Ah, the Eiffel Tower. It’s one of the most iconic landmarks in the entire world–and for good reason, there’s just something so romantic about the idea of kissing a lover underneath its towering steel structure. Ooh la la!

But, Parisian fantasies aside, the Eiffel Tower is also a landmark that has quite a bit of amazing hidden facts behind it. As a matter of fact, most people don’t know that it is actually illegal to take shots of the Eiffel Tower at night because–get this–it’s a copyrighted structure.

Random, we know, but it’s a fact that makes today’s story feel just THAT much more dangerous…

The photographer that captured a whole new view of the Eiffel Tower

On May 28th, Paris was experiencing some of the worst thunder and lightning storms that it had seen in years. Actually, the storms were so bad that the entire city, as well as most of Northern France, was placed on high-alert and was told to stay indoors and out of the elements.

Of course, most people heeded the advice and stayed inside, dining on croissants and fine wine (probably), but one intrepid soul opened up the window of his flat and braved the wind and rain in hopes of getting the shot of a lifetime. This person is none other than Bertrand Kulik, a 38-year-old photographer who, we’re guessing, was really happy he decided to open up his blinds that evening.

You see, Kulik is a renowned nature photographer whose bread-and-butter are fantastic meteorological displays, animals, and all things nature-related. Because lightning was literally striking directly over the city of Paris that evening, he knew that he might get some unbelievable shots, but one that he managed to snap is something that photographers all over the world would kill to get.

Believe it or not, Kulik actually managed to get a shot of the famed Eiffel Tower with a lightning bolt going “through it”. In fact, the shot is so clear, the strike looks like it is completely ensconcing the thousand-foot tower. Incredible stuff!

Since posting his photo on social media, Kulik’s lucky image has gone viral. The photographer has since said that particular night felt “apocalyptic.” Creepy stuff! We don’t know about you, but we think this guy was pretty brave to even attempt to secure a shot like this amid such perilous weather conditions–even if it was from the comfort of his own flat.

Now that you know the whole backstory behind this unbelievably “striking” (get it?!) shot, it’s time for you to see the photo for yourself. To see the famous lightning bolt, and to catch more images from that tempestuous night in Paris, click on the video below. Now that’s a lucky shot!

We’d love to hear your take on Bertrand Kulik’s shot of the Eiffel Tower getting struck by lightning. Have you ever attempted to get a similar shot of the monument? Have you ever photographed a storm before? If so, do you have any tips for snagging clear shots?