Breathtaking Storms Brought to Life in Stunning Time-Lapse Footage

For most, spring is a time of blooming flora and fresh-faced fauna basking in the warmth of some long-awaited sunshine. But in the southern plains of the United States, things are a little different. Slowly, the sky twists to an ominous black, roaring a thunderous battle cry as it unleashes a flurry of hail and prepares for the final assault: a piercing tornado, tearing ruthlessly across the land. Whilst many shelter indoors and safely away from the storm, a select few see it not as a threat, but as a challenge.

Emmy-award winning photographer, film-maker and self-professed storm addict Mike Olbinski is one of these daring, yet determined, few. Mike’s latest film – titled ‘Pursuit’ – is a culmination of an entire season’s worth of storms across 10 different states with more than 28,000 miles driven. These breathtaking time-lapses are crafted from an average of 600 to 800 exposures per scene, with over 90,000 frames shot for this short piece alone.

But this level of endless dedication does not go unnoticed – the film is brimming with footage that gives storms a life of their own, as if primordial beasts unleashing a beautiful anger over the Earth. From billowing clouds pulsing purple with lightning in the dead of night, to wind turbines spinning helplessly under a blanket of ferocious vapor, Olbinski captures the shock and awe of nature’s might.

Olbinski named the film ‘Pursuit’ because, “You can’t give up. Keep chasing, keep pursuing. Whatever it is. That’s the only way to get what you want.” A belief not only true to budding storm-chasers, but all us photographers, whatever the weather.