People have questioned me as to why I storm chase. The most straightforward answer would be to witness and photograph images like this. There is something almost addictive about monitoring the weather and radar reports to find out where the next storm cell will arrive, and then chasing the location and finding a spot, at a safe distance, to capture the raw power of lightning as it strikes. There is an adrenaline rush that occurs as the storm gets closer and, for me, an internal struggle as to when to hold my ground and when to bug out. I often find myself coercing the decision. "Just one more strike, one more and I will leave." Just as often the decision is made for me. When the skies open up in a deluge of rain and sometimes hail, or if a strike is so close that it slams my rational mind into preservation mode I bug out immediately.

The former is what happened during this storm. It was one of the most powerful of the season. I was well positioned on a small cliff face on the side of a mountain n Bisbee, Arizona, and far enough away, to keep shooting. But, shortly after this strike hit the skies opened up in a massive downpour that had me scrambling to collect the two cameras I had set up about 500 yards from each other, and then bolt to the car. I was drenched when I got there. That didn't matter. I had once again been blessed to witness the miracle of Gods awesome power. I had captured the wonder of it and could now share with others. That is what is important to me. The capture and the testimony. It is what I believe I was meant to do.
Shoot Date: August 6, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Aperture priority 30.0 sec at f/5.6 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 100