Chase Description:

Embark on an adrenaline-fueled adventure into the heart of monsoon season in southeastern Arizona with our Monsoon Majesty storm chasing adventure. Experience the thrill of capturing the raw power and breathtaking beauty of severe weather phenomena against the backdrop of Arizona's dramatic landscapes.

Highlights

Dive into the exhilarating world of storm chasing with our immersive workshop, where you'll master meteorology basics, cloud formations, and weather patterns that fuel monsoon activity in Southeastern Arizona. Prioritize safety with expert guidance on storm tracking protocols, emergency preparedness, and understanding weather alerts, ensuring you capture stunning images while keeping yourself and others secure. Discover the essential camera equipment needed for dynamic weather scenes and master the art of adjusting settings on the fly to accommodate changing lighting conditions.

Learn to compose compelling shots amidst the chaos of severe weather, from framing lightning strikes to capturing dramatic cloud formations and the interplay between sky and land. Delve into the intricacies of capturing lightning, utilizing long exposure techniques, tripods, and remote triggers for breathtaking results. Understand how to balance stormy skies with surrounding landscapes to create visually captivating images that tell a story of nature's fury and beauty. Enhance your photos with post-processing techniques, tackling exposure challenges, and adding drama to your storm shots.

Gain firsthand insights into effective storm-chasing strategies, predicting storm paths, and finding perfect vantage points for maximizing photographic opportunities. Learn to interpret weather data, radar images, and satellite maps to predict storm development, enabling informed decisions while chasing. Experience the thrill of storm chasing through guided field excursions, capturing monsoon phenomena under the guidance of seasoned storm chasers. Join us and transform your passion for storms into an art form with our comprehensive storm chasing workshop.

A Typical Day Chasing the Monsoon

A typical day of storm chasing is an intense and dynamic experience, beginning early in the morning around 6-8 AM with a thorough review of weather models and forecasts. We check multiple sources, including the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center, to identify potential severe weather target areas. After ensuring all equipment, such as cameras, GPS devices, and radar software, is ready, we plan our route. Late morning to early afternoon is spent driving to the target area, continuously monitoring weather updates, and adjusting plans as needed. Upon arrival, we observe for visual cues of storm development and follow storms at high speeds, making quick decisions to stay safe while documenting the event with video, photography, and meteorological instruments. Evening activities include reviewing footage and data, sharing observations with the meteorological community, and finding accommodations if on an extended chase. Safety, legal considerations, and the unpredictable nature of weather add to the complexity of the day. This schedule involves waking up early, planning and driving to the target area, actively chasing storms in the afternoon, and ending the day with post-chase analysis and rest, making each day both unique and unpredictable.

Prerequisites: This workshop is suited for intermediate to advanced photographers who are comfortable with manual camera settings. A basic understanding of meteorology is helpful but not required.