Lmst

Heavy snow, slow motion lives

Heavy snow has a way of forcing the world to slow down. Yesterday that became very tangible when I watched a van and a car carefully pass each other on an icy, snow-covered road. Weather alerts were active across the Netherlands, and for many people this meant stress, risk, and necessary travel. For me, it meant something else: a rare chance to observe how landscapes and human behavior change under extreme conditions.

This image was taken handheld with the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Sigma 100–400mm, pushed hard at ISO 12800 and f/29 to hold enough depth and structure in the chaos of falling snow. In conditions like this, photography becomes a balance between physics and patience. Snow scatters light, reduces contrast, and confuses autofocus systems — your camera doesn’t “see” snow as atmosphere, only as obstacles. You have to work with that limitation, not against it.

What fascinated me most wasn’t just the snow itself, but the rare phenomenon that accompanied the storm: lightning during snowfall. Cold air aloft combined with moisture-rich clouds from the relatively warm sea can create enough vertical energy for electrical discharge — something we still rarely witness here.

If you don’t have to be on the road during days like these: grab your camera instead. But walk carefully. Nature may slow us down, yet it always gives something back to those who stop and look.

#snowstorm #winterphotography #extremeweather #documentaryphotography
#climateobservation #weatherwatching #snowinthenetherlands #handheldphotography
#canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #highisophotography #lowvisibility
#roadsafety #slowdown #natureandhumans #weatherpatterns
#scienceinnature #observationalphotography #landscapeinwinter
#tilburg #013tilburg #dutchwinter #stormchasing #lightninginsnow
#environmentalawareness #pixelfedphotography
#ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #wonderinglens
#ThroughTheWonderingLens

#stormclouds #dramaticsky #weatherphotography #cloudscape #ominousskies #beforethestorm
#ruralroad #openroad #countrylife #farmland #wideopen #lonelyroad
#naturemood #moodygrams #skylovers #stormchasing #windfarm #powerlines
#landscapephotography #naturephotography #earthmood

For anyone in the Bay Area, especially the East Bay and especially anyone who goes to climbing gyms, I'll have a photo show at Berkeley Iron Works through January. I'll be hanging it on the evening of the 2nd or morning of the 3rd. Alas, you have to be a gym member or buy a day pass.

It's all lightning/storm photos, like the one in November at the Ajo Library, but with a bunch of new shots, including Arches, Mono Lake (pictured), Colorado National Monument and a couple from the big storm that zapped San Diego in October of 2022.

#LandscapePhotography #photography #StormChasing

A lightning bolt drops down from dark clouds, splits and arcs back up into the cloud over a dark lake. Arising from the water are beige and brown irregular limestone towers about 16' high known as tufa. The scene has a dark, moody, almost surreal look to it because of the weirdly textured tufa towers.

Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito ruins. It's hard to see in this small photo, but it was pouring rain and the sky is filled with streaking droplets that look more like falling snowflakes or hail. I was holding an umbrella with one hand, shooting with the other, trying to keep the umbrella from blowing away with another, and wiping drops off of the lens. Having four arms really helps when photographing in storms. (I keep the two extra ones hidden by my side under bulky clothing most of the time so as to not freak people out.)

Anyway, re-edited this one and I'm debating whether to offer it for sale as a print. Thing is, it's a cool photo, but unless you're familiar with Chaco Canyon, it's not immediately obvious that the rainbow lands on the ruins and not just some random rocks. I'm going to have to have a large trial print made to see how the raindrops look. They might look cool or messy. I really can't tell on my screen.

#LandscapePhotography #ChacoCanyon #StormChasing

An orange-brown cliff with a double rainbow arcing over it beneath stormy skies. The rainbows land on ancient ruins, the wall built with flat stones, though this is difficult to tell in the photo. In the clouds are countless small white streaks, water drops falling as the sun breaks through to create the rainbow.

I'm streaming live and playing OUTBRK, a storm chasing simulator! Tune in for epic thrills and tornado intercepts!

https://twitch.tv/KimberlyMcBlaze

https://youtube.com/@KimberlyMcBlaze

https://kick.com/KimberlyMcBlaze

#gaming #livestreaming #stormchasing #weather #severeweather #twitch #youtube #kick

It is all the more surprising that since 1974, not a single plane crash has occurred during hurricane hunting. An incredible safety record despite the extreme conditions! #HurricaneSafety #AviationRecord #StormChasing #PilotBravery #SafetyFirst

A stormy night over Toledo — the majestic Alcázar illuminated by lightning. Nature and history meet in a single, fleeting moment of power and beauty ⚡🏰
Captured from across the old city, this photo reminds us how timeless Toledo truly is.

#Toledo #Spain #AlcazarDeToledo #NightPhotography #Lightning #StormChasing #Cityscape #TravelPhotography #LongExposure #HistoricCity #ArchitectureLovers #SkyPhotography #NatureAndArchitecture #Pixelfed #PhotographyCommunity #NightLights

Went on a storm chase north from Tucson yesterday. A very big cell was moving directly toward Picacho Peak. Calculating our respective speeds, I figured I had enough time to intercept it when it crossed the peak/I-10 area. I was right and was in a perfect position, with a clear view of the peak and sun breaks lighting up the foreground.

By the time the storm moved into the frame, though, there was a wall of water between me and the peak. A minute after this shot, it hit me.

The original is wider and mostly gray blur. I cranked up some of the editing tools in Lightroom to make the bolts pop a bit more and cropped it way in just to have something to show for the day. Win some lose some. This is possibly the last monsoon-season chase opportunity of the season, but there is lightning here even in the winter sometimes.

#StormChasing #LandscapePhotography #Lightning #PicachoPeak

A stormy day. The foreground has low shrubs in front of a silhouetted rocky peak. From dark gray storm clouds, four separate lightning bolts cut the sky behind the line of the peak. The whole scene is soft and slightly blurry because of the rain falling.

Rain Delay? Nope 🌧️ | 10 Observatories in 10 Weeks – Week 3

🌩️ Week 3 didn’t just test the schedule — it tried to wipe it off the map.

Instead of slowing down, we tripled up and hit Observatory 3,4 and 5 of the 10 Observatories in 10 Weeks challenge… during sideways rain, hail, and winds that could relocate a roof without permission.

This week featured:

Roll-off roof frames fighting for their lives
Hail bouncing off steel like popcorn in a microwave
Mud trying to claim my boots permanently
And zero chance of waiting for “better weather”

If you enjoy chaotic commitment, astronomy builds in hostile environments, or watching projects happen purely out of spite toward the sky — you're in the right place.

#ChallengeSeries #RollOffRoofObservatory #ObservatoryBuild #ExtremeWeather #BuildingInStorms #AstronomyProject #YouTubeChallenge #10Observatories10Weeks #ScienceVlog #ConstructionVlog #CreatorChallenge #Astrophotography #StormChasing #VlogSeries

https://youtu.be/nrT-PrB22CI

Continuing.

From the back yard, taken directly in the WordPress app. Time stamp of this entry is what I’m seeing at that moment.

Life is grand, especially when you choose it to be.

#StormChaser #stormchasing

#stormclouds,#dramaticsky,#cloudscape,#sunrays,#godrays,#stormy,#cloudporn,#skyscape,#dramaticweather,#sunbeams,#naturephotography,#weatherphotography,#stormyweather,#moodysky,#cloudy,#landscape,#mountains,#sunlight,#skyphotography,#stormchasing,#darksky,#lightandshadow,#nature,#overcast

Right above me the sky is spotless, but 100 miles to the east, near Tucson, there are huge thunderstorms. I can see the flashes clearly from here. So I've got two cameras set up shooting the sky for sprites. there are nice big silhouetted saguaro cactus in the foreground, so if I catch any it should be pretty cool.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, do a search for "sprite lightning". These things are surreal and and it's hard to believe they actually exist until you see one.

#StormChasing #Lightning #Sprites #TLE

Finale.

It looks like this weekend is going to be the finale of Monsoon 2025. I am here for it!

#lightning #photography #stormchasing

Got this yesterday. It was not a very productive day, but this place was interesting. Near Palominas, west of Naco, AZ.

#LandscapePhotography #StormChasing

An old abandoned, domed church. The dome is painted in faded, flaking green paint. The dome rises above two stories of yellowish concrete colonnade with dark interiors seen through the arches. The sky is dark and threatening, with a single lightning bolt striking in the distance to the right of the old church.

Well, I got at least one decent shot yesterday. Striking out today so far. Gonna switch locations cause it doesn't look like this one is gonna produce anything for a while and there's a big train of storms moving across to the east of here.

This would've made a killer time lapse and I can't believe it didn't occur to me to set one of the cameras up for that.

#StormChasing #LandscapePhotography #Monsoon2025

Looking across a shadowed plain to a giant dark thunderstorm that fills the entire horizon. Around a central downpour of rain, the clouds form dark, a torus-like ring

At the moment the storm is advancing north and all I see in front of me is a gray wall with no lightning. Now I have to decide whether to drive farther north and find a nice set up or maybe head south on the interstate where the mega cell is popping off lightning bolts nonstop. This area is tricky if you can't see the mountains because it's kind of dull scenery otherwise. And there are lots of powerlines.
#StormChaserProblems #StormChasing

Hooo weee! This has become a monster storm! I was pointed at Elephant Head Rock hoping to get a direct lightning strike, but then the storm blew up and now is advancing across the flat toward me. I'm hiding in the car. Any minute now the rain will start and I'll have to pull the cameras in but I'm hoping for one big gnarly bolt first.

(Note, the powerlines aren't in the frame of my two proper cameras.)

Update: I believe I just got the shot I was looking for! That bolt was close and big!

#StormChasing #LandscapePhotography #Thunderstorm #Arizona

Looking across a flat plain covered in a mixture of low brush and dry grass as a giant gray wall of clouds and rain advances. In the foreground two black DSLR cameras are set up on tripods pointed toward the storm.

Last week’s storm brought more than just dramatic skies and roaring waves — it also brought a reminder of the courage and skill of those who protect lives at sea. As I photographed the storm at sunset, I suddenly caught flashing lights from the corner of my eye. A large vessel stormed across the beach: the KNRM (Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij).

Within moments, the lifeboat hit the water, cutting through crashing waves with incredible force. The sheer power of the launch was breathtaking — in one frame, the ship burst through a backlit wave, sending a giant spray skyward, and in the next, it rose above the water as if weightless. To witness such a scene, and to capture it, felt like pure luck and timing.

The KNRM is staffed largely by volunteers, men and women who risk the elements to rescue others in need. Seeing them in action, even in training or readiness, is a striking reminder of the human dedication behind maritime safety.

These shots were taken with my Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm, with the storm winds and salt spray making it as much a battle for my gear as for the lifeboat crew. Once again, cleaning up after the shoot was no small task — but moments like these are worth every grain of sand.

#KNRM #reddingboot #lifeboat #zeerescue #stormchasing #stormyseas #roughseas #zeeland #westkapelle #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #maritimesafety #wavesplash #oceanpower #seastorm #nauticallife #coastguard #maritimerescue #canonphotography #seaphotography #stormphotography #actionshot #photographerslife #zeelandbeach #oceanwaves #rescueatsea #maritimevolunteers #courageatsea #canonshooters #wavecrash #seascapephotography #canonphotographer #lifesavers #maritimeheroes #photographycommunity #stormwatching #northsea #dutchcoast #seapower #pixelfed

This one of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park came out okay too.

Still not quite what I'm looking for, but okay for the first time there. This was the third of three storms to come through that day.

#LandscapePhotography #ArchesNationalPark #StormChasing

A view of a red rock desert landscape, looking across a valley to distant cliffs on a stormy day. In the foreground is a famous, natural, free-standing stone arch about 50' high, rising out of a smooth red sandstone slab. The distant mountains are visible through the arch opening. To the right of the arch in the distance, a lightning bolt strikes the ridge from a dark storm cloud with a sheet of rain pouring from it.

The day after the storm we returned to the beach, and the North Sea was more furious than ever. The wind cut across the shore with brutal force, and the waves rose higher than I have ever seen before — each one crashing with a power that humbles you.

We arrived just as sunset painted the aftermath. Between two storm fronts, the light broke through the clouds in a way that seemed almost otherworldly. Though the sun itself was hidden, its glow illuminated the scene in gold, turning even the wild waves into liquid fire. In the middle of this chaos stood the red buoy, a small but steady marker battling the storm — I call this shot “Red Buoy in the Stormy Golden Waves.”

Photographing in these conditions is always a challenge. I traveled, as usual, with most of my gear, but the sandblasting was relentless. Every gust carried grains that crept into zippers, joints, and even deep into my camera bag. The next day was spent carefully cleaning my Canon 5D Mark IV, Sigma 100–400mm, and everything else — a reminder that nature always leaves its mark, even on the tools we use to capture it.

This image is more than a photograph; it is a moment of resilience, light, and raw power held together in one frame.

#stormphotography #redbuoy #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #zeeland #northsea #stormywaves #oceanpower #goldenwaves #stormylight #coastalphotography #seascapelovers #weatherphotography #extremeweather #sandblasted #naturephotography #dutchcoast #westkapelle #seaandsky #moodylandscape #oceanenergy #climatephotography #wildsea #stormchasing #wavecrash #stormclouds #canonphotography #landscapephotography #northseacoast #stormwatch #dramaticlight #backlitwaves #sunsetglow #oceanstorm #powerofnature #weatherwatching #seascapeart #stormylightscape #naturepower #seascapephotography #photographerslife

#StormChasing

Client Info