Storm Chaser

Mike Hollingshead lives in Blair, Nebraska. In 1999 he decided to do a little more than watch storms from a hill in Blair, and he started chasing them. He also started taking a few photos while he was at it, using a Canon Digital Rebel and a couple of kit lenses. In 2004 he left his job as a maintenance contractor and started chasing storms full-time.

The results are stunning and at time unearthly. (Which brings to mind the start of the Nebraska fight song, "There is no place like Nebraska.") His images are so amazing that some people aren't content with the truth that these are summer Midwestern storm scenes and have attributed them to more dramatic situations. After Katrina, an email circulated with several of Hollingshead's pictures. The email opened by saying, "Photos of Katrina over Mississippi (Sure let's you know who's in charge.)" See Snopes for more detail. Hollingshead, by the way, has never been in a hurricane.

His web site Extreme Instability offers a portfolio of exquisite storm photos. The background information he provides also makes for interesting reading.