surprise is captured in the photograph. 

Although there are no people, how can you feel their presence?