It has become an annual tradition now to chase as many Monsoon storms as I possibly can in pursuit of beautiful scenes in which to capture with my cameras. This is now my eighth timelapse film in pursuit of such powerful weather imagery.
Over the course of the monsoon From June to September in 2022 I captured over 26,527 images for timelapses showing the motion and dynamic energy of the storms in Arizona. Each year I get better and better at forecasting my journeys but the monsoon storms are often still quite unpredictable and exciting. This year I captured the most lightning out of any year previously. I don’t have a complete lightning count but on one lightning counting live stream on twitch I counted over 260 lightning bolts in just one night.
Creating this film was a task that spanned over a considerable period. It involved pursuing monsoon storms for four consecutive months across southern Arizona and investing a significant amount of time in rendering and fine-tuning the still images into timelapse videos, rendering the entire process to just short of a year in completion.
Some of my favorite memories in this chase season include capturing an incredible sunset storm at the original Tucson Airport air control tower. Encountering a family of wild Javalina while tending to my cameras in front of a crested saguaro. A live stream out in the middle of the desert while surrounded by storms. Two snake encounters, a rattle snake and gopher snake in different parts of the desert. Also chasing some storms with friends and family throughout the season creating some wonderful memories for everyone.
All the images featured are copyright protected under Ray Cleveland Photography. For any inquiries regarding licensing, do not hesitate to reach me at [email protected].
