Flow | A Storm Timelapse Film

In a paper released in 1990, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the idea of what he called a “flow state,” a mental state that occurs when a person is fully immersed and absorbed in a task. In this flow state, they usually find a deep sense of joy and fulfillment, and as they work, time loses meaning. Reading about this, I realized that this is what I feel when chasing storms. From the forecasting beforehand, during the chase, and the laborious editing process afterwards, I often find myself in this “flow state.”
Not only that, but storm timelapses show the “flow” of the atmosphere in an incredibly beautiful way. As a meteorology student, I am taught that the atmosphere behaves like a fluid, which can be hard to observe in real time, but when sped up into timelapse footage, the wondrous swirling and billowing of the atmosphere is revealed.

I remember when I was younger being captivated by the incredible timelapse films from photographers and chasers like Mike Olbinski and Hank Schyma. “One day” I thought, “I’d like to do that*.” While I’m not quite at *that level, I improved a LOT this year. Going to college in the Midwest afforded me many more opportunities to chase, and I was blessed with some incredible days once school was out in late May. There is still room for the quality of my work to grow, but I am proud of what I have produced (and relieved that its finally done, editing over 38,000 photos is no joke).

I would like to thank my friends, both at home and at college, my peers and professors at Iowa State, and my parents, especially my dad, my forever chase partner who is willing to get dragged along by my storm chasing insanity. It means the world that you all are here to support me. Enjoy!

Music in this video:
Your Father Would be Proud (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”)
Michael Giacchino

Gear Used: Nikon D750 and D780, Nikkor 28-300mm and Laowa 12mm.
Edited using Adobe products and LRTimelapse.