Posted on 23rd July 2010 by admin in Articles |Lightning |Photography |SA Photographers |South Africa
Africa, electric, forces, free energy, Lightning, nature, Photography, power, safety, south, Storms
Lightning Storms are one of the most incredible forces of nature. The sheer force of a lightning strike is enough to power a city for months on end but man has not yet learned to harness and store this incredible energy source provided free of charge by nature. As Summer approaches in South Africa, the first rains and electrical storms for the season are already brewing and we’ll soon see what kind of storm activity nature has in store for use this season. Acclaimed South African Lightning and Storm Photographer Mitchell Krog shares some of his images, views and experiences with lightning photography.
Danger Written In The Sky. Multiple Lightning Strikes Light Up The Summer Night Sky. If Only Man Could Learn To Harness This Energy. From Mitchell Krog's Lightning Photography Collections. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
For many years SA photographer Mitchell Krog has watched and studied electrical storms and to this day still stands in utter amazement at this incredible force of nature. In recent years he acquired the equipment and skills to finally capture them on film and he has produced an endless array of breathtaking images. For Mitchell it is not about simply capturing a lightning strike on film but more importantly capturing the entire scene and telling a story through his images. “With any form of photography if you can captivate a viewers attention, draw them into an image, tell them a story and have them study it for more than just a few seconds you have imprinted an ever lasting memory” says Mitchell. Lightning photography can be a very lonely passtime, only those with enough dedication, patience and endurance to be out at strange hours of the night will stand a chance of capturing unique, sometimes once in a lifetime images.
The Big Detour. A passenger aircraft destined for Lanseria airport bypasses a massive storm cell. Missing dinner and spending many lonesome hours outside comes with the job of photographing lightning storms. From Mitchell Krog's Lightning Photography Portfolio. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
As with any form of photography, timing is of the essence. If you are unprepared, unwilling or unable to drop whatever you are doing at a moments notice you will miss opportunities. “I cannot tell you how many evenings I have rushed out of the house just minutes before dinner was ready only to return home several hours later, but nature waits for no man and if you are quick to seize the opportunity you will reap the rewards” says Mitchell. Mitchell’s Fire and Ice series, capturing a grassland fire which was started by lightning strikes was one such occasion. He explains – “I was cooking dinner when I heard thunder approaching, I took a quick look outside and saw the sky glowing red from a grass fire, I dropped everything, rushed outside and managed to capture a few frames of this scene before the storm extinguished the fire it had started. This entire window of opportunity lasted a mere 20-30 minutes and was at it’s best stage for around 5-10 minutes.”
Fire and Ice. An early Spring lightning storm starts a grass fire and is captured here with strikes falling around and into the fire. Minutes later the storm extinguishes the fire it started and the moment is gone. From Mitchell Krog's Fire and Ice Lightning Photography Series. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
Safety is an important part of watching and photographing lightning storms. Finding a safe location with a good view is of the essence, you need to be able to see the storm approaching and be able to determine if you are in any way in the path of danger. “If your view is in any way blocked a storm can sneak up right behind you so a 360 degree view is preferrable, you also need somewhere safe to escape to. I’ve often been watching a storm in one direction when right behind me another one is brewing, so I always keep a watch all around me. Standing outside with a metal tripod and an electrically charged camera when strikes are falling too close is asking for trouble” says Mitchell. Mitchell insists that climbing on the roof of your house or any metal structure is a big no-no and could quickly cost you your life and he always promotes safe lightning photography. “There is just no image worth losing your life over” he adds.
Killer Storm. On the 23rd of November 2007 this mammoth supercell emitting lightning strikes up and out of it's core was captured by Mitchell Krog. The strikes emanating from the centre of this storm cell were kilometres in length and streaked across the night sky. This same evening several massive storm cells circulated through Gauteng and claimed lives in their path. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
More articles and images in this series on Lightning Photography will follow in the coming months.
Posted on 12th October 2009 by admin in Lightning
capital, city, conserving, electricity, eskom, force, Lightning, nature, night, Photography, power, Pretoria, skyline, Tshwane
This image of Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, shows the city dwarfed in comparison to a massive lightning strike on the surrounding hills. Lightning photographer Mitchell Krog endured several hours of extreme dust storms and cold winds in excess of 80km/h to obtain this image. “It’s disappointing to note how South African’s are “conserving” power, it seems everyone in South Africa has long forgotten the Eskom Load Shedding debacle of last year and the recent and coming price hikes to electricity” says Mitchell.
A massive lightning strike dwarfs Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa. From Mitchell Krog's Lightning Photography Portfolios. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
This image will soon be available in print, watch this site for more details to be announced soon.
Posted on 29th September 2009 by admin in Lightning
Lightning, panorama, panoramic, Photography, Storms, sunsets, thunderstorms
On the South African Highveld, Spring has jumped into high gear already with the first major thunderstorms now circulating the region. After a very long and dry winter, the rain is a big relief for all and sundry, for South African Lightning Photographer Mitchell Krog it’s work as usual chasing storms. This image below captured an electrical storm at sunset.
Mitchell Krog explains the story:
Some storms were circulating our area from around 3pm in the afternoon, around 5:30pm I noticed a gap in the clouds on the horizon that showed potential of the sun being able to find it’s way through. I got my kit and drove down to a nearby field. Because it was raining I was confined to the vehicle and got myself into some rather uncompromising positions to get this shot. I had no option to use a tripod due to the space limitations in the vehicle I was in so I had to get myself into a position that I could shoot out the window and keep the camera handheld as still as possible. 30 minutes later, a stiff back, sore arms and voila it all just came together for one fleeting moment. I would have liked a few ground strikes but with lightning photography you settle for whatever you are given. It’s not often that the sun finds a gap through a storm front but nature is full of surprises.
Electric Sunset. This image taken on the afternoon of the 28th of September 2009 by South African Lightning Photographer Mitchell Krog captured the setting sun with a storm to the right streaking lightning across the sky. It's seldom that the sun finds its way through a storm front. From Mitchell Krog's Lightning Photography Portfolios. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
Posted on 23rd September 2009 by admin in Articles |Lightning |Magaliesburg |Night Photography |Photography |SA Photographers |South Africa
gauteng, highveld, Lightning, rain, relief, South Africa, spring, struck, summer, thunder, thunderstorms
The Spring Solstice could not have been a better time for the first thunder and lightning storms to arrive on the Highveld of South Africa. After a very long and dry winter, you can hear both man and nature breathe a sigh of relief. With more rain apparently on the way we can only hope that we have a good rain season this coming Summer, it sure is very much needed. For a big portion of South Africa it is now time to start unplugging modems and computers or risk losing them through a lightning strike.
The First Thunderstorm of 2009. Lightning, thunder and rain, there is quite simply nothing quite like it. From Mitchell Krog's Lightning Photography Portfolios. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
Posted on 31st August 2009 by admin in Articles |Environmental |Landscape |Lightning |Magaliesburg |Reviews |SA Photographers |South Africa |Storms
Africa, getaway, Landscape, Magaliesburg, mohale, Photography, sunsets, Travel
With views stretching forever and a day across the North West Province and some of the most magical sunsets anywhere in South Africa, it’s no wonder that the Magaliesburg is one of Gauteng’s top weekend getaways, the Magaliesburg is a truly magical place. South African Photographer Mitchell Krog who resides in Magaliesburg has spent the last four years photographing the beautiful environments of Magaliesburg and has achieved much acclaim with his photography.
You Can See Forever and a Day. The views from Magaliesburg stretch far into the North West province. From Mitchell Krog's Magaliesburg Photography Portfolio. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
The Magaliesberg Range has a very long geological history. Its quartzites, shales, chert and dolomite were deposited as sediments in an inland basin on top of the 3 billion year old Archaean Basement Complex. This process of sedimentation lasted for about 300 million years. About 2 billion years ago a massive upwelling of molten magma resulted in what is now known as the Bushveld Igneous Complex. The enormous weight of this intrusion depressed the sediments that lay beneath and tilted the sediments along the edges so that the broken scarps faced outward and upward, and the gentler dip slopes inward. During the same period these sediments were fractured and igneous intrusions of dolerite filled the cracks. With the passage of time these intrusions eroded, especially on the dip slopes, forming deep kloofs or ravines providing excellent rock-climbing potential to modern man. This large dogbone-shaped area is now termed the Transvaal Basin and includes the lofty escarpment of the Transvaal Drakensberg overlooking the Lowveld in the eastern part of the country. Massive outpourings of igneous material of the much younger Karroo System later covered the Transvaal Basin, but this was subsequently eroded so that it only remains along the Transvaal Basin’s southern rim.
The Beautiful Golden Winter Colours of a Winter Sunset Over the Magaliesburg Mountains. From Mitchell Krog's Magaliesburg Photography Collection. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
The Magaliesburg Mountain range forms a natural barrier between the lower lying Bushveld to the north and the cooler Highveld to the south. The range receives rainfall in summer in the form of thunderstorms, with an average of 650mmm annually. In winter frost occurs frequently in the valleys on the southern side of the mountain, but almost never on the northern slopes. Mitchell Krog, a specialist and award winning lightning photographer has produced some incredible lightning images from Magaliesburg.
Fire and Ice. The First Electrical Storm of Summer Sets The Grass Lands Alight. From Mitchell Krog's Lightning Photography Portfolio. (Copyright Mitchell Krog - All Rights Reserved)
Watch our for more in photos and articles in this series about Magaliesburg.
~ Mitchell Krog
Posted on 27th August 2009 by admin in Landscape |Lightning |Press |SA Photographers
