Lincoln Park photographer captures 45 bolts of lightning in a single image. Here’s how he does it.

A composition photograph combining 45 bolts of lighting taken during a storm on Sept. 11. Ian Wall went through over 1,000 images he’d taken during the storm just to create this photo. | Ian Wall

Some photographers like to chase lightning, no matter the danger. Not Ian Wall.

Though he won’t risk his life for a great photo, Wall still scores some amazing shots of lightning storms above Chicago and over Lake Michigan, and his followers on his Instagram account — @ebeermat — rave about them.

Earlier this month, Wall captured 45 bolts of lighting striking Lake Michigan during a storm. The post on Instagram got almost 700 likes and plenty of positive comments.

Originally from Derby, England, Wall picked up photography as a serious hobby about four years ago. He settled in Chicago after transferring from a New York office.

Now from his 11th-story apartment overlooking the Lincoln Park Conservatory, Wall has the city at his feet, and with that view, there’s no need to chase storms.

“They come to me,” he said.

A single bolt of lightning strikes Lake Michigan on Sept. 12.

On some nights, though, Wall does need to do a little racing. While driving back to Chicago from the suburbs around 7 p.m. Sept. 11, a tornado warning interrupted NPR playing in his Mini Cooper with an update about an incoming storm.

It was maybe the most reckless Wall’s ever been with his photography. He sped home to make sure he set up his Sony A7RII in time.

Wall’s corner apartment provides unobstructed views pointing east to the lake and south to the city. At night, he’ll choose the spot he thinks the storm will hit and point his camera in that direction, using long exposure for night shots.

On the night of Sept. 11, Wall turned his camera toward the lake and set his camera so that a photo would be taken every 3.2 seconds. For an hour and 20 minutes, his camera clicked while he watched the storm move.

“Lightning is mother nature’s power,” he said. “It’s deadly but it’s also awe-inspiring to watch.”

When Wall finished, the hard part started: going through thousands of photographs. Wall usually creates either 30-second time-lapses, showing the movement of a storm, or composition images, like the Instagram post with 45 bolts.

Right now, Wall doesn’t sell his photography, but he’s given some photos printed on canvas as gifts. With Chicagohenge leading up to the fall equinox Monday, he’ll be sure to have his camera ready to go — even if a storm rolls in.

“This is a hobby rather than a living,” he said, “so if a storm comes, I’m happier.”

Here are some more of his shots from this month: