A professional photographer has revealed the reality of storm chasing and some of his craziest shots.
Mike Olbinski, 47, from Phoenix, Arizona, US, spends a lot of his time chasing and finding the best storms to photograph across the US – and he says the experience is exhilarating.
Now, the fearless snapper has shared his best shots – documenting everything from “alien spaceship-like structures” in the sky, to “monster downpours” and tornadoes.
In one photo, Mike captured a formidable big grey storm cloud hovering over a city.
In another image, he snaps a selfie in front of a huge, terrifying-looking tornado rippling behind him.
Meanwhile, another electric photograph shows great bolts of lightning appearing to scorch a distant hilltop.
A further shot shows Mike standing in a field watching a tornado approach.
In another image, thick bolts of lightning rain down on a city, with a cloud in the middle appearing to divide the sky into orange and blue.
One shot even gives a glimpse behind the scenes, showing Mike’s tripod and camera set up in a field alongside other photographers’, ready to capture incredible scenes in the sky.
“The experience of chasing storms is like nothing else, there are crazy feelings of euphoria and excitement when you are on a magnificent storm with stunning colours and structure,” Mike told Jam Press.
“Standing in front of monster storms, seeing alien-spaceship-like structures in the sky, or flashes of incredible lightning, monster downpours or tornadoes…is a feeling like no other.
“You feel small, insignificant and in utter awe of the power on display in front of your eyes.”
Mike has a skill for capturing photographs of lighting hitting the ground, in which you can see one
blasting out of a cloud.
He has previously travelled across the US to locations including Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska and Montana – as well as his home-state of Arizona.
The weather buff likes to storm chase alone, but eventually still shares his hobby with other people by leading tour groups.
He added: “I chased alone a lot in my early years and to this day, it’s something I completely enjoy and crave sometimes.
“Being on the road, no idea where you’ll end up or what you’ll see, that feeling of the unknown adventure is one I enjoy experiencing on my own.
“However, I now lead tours and so a lot of the time I’m chasing with my buddy Brett Wright and guests.
“That brings its own joys and fun, as people who have never witnessed storms like these suddenly are spellbound by mother nature.”
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