Unbelievable pic of lightning merging with erupting volcano wins ‘Perfect Moment’ photo contest

CLEVELAND (WJW) — An absolutely stunning photo of lightning merging with an erupting volcano has placed first in the “Perfect Moment Photo Contest.”

Francisco Negroni’s almost unbelievable photo is called “The Perfect Fear.”

Negroni perfectly captured what is called a “dirty storm” during an eruption of Chile’s Calbuco Volcano.

“Dirty storm” is the scientific term given to a storm that occurs when “the force of the elements thrown from the bottom of the volcano collide on the outside causing positive and negative charges which produce lightning,” according to the photo description.

Calbuco is reportedly one of Chile’s most dangerous volcanoes. Its eruption evoked fear in many areas and forced 3,000 people to evacuate.

“This image shows a rare moment of the eruption of the Volcano Calbuco with truly spectacular forces of nature that make you stare at the image for some time,” Judge Max Rive wrote on the contest’s website. “It is the combination of the rarity of this natural phenomenon with the technical quality of the image that makes it so powerful and unique. This image left the biggest impression on me and couldn’t fit the subject ‘Perfect Moment’ any better.”

Negroni was awarded $2,000 cash, a metal print of his photo and photography gear. You can find more of his work on his website. 

Here’s a list of the contest’s other winners. You can view their photos in the gallery below.

• 2nd Place — “Eye to Eye” by Bence Mate
• 3rd Place — “Showtime” by Bence Mate
• 4th Place — “Nebulus” by Brandon Yoshizawa
• 5th Place — “Pasarela” by Eliseo Miciu Nicolaevici

There are also a collection of “honorable mentions” on the contest’s website.