© 2021 RGallucci Photography

Here is the first of many images captured during last evening's incredible monsoon storms before the storms fought back and seized us. In what was to be one of the most harrowing experiences of the season, later in the evening, we held back, leaving a shot location in hopes of capturing an iconic image—poor decision. The core of the storm advanced upon us like a runaway freight train. In moments we were being pelted by two-inch hail as we rapidly retreated to the jeep. Once in the relative safety of the jeep, soaked to the core and shivering from the cold, we checked the radar to assess the best exit route. That was when we learned that we were in the belly of a monstrous beast (I will post a radar shot of the VIL in the comments). My students' safety is my number one priority when I lead workshops. Unfortunately, I do not always heed that mantra when chasing on my own. At this point, with one-foot visibility and a concern that the hail would shatter our windshield, we made a slow reverse advance towards safety. Once out of the maelstrom, we reassessed the situation and called it a night. I cannot lie; even with the error, it was one of the best chase nights of the season, and the only thing I would change would be leaving the shot site earlier so we could continue to capture this monumental event.
Shot date: August 3, 2022
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
⅕ sec at f/8.0 Bias:0 EV
Lens: EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
IISO 50