markhumpage  > Mother Nature > North American Monsoon 2008
Spectacular lightning, dust storms, monsoons, flash flooding...Arizona has it all. At the end of July in 2008 I headed off to the scorching deserts of Arizona for the Extreme Heat project. I witnessed the unique and massive movement of moisture flowing into the desert landscape, the North American Monsoon, resulting in intense flash flooding, huge electrical thunderstorms, incredible haboobs (fast moving dust storms) combined with extreme temperatures. With the Grand Canyon and Death Valley a stone’s throw distance away I was within one of the hottest spots on earth. So hot you can make instant sun tea and hot water comes out of both taps! I captured every minute of this incredible cyclic phenomenon. However, all did no go to plan. After a few days moisture flow was cut off from an early season hurricane and I had to adopt plan B. This took me to Florida in search of waterspouts and thunderstorms. I returned to Arizona for the last few days of the project for some stunning lightning displays too. A true adventure.
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markhumpage > Monsoon downpours were intense, unleashing one foot of rain in an hour. The Arizona landscape was a perfect backdrop for images. The nature of the land was also conducive to major flash flooding. Timing and positioning were crucial to get shots like this. The intensity and crispness of the precip shaft is what I was after here. Minutes later flash floods would have stranded us, if we had stayed put.
Olympus E3, 50-200mm SWD - F5.6, 1/250s
markhumpage > Incredible monsoon storm captured in panoramic format. Four images stitched to give a sense of scale to these epic monsoon storms.
Olympus E3, 12-60mm SWD - F5.6, 1/400s
markhumpage > Stormchasers and TV crews galore following this monsoon thunderstorm north of Phoenix, Arizona. It also unleashed very impressive cloud to ground lightning.
Olympus E3, 12-60mm SWD - F4.5, 1/250s
markhumpage > A beautiful and photogenic place to visit during monsoon season. This shot saw me located east of Tucson in the Sierra Vista hills in search of monsoon storms. I was drawn to the colour from the yellow bush and sign, located in the middle of the desert landscape. The track or 'Private Drive' went on for ever straight into the storm. "Sue me" I thought. 
Olympus E3, 12-60mm SWD - F5.6, 1/60s
markhumpage > Temperatures pushing 120F were not the only thing pushing body and camera to the limits. Amidst the Arizona desert landscape reside a whole host of little critters. Flip flops or sandals were not recommended.  On one shoot, near Phoenix, the area was covered with tarantula holes. I didn't realise what they were until someone cautiously advised me where not to put my feet.
Olympus E3, 12-60mm SWD - F4.5, 1/250s
markhumpage > The Longhorn bar and grill, Arivaca, Tucson, Arizona. It's not every day you get to see a place like this. The iconic horns are visible for miles and it's an irresistible stop. The food is as good as the entrance. 
Olympus E3, 7-14mm - F5, 1/1000s
markhumpage > The towering storm cloud of a cumulonimbus, driven upwards by a combination of convection and the hills surrounding Tucson, Arizona. Storms like this are a common sight during monsoon season as pools of moisture get drawn into the normally dry atmosphere. The 8mm fisheye is used to maximise the composition and thereby giving a different perspective from the norm. 
Olympus E3, 8mm fisheye - F5.6, 1/2500s
markhumpage > The protected giant saguaro cactus captured in the Saguaro National Park just outside of Tucson. The cacti are an amazing spectacle to see in their natural habitat. They are also huge, growing beyond 40ft tall and a great subject matter to fill a frame. Whilst pursuing a monsoon storm we found ourselves amidst the cacti and National Park. This particular frame had so many varieties of cacti and with Al in the frame I couldn't have wrote a better script. 
Olympus E3, 12-60mm SWD - F5.6, 1/640s
markhumpage > Another shot from the Saguaro National Park. I cannot rate this place highly enough. An absolute must for anyone passing through or staying in Tucson. This time I shot with the fisheye to give a different angle on a similar subject. A useful tip with strong subjects
Olympus E3, 8mm fisheye - F5.6, 1/1000s
Monsoon downpours were intense, unleashing one foot of rain in an hour. The Arizona landscape was a perfect backdrop for images. The nature of the land was also conducive to major flash flooding. Timing and positioning were crucial to get shots like this. The intensity and crispness of the precip shaft is what I was after here. Minutes later flash floods would have stranded us, if we had stayed put.
Olympus E3, 50-200mm SWD - F5.6, 1/250s
 > Monsoon downpours were intense, unleashing one foot of rain in an hour. The Arizona landscape was a perfect backdrop for images. The nature of the land was also conducive to major flash flooding. Timing and positioning were crucial to get shots like this. The intensity and crispness of the precip shaft is what I was after here. Minutes later flash floods would have stranded us, if we had stayed put.
Olympus E3, 50-200mm SWD - F5.6, 1/250s
Monsoon downpours were intense, unleashing one foot of rain in an hour. The Arizona landscape was a perfect backdrop for images. The nature of the land was also conducive to major flash flooding. Timing and positioning were crucial to get shots like this. The intensity and crispness of the precip shaft is what I was after here. Minutes later flash floods would have stranded us, if we had stayed put.
Olympus E3, 50-200mm SWD - F5.6, 1/250s
Camera: Olympus Imaging Corp. (E-3) |
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Original size: 2736px x 3648px |
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Keywords: tucson arizona olympus monsoon floods storms mark humpage elemental project
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