Snapping the flashes

Gauteng's lightning adrenalin junkie is driven by a desire to capture nature's jagged lines on film: Mitchell Krog is one of a select breed of lightning photographers.
THUNDER and lightning storms are moving in on Joburg, and photographer Mitchell Krog is also moving in on Joburg, getting ready to capture each storm as a "living, breathing entity".

Mitchell Krog, armed with his camerasMitchell Krog, armed with his camerasJohannesburg is famous for its thunderstorms and Krog will be looking for suitable rooftops from which to capture nature's sharp and jagged lines flashing over the city's skyline.

Krog is a landscape photographer who travels around the country and continent to snap dramatic pictures of lonely and beautiful landscapes, as well as lightning storms. He says he was "born to" document lightning storms; he finds it exhilarating.

"I've been chasing and photographing lightning storms for nearly six years now and I am always trying new ways of showing off the scale and prowess of these storm cells," he says on his website.

"Timing is everything with this kind of photography but you're working with a force of nature that has a mind of its own."

Photographing lightning has its own demands. "There is simply no way to get nature [to] do what you want and when you want it and that is what I love about this kind of photography, the absolute uncertainty and unpredictability of an African thunderstorm."

Krog says that sometimes he can get his photographs within 20 or 30 minutes, but other times he can wait for hours. "Sometimes depending on the type of storms brewing I physically chase the storms trying to position myself in the right place for their approach, but this is also very much a hit and miss affair."

Lightning snapping comes with its risks – he has had several close encounters.

"I always attempt to be positioned so a storm approaches me head on and need I say this is not the safest place to be, but it does produce some of the most dramatic images," he explains. "The closest strike I ever witnessed while out in the open was about 150 metres from me and when something like that happens you tend to pat yourself up and down to make sure you're still alive."

Thunderstorms
He has been fascinated with thunderstorms all his life, and is intrigued by lightning. "I'm a bit of a daydreamer and easily mesmerised. Since I was a child extreme weather always fascinated me and I would spend hours watching storms brew."

That each storm is unique keeps him "eternally captivated".

He is a self-taught nature and wildlife photographer, based in the Magaliesberg in Gauteng. He has taken photographs across Africa and the world, and his images have appeared in books and other publications. What started out as a hobby has turned into his profession.

Krog has won several awards for this work: the animal general category of Fujifilm Getaway Wildlife Photography Awards 2011; and he was the winner for two consecutive years in the Landscapes and Plants category of the Getaway Fujifilm Wildlife Photography Awards.

"I live and love photography," he says. "Photography allows me to capture unique moments in time and to share them with the world. I'm seldom far from a camera and always find something incredible to photograph no matter where I may be."

There are quite a few lightning photographers around the world, Krog says, describing them as "eternal adrenalin junkies".

"Lightning photography requires dedication and patience and with nature there is no notice so when a storm comes rolling in you have a very short time to get gear together and head out and often this is not at the most convenient times."

He uses high resolution Nikon digital cameras but says that any camera can capture lightning.

"Life is full of magical moments but you just need to have your eyes open to see them. Photography above the many other things I have done in my life has opened my eyes to really see the world and sharing these visions is a true privilege."