Vaughan Laws goes out after storms, when people tend to be taking cover, putting down the hatches, and pulling the doona tighter.
Sometimes he even captures a beauty like this one from Melbourne’s Frankston on Thursday. He rates it among his top five photos ever.
After Mr Laws learned that the forecast called for heavy thunderstorms, severe winds, hailstones, and damaging rains, he quickly grabbed his camera and set off to take the photos he was looking for.
He correctly guessed and snapped a shelf cloud looking like a rolling humpback whale. He got also a little wet.
Vaughan Laws is a photographer who has taken thousands upon thousands of photographs, but this picture ranks among his top five.
Daily Mail Australia: He said that he knew severe storms were coming to the Bay Area so he was going out in preparation.
Australia’s La Nina weather pattern has begun to show signs of life after the country experienced the most wet November in 121 years.
This was Australia’s coolest November in 1999, after the La Nina events.
Vaughan Laws, a Melbourne photographer captured this amazing shelf cloud.
He didn’t expect to see something this dramatic.
“I had expected to see a shelf cloud. But, it didn’t seem quite like that.”
He said, “I expected there to be lightning but everybody on the beach was pretty shocked with what they saw.”
“I love capturing such moments on film.
It’s a thrilling experience to be able to see the extreme weather. It’s fun to chase after this type of shot.
Laws took tens to thousands of photos in his lifetime, making this one of his most memorable.
It’s likely in the top 10 or top 5 of all the courses I’ve taken. He said, “It’s certainly up there at the top.”
One man was not discouraged by the rain nor 100km/h wind gusts. He wanted to capture the perfect shot.
He stated, “I was sitting between two cars trying to take more photos at the same”
“That storm was very fast, so it cleared the air and is now heading east.”
Laws admitted that sometimes he does reach dangerous heights, however it was not something that occurred to him tonight.
“There were times that I was in Northern Victoria, where there have been drier storms at close range and lightning.
“That’s when your camera goes outside and you get in the car.
His camera also features technology that can be triggered by lightning to capture a photo.
However, Thursday’s effort was made by one man with his camera and he braved the elements to capture awe-inspiring images.
Vaughan Laws goes out after storms, even though most people take cover.