The storm chaser who risks his life in the pursuit of the perfect shot of lightning http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... graph.html

While most of us head for shelter when we hear a huge storm coming, one daredevil photographer has made it his job to get as close as he can.

These awe-inspiring shots of lightning are the work of American lightning chaser, Shane Kirk.

The 40-year-old from Kansas has been chasing storms across the midwest of the U.S. since 2006.


An image of a UFO like cloud from Shane Kirk's book Storms of the Midwest, taken during an early morning storm near Cameron, Missouri. He was out snapping photos for eight hours before his wife called him at 3.30am to remind him he had work at 8am.

Living in America's 'tornado alley' - where more tornados take place than anywhere in the world - Shane gathers the majority of his material during the spring and summer months, with activity peaking in April and May.

His breathtaking images have been made into his first photography book, 'Storms of the Midwest', which has images of storms from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

Mr Kirk is dedicated to his hobby, often travelling up to 500 miles a day to capture storms on film.


This stunning strike of lightning was captured on April 18th, 2009 near Braman, Oklahoma

Unsurprisingly it does have risks and he had a very close shave in an electrical storm in Kansas in June 2008.

'While getting a number of great, very close shots, I felt a lot of static electricity which is not good,' he said.

'Before I could make the decision to move, lighting hit a tree so close to me that I felt a good jolt go up my right leg.

'It scared me so bad, I left the camera and tripod in the rain and jumped in my vehicle until I had calmed down.'


A huge bolt of lightning lights up the sky above Lenexa, Kansas on August 16, 2009


Storm clouds gather on June 20, 2009 between Lebo and Williamsburg, Kansas. This storm had several funnel clouds and a brief tornado

Despite this he is determined to continue with what has been a lifetime passion.

In fact he is so obsessed with capturing the perfect picture he admits his understanding wife often has to ring him in the early hours of the morning to remind him he has work the next day.

'Severe weather has fascinated me for as long as I can remember,' he wrote on his website.

'Even at a young age when storms were near, I would be out watching the sky. I'll drive 300 miles on a week night to shoot lightning and arrive back home just in time to go to work.'

Mr Kirk's work can be seen at http://shanekirk.smugmug.com/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... graph.html

I wish I had the time and money to do that. I definitely would just run around tornado alley, snapping pictures.