Monsoon // Photographing Desert Lightning

Photographing the Arizona Monsoons is something I have always wanted to do. This year I finally got the chance, and I talked my good friend Michael Shainblum into joining me as well. The start to the adventure was a chaotic one, as these types of shoots always seem to be. I did manage to get a few images I liked, but it wasn't easy.
Gear:
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Telephoto Lens -amzn.to/2MdJCvP
Tripod - www.reallyright....
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Video camera - amzn.to/2Chy1GN
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Nick on instagram - / nickpagephotography

[@extremelydave]

I HATE NICK PAGE!!! OK, that's clickbait... it's because in EVERY stinking, single video he shows me the kind of quality I strive for.... and have not reached. Nick, you ARE the man.... the way you narrate each video makes you seem like the cool guy next door that you like to invite over for a BBQ because he's fun to listen to. If there is an "every-man" photographer, you're it.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

I knew nothing about Arizona monsoons until visiting Sedona in July 2018. One day I hiked to the top of Doe Mountain (actually a mesa) and got caught in a flash monsoon while up there. I got one epic image before getting drenched, then spent 30 minutes in the fetal position hoping I wouldn't get struck by lightning. Then I had to hike a mile back down a very steep, sketchy, wet, muddy switchback trail in pea-soup fog. Good times. I can't wait to go back.

[@P.W.R.]

Sounds like a hell of a hike. Thanks for sharing! Your story reminds me of the time my dad and I took a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park back in jan-feb 2015. It was winter time and a storm was forecasted to be in the area on the day we went. We took some DWR gear just in case. The opposite happened to us. You had sweltering heat/monsoon, we had freezing temps and sleet rain. lol We hiked in an area in Joshua Tree near Barker Dam (look up pictures of the area, its really cool). The storm moved in and we had to huddle under a rocky overhang to escape the downpour. We got soaked since the DWR is only good for light rain. Four hours! We waited 4 hours for the rain to stop. There was no going back to the truck since we hiked 4-5mi into the desert and the threat of flash flood was too great to risk walking in the rocky canyons. There is dry washes all in these stacks of rocks and water began to flow in these dry creeks. Luckily no major flooding happened after it was all over, but that was a trip I'll never forget.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

@@P.W.R. I'll bet you won't forget that! Thanks for the great story!

[@ericcarter7529]

Shainblum with the Tribe Called Quest shirt! YESS!

[@peterfritzphoto]

Bloody hard. And bloody epic. 👍🦘🇦🇺

[@paulvalerio3887]

Nick, It’s kind of apparent that you and Michael work well together and you have similar goals, values etc… When you guys feature each other it ends up being a great travel landscape episode. Thank You Both!!

[@ashwinsalvi]

Hahah some abstracts of rocks and tree bark... that was great. Cool video!

[@stans6582]

Nice work Nick........love the time-lapse, but my heart is in the stills...........Thanks for sharing

[@TheLisaanntorres]

Great video! Two favorites Nick & Michael.

[@AliasJimWirth]

Wow. Impressive end run. Once in a lifetime stuff. You gotta be happy.

[@ghettoboyfromoutdaway3049]

Jaw dropping footage. I'm in awe.

[@mariusboshoff9240]

Michael touching his chin a few times, looking over at Nick....ENVY 🤣🤣 Awesome images and great vid guys!

[@matthiasrichter-foto-7]

A wonderfull video with great images and two super nice people. I am looking forward to more.

[@fubband]

Awesome! That last shot too...🙌🏻

[@paulbell9957]

Must have been amazing to witness conditions like these. Awesome work guys 👍👍

[@techprojm]

So glad to get to watch your videos again, happy your back!

[@adamnedojedly8225]

Don’t know what to say . You are master of your craft 🤩 I’m your big fan and I always love to watch your videos and get inspired by you ! Thank you for your amazing content 🙏

[@AquaticBaboon]

That last shot is so good!

[@brianbeattyphotography]

damn... 100 and humid is ROUGH. That image at 15:15 though is worth all the time spent in the heat. Spectacular!

[@rebeccamoore4177]

Beautiful. Just like tree bark.

[@jeremybuscay]

Michael's panic to zen moment cracked me up. Good stuff Nick!

[@trevorpayne2749]

Fantastic images. Always like your presentation and the technique tips passed on through your videos. Thanks

[@samarth9341]

Absolutely loved it Nick, those last images were sooo beautiful. Cannot wait for the part 2 ❤️❤️

[@David_Glazebrook]

Totally awesome image brah at 15m7s. Great work Mr Page!

[@hachewie]

Brilliant time lapses and stills.

[@tyeeggleston6159]

Awesome video...yall make me jealous shooting lightning in such a wide-open area. I'm relegated to my garage... Michael Shainblum -"It's scorchin hot out here"....Texas-"hold my beer"......

[@GUCHCARNAGE]

TCQ shirt and some home state monsoon photos from one of my fav photogs... super cool to see. Hope you guys got some good stuff. Been a rough few years with the monsoon being almost non existent. Cheers.

[@Kenpassion]

Nick!! Awesome as always! ⚡️

[@FromePublishing]

not to bad for 2 photographers making it up as they go along ;) ----- Very Good

[@mattgermond7957]

Incredible video! Wow!👍⛈🌵

[@ericcoulter95]

A great video and looked like you had a lot of fun and wonderful images as always. Keep up the great work

[@davewarren7693]

As usual, I am in awe of the skill set that Nick possesses. And there is no pretentiousness in him. You have been quiet on the video front. Glad to see that you are back.

[@amaitra]

Meeting of the maestros!

[@tysanborn554]

So good! I could watch your videos for hours on end!

[@JohnHPettigrewFujishooter67]

Have to agree with the comment below,great job as always Nick. Thanks for sharing.

[@FLANOsFOTOs]

I heard you guys were in the Tucson area. Monsoon storms is one of the biggest reasons why I still live in southern Arizona. I've been chasing them since about 1995. Chaotic can be an understatement sometimes while chasing these storm cells which typically last 30-45 minutes. Some days you are on, and sometimes, you need that Zen time :O

[@johnpunnett1426]

Awesome images as always....👍

[@kristianarntsen7049]

Lucky you, with the last photo. Love the line in the image. Great shots Nick!

[@krazyhartin]

I love what you guys do.

[@catbrown777]

Exceptional photography ✨🌵🌩

[@davidsweet8837]

Fantastic job Nick!!!

[@JohannesS]

Phenomenal work Nick!!

[@kenhaley5450]

Epic stuff - really great backing track for your time lapses.

[@johnashcraft9410]

Having difficulties with the setting for lightning...... yeah right..... Great Photographs once again.

[@1603shadow]

Great video love the final images

[@nicksaunders106]

Awesome set of images mr Page!!

[@KasiaCoe]

Spectacular!

[@dradmin792]

guys ! It's incredibly cool !!!!

[@Slewis71119]

Great Video as always, If you want to chase Storm Clouds come to Dallas and Oklahoma in the spring. You will see some amazing Roll Clouds and all of the Lighting you would ever want to see.

[@jacktaylor6190]

Your skill amazes us!

[@stewartlogie]

Out of the frantic chaos come serene, beautiful images. Magic!

[@jimscholz2997]

Beyond Awesome.... Thanks...

[@Qbulls23]

Great video! Stunning work

[@mphulett]

You did it, Nick! You nailed those shots. Loved the sound effects of the thunder in your video. So glad you and Michael made the trip and found some good comps. Way to go.

[@exploretography]

Great video! It's been an awesome monsoon season here in AZ!

[@ianhamer4294]

Luv it, hurry up part 2

[@sonholee5769]

Awesome vid and photos. I like the camaraderie between the two of you guys.

[@CynthiaS1951]

Beautiful images and time lapses! My two favorite KZbin photographers in one video! Thank you!

[@tanweercaa]

Wonderful hard work, thanks.

[@ThomasRaskPhoto]

Wow that was some epic lightning shots for sure! Great work! :)

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

Wow guys would love to try that

[@nickbristol3457]

This was so cool to watch! Loved those images too and now waiting for part 2.

[@katebushfarm2033]

What fun, really looking forward to the next episode ❣️

[@tobyjugg6202]

Brilliant watching the 2 of you out of your comfort zone and using ALL your skills to get some amazing results. A joy to watch you being chilled and MS being all frantic :)

[@SteveZodiac777]

Wonderful!

[@honorab6220]

So good!

[@SeanParkerPhotography]

Great chasing with you guys while you were here!

[@NickPage]

you too man, your debut will be a couple videos.. that Playa day was pretty awesome.

[@iKeto_gal]

Michael Shainblum is wonderful! I love his zen like energy. His videos are great

[@AdventureswithJerrod]

Real talk I didn’t know cacti’s moved in the wind lol. I enjoyed the video as always Nick!

[@terrybartick1754]

Thank you, Nick

[@andrewscott743]

Loved it! Your videos are awesome🙌

[@JoshuaEpley1]

Live in Tucson, love seeing you here.

[@karynhonor5046]

love it!

[@CraigNiesenPhotography]

Wow, Nick, that last photograph is amazing. Thank you for sharing. I cannot wait to see the next one.

[@ronboe6325]

Each monsoon season is different; this season the Tucson area is receiving a great deal of rain. Speaking in VERY broad terms we seem to have two kinds of storms: The classical ones that show up on radar and you can track them, predicting where they should be going. Then we have the (typically after a hot and muggy but clear day) the pop-up storms that suddenly appear over your head and just dump. Sometimes they just sit there until spent. Other times they rove and join up with others then all hell can break loose. There is a road that leads south of Arizona City (just north and west of where you were) that about 20 miles south we would have star parties at (criminal activity made it a non-starter a few years back). There are some very interesting rock formations along that road, as well as some cotton fields. Might be worth checking out. I'd like to join you but I don't tolerate I-10 very well, nor the humidity. :D There are good areas to explore but with the flash floods and the streams that go through these areas it's tough to recommend something safe.

[@MichaelShainblum]

Killer work Nick, I loved seeing your take on this day. I think 14:46 is my favorite!

Always fun to watch lightning storms, looking forward to next chapter.

[@kenpeterson3414]

Lightning is in my Wheelhouse so always interested in methods.Great Video...Ken in West Valley of Phoenix..

[@duncanwallace7760]

Epic.. and when there's a 'to be continued', you know there's something very good to come.

[@atvridah]

Every time I watch your videos I put on the best headphones I have. You put so much attention to the audio and it really helps tell the story. Can’t wait for the next one!

[@craigbartschi4990]

amazing images!

[@sweetscience1988]

fantastic!

[@IanBarrowPhotography]

Incredible 🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@JohnPaul-ii]

Excellent final location Nick, definitely worth the looking. Thanks again for sharing. Looking forward to seeing the next part. Stay safe 🇦🇺

[@janetelsworthy1710]

Nicky, you are the Master of storm photography! Amazing images, as always. Loved the good natured banter between you and Michael too.

[@sheilafoster-hancock5687]

Awesome!

[@Silverfox2904]

This is awesome ... 6 Stars for a 5-Star rating. I literally can smell the Desert while I'm watching. Thank you

[@JasonLorette]

What great storms! My local storms rarely look that good…thanks for bringing us along! 😎

[@pattymattes7124]

Incredible timing when you talked about lightning and a lightning bolt came out of the sky! I'm glad I came back and watched this again. Beautiful video and amazing images. Thank you for sharing!

[@ShaunaGmakeup]

Amazing! 😎Cheers

[@amyverhague1491]

Way to leave us hanging!

[@NathanGPhotos]

Soooooo good! Thanks for sharing Nick...look forward to the next one. And a very well timed distraction for me too from my daily grind. Hopefully I won’t be stuck in work meetings for the next Premiere.

[@599miata]

Great video Nick. One day I will get some of those shots. Here in New Brunswick , Canada we do not have a lot of lightning storms.

[@wade9014]

Guys welcome to Arizona. Sure happy we are having a monsoon this year! Hope you enjoyed your travels while in AZ.

[@robertocastro4403]

Amazing! Looking forward for your and Michael's next videos

[@aaronza7218]

Great to see both of you! Great images Nick! Thanks for sharing.

[@melissameyers7409]

Absolutely awesome! That last image is incredible!

[@AndreasLarzon]

At 5:48 there is a nice face in the cloud. Thats cool...

[@as616]

Welcome to Tucson. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your monsoon adventure.

[@mikehines14]

Foreground speed dating 😅 I've never been able to put that into words so accurately!

[@paulus0109]

Great “duovlog”, awesome filmed, great photo’s. Loved it Nick and Michael. Thnx.v.m.