There are those who flee storms… and those who chase them. At the crossroads of meteorology, landscape photographer, and pure adrenaline, the storm photographer operates on the edge of passion and obsession. It’s not just about capturing a beautiful sky, it’s about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right settings and a hunter’s patience.

This extreme profession or passion attracts a growing community, driven by spectacular images of lightning splitting the horizon, supercells forming in the plains, or flashes crawling across mountains. But behind these shots lies a unique skill set, a deep understanding of the elements… and a healthy dose of caution.

A practice between visual art and climate science

Photographing a storm is not the same as photographing a traditional landscape. The lighting conditions are constantly changing, sometimes to extremes. The sky can shift from blue to black in a matter of seconds. The lightning flashes for only a fraction of a second, and never in the same way twice.

Storm photographers develop skills similar to those of tornado chasers or meteorology enthusiasts. They study weather patterns, air mass maps, and radar. They anticipate the formation of thunderstorm cells, winds, and fronts. Then, they venture out, sometimes hundreds of kilometers away, hoping to capture the invisible.

Patience, precision, instinct

A storm cannot be controlled. Sometimes, it takes hours of waiting for a front to form. And when it finally arrives, everything happens very quickly. The photographer must then demonstrate complete focus: check the framing, adjust the settings, trigger a series of long exposures or rapid bursts… all while keeping a keen eye on the evolving cell.

The techniques vary depending on the situation. Lightning can be captured with a long exposure of 10 to 30 seconds, or using a lightning trigger capable of detecting micro-light variations that signal a flash. Distance, terrain shape, and the presence of artificial light (light pollution) all influence the outcome.

But beyond the settings, one must have the right instinct. Knowing when to reframe, when to step back, when to wait. Some shots of ramping lightning, swirling supercells, or dark violet rain curtains can only be captured once a year… or never at all.

A gear built for extremes

The storm photographer works in often violent conditions. Humidity, mud, wind, rain, and even hail put the equipment to the test. Therefore, the gear needs to be robust, fast, and suitable for low light. The typical setup includes:

  • A tropicalized DSLR or mirrorless camera with good high ISO performance.
  • A wide-angle, fast lens (14 to 35mm) to capture the vastness of the sky.
  • A stable tripod, often weighted to withstand gusts of wind.
  • A lightning trigger or remote control.
  • A rain cover for both the camera and the photographer.
  • And of course, a fully charged battery and a high-capacity SD card.

Images that tell a world in motion

What stands out in storm photography is not just the technical achievement. It’s the aesthetic beauty of the sky transforming into living material. The clouds take on unreal shapes, the colors become otherworldly: metallic greens, dark purples, electric blues. The image then becomes a scene almost straight out of science fiction, except that it’s very real.

Storm photography finds its place in:

  • Art exhibitions, often in very large formats.
  • Magazines specializing in nature, science, or photography.
  • Institutional commissions (weather, research, documentation).
  • Stock photo libraries or popular science publications.
  • Personal projects, sometimes even introspective, exploring the connection between nature, fear, and fascination.

Photographing a storm, but safely

One of the fundamental points that all storm photographers emphasize is safety above all. A lightning strike can occur several kilometers away. Photographing outdoors during a storm requires strict rules:

  • Never shelter under a tree or a power pole.
  • Stay away from bodies of water.
  • Avoid high ground or exposed areas in the heart of the storm cell.
  • Always have a quick escape route (car, building, etc.).
  • Avoid metal backpacks, overly exposed tripods, etc.

Photographing a storm is spectacular, but not without risk. Caution and experience are integral to the profession.

A gaze that captures the untamable

At its core, the storm photographer is somewhat of a tightrope walker. He dances with a phenomenon he cannot fully control or approach. He works with the unpredictable, the violent, the fleeting. What he captures is not just a visual spectacle; it is the raw expression of nature, eluding any frame.

This profession or passion, whether practiced full-time or not, requires as much discipline as sensitivity. It is a school of observation, waiting, and humility. A storm does not allow itself to be photographed easily. But when the image is there, it is like no other.