by mitchellkrog on September 27, 2011
A massive supercell lightning storm rolls into the Highveld of South Africa at the start of the 2011 summer rain season. (Print, stock or editorial enquiries may be directed to image@mitchellkrog.com with image REF: ZAX3423)
The first summer thunderstorms on the Highveld of South Africa are finally upon us. After a very cold and dry winter the winds have finally started to bring in the much needed summer rains. This supercell rolled in this afternoon from the North West Province and brought with it the first sprinkling of rain to quench the thirst of the bone dry and dusty soils. It will only be a few days now before we see the farmers spring into action getting their crops into the ground and before the proper rains start to arrive. As for me, it’s my time to once again rush out and capture these incredible spectacles of nature.
by mitchellkrog on February 16, 2011
Hi Readers.
Life has been super busy lately and 2011 is off to a great start so far. I’ve had some new publications carry my work recently, had some media outlets in the United Kingdom and elsewhere pick up on my Hippo / Wildebeest story and also just completed a major commercial shoot for one of South Africa’s largest hospitality companies that’s been a year in the planning. I’ll have more info on all of this coming up soon on the blog but for today I have a fresh image from a massive electrical storm that rolled in to our area this afternoon just after sunset.
Our rains this year have been very good, too good for some people as we’ve had some major flooding around parts of Gauteng this season. Currently South Africa and much of the Southern hemisphere are going through a La Niña cycle which means more rain and more extreme weather than normal and if you’ve been watching the media in the last few months you’ll know that La Nina has been causing havoc in Australia and South America too with major devastating floods.
I however love extreme weather and have been fascinated with lightning and violent storms since I was a child. Photographing and documenting these weather patterns is something I was born to do and when I see a storm like this one, which rolled in this afternoon, I grab camera’s and rush out to get the full experience of this powerful force of nature and there’s nothing quite as exhilarating.
A massive swirling and circulating electrical storm cell rolls across the South African landscape and packs some massive lightning strikes along with it. This weather phenomenon is a common sight in the Highveld region of South Africa during the summer rain months. (Stock, print or editorial enquiries may be directed to image@mitchellkrog.com with REF: ZA-S8554)
I’ve been chasing and photographing lightning storms for nearly 6 years now and I am always trying new ways of showing off the scale and prowess of these storm cells. Timing is everything with this kind of photography but you’re working with a force of nature that has a mind of its own. There is simply no way to get nature do what you want and when you want it and that is what I love about this kind of photography, the absolute uncertainty and unpredictability of an African thunderstorm. You can scout locations for landscape photography all you like but when it comes to storms, nature dictates where and when you will shoot and there is no time for dilly dallying about.
This storm, captured above, had some of the most incredible and ominous looking swirling patterns as the center of the storm cell approached me. There was some strong winds behind the storm which gave a lovely soft texture to the grasslands in front of me and I went super wide to capture the scale of this monster rolling in over the landscape and I am happy with the outcome of this image.
Hope you enjoy it too 
by mitchellkrog on December 29, 2010
As the sun was setting on the 24th of December 2010, the most incredible scene presented itself to me. I saw storms starting to build from around 5pm but thought they had arrived too early and the chances of catching the storms doing their thing at sunset seemed a bit of a long shot. In the last 10-15 minutes of the sun setting I saw there was a gap on the horizon and the potential for something amazing to take place. I dropped everything grabbed my camera’s and shot outside into the maize field. What happened thereafter was pure magic as nature pulled out all the stops and put on it’s fantastic light show for me. I’ve shot a few storms at sunset during the last 6 storm seasons but personally I think this one currently sits right at the top of my personal favourites and will probably remain that way until I one day (hopefully) ever top this.
I never expected anything for Christmas but Nature rolled in with this wonderful surprise for me and there’s certainly no complaints from my side.
An electrical thunderstorm rolls across the South African landscape just as the sun is setting on the eve of Christmas 2010. 3 Lightning strikes make ground contact on the nearby hills completing the dramatic scene perfectly. Nature never ceases to amaze and seems to always catch me with surprises like these when I least expect it and it's a Christmas present I will remember for many years to come. (Print, stock or editorial enquiries may be directed to image@mitchellkrog.com with REF: ZA-S1468)
