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 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Mitchell, May I ask what was your camera settings and lens for the above shot. I can never get it quite right especially with the light and always look at how the pro’s do it.
WOW Mitchell. This is such a cool shot. Very well captured …