Michael Bermingham

I was wondering whether anyone else, cant wait for Summer to arrive(in Aus).
I’m hoping the Storm Season this year yields some Great Photos.

I love a Summer thunderstorm, I hope i’m not alone.

It’s hot today, it must be 40’+ and the air is so thick you can feel it when you walk,
Its so humid you get wet standing still.
There’s no wind to speak of, and you see billowing ,white, cumulus clouds on the horizon.

The heat seems to intensify, the clouds have now grown to be Cumulo-Nimbus, and are considerably closer,
The cloud base has grown dark and ominous. A faint bolt arcs to the ground,
and some seconds later, a barely audible rumble is heard.

The clouds are close now, they fill the entire veiwfinder on your camera. The heat is still oppressive, but now something is different…. a breeze, barely noticeable at first, comes from the direction of the storm …...touches your sweaty face and instantly cools it. But all heat is forgotten, as a smell you have come to love reaches you…..... Rain!

Another Bolt!.... not far off… the thunder is only a few seconds in following. Its quiet at first…. but rolls into a ground shaking rumble ,and then slowly dies away.

Quiet again…. the only noise now is a car alarm, in the distance, sounding out its protest to the storm.
The skies have darkened considerably… you check your settings on the camera, hoping to time the next strike. But, at that moment… large droplets start to hit the ground….the breeze has gone…. a droplet strikes your face…it stings, but you dont care.

For a while you forget everything.
Allowing yourself to be swept up in the moment . the smell is overpowering now, as all the dust is disturbed by the falling rain.
The temperature has dropped by 10’ as the rain increases.

Suddenly you remeber your expensive equipment, slowly drowning.
The moment is lost.
As you run with your gear to the car, a smile crosses your face… the fire is out… the rain has come…and this, is just the beginning.