IS this lightning effect real

[litifeta]

We had big storms last night. Do you think this lightning has had some post processing done?

[GeoPappas]

It is hard to tell with such a small image, but it looks fake to me.

The bolt seems to cut in front of the crane (on the left side), pass through the crane, and then ends up hitting the ground way off in the distance.

I'm no lightning expert, but I don't think that air-to-ground lightning would travel such a distance horizontally.

[yingyang0]

We had big storms last night. Do you think this lightning has had some post processing done?

Yes it is completely post processed if I it correctly that the lightning is going through the crane.

[cdwheatley]

The main part of the lightning seems way to thick. The strike looks like it is the size of a house.  The scaling is off.

[cathyslife]

I think it's two images intertwined together.

[yingyang0]

I'm no lightning expert, but I don't think that air-to-ground lightning would travel such a distance horizontally.

More importantly it wouldn't arc out of the crane that is grounded once it hits the crane. Electricity travels the path of least resistance. Air has a resistance of 10^8 to 10^9 Ω∙m (in other words it has a high resistance).

[litifeta]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah the lighting looks way to thick for my liking. Mind you, some of them on their site are just plain silly.

So much for Photo-Journalism ethics in not changing images.

And the electricity analysis is interesting.