Some lightning flashes simply are much dimmer than others, this one particularly so. Yet its faintness can’t be explained by partial exposure (the shutter was open before and after), burial deep in a core (notice its very sharp and intricate detail), nor distance (the thunder took about 10 seconds, or two miles’ sound length) to arrive. A normally bright cloud-to-ground discharge at similar distance graced my viewfinder several minutes before, to the southeast, from the same storm. The secondary cloud-to-ground flash at right was dimmer still, but also, perhaps deeper into the light to moderate rain that was falling from that core. It was one of the many situational mysteries the atmosphere has to offer for any attentive storm observer.
Benson AZ (12 Jul 21) Looking SW
31.9813, -110.308