Out of nearly 1,000 images used throughout the pages of National Geographic during this past year, Catherine Couturier Gallery artist Mitch Dobrowner's Rope Out was chosen as one of the publication's Top Ten of 2012.
Rope Out
The image was featured in the July issue of National Geographic, accompanied by Jeremy Berlin's article on Mitch's striking images. Click here for the full "Epic Storms" article or read a brief portion below:
To document these awe-inspiring tempests, Mitch Dobrowner, a landscape photographer inspired by Ansel Adams and Minor White, teamed with renowned storm chaser Roger Hill, a witness to more than 600 tornadoes. Over the past three years, aided by mobile satellite data, radar imaging, and more, the pair have stalked some 45 weather systems over 16 states and 40,000 miles, sometimes driving 900 miles in a day to capture a moment. “With storms,” says Dobrowner, “it’s like shooting a sporting event. Things happen so quickly, I really have to adapt.”
Indeed, both Dobrowner and Hill see supercells as living things: born under the right conditions, gaining strength as they grow, changing shape and form, fighting for their life, eventually dying. Not that personifying them removes the danger. In the still wild West, says Hill, storms demand admiration and respect. “I feel honored to be shooting them,” says Dobrowner. “If I’m going to go, let me go like this.”
Wondering just how the respective images were chosen out of such a large field? Watch below to see Editor in Chief Chris Johns expkain his decision making process.
As a reminder, select works by Mitch will be undergoing an increase as of January 1, 2013. Check out his artist page here and don't let the chance slip by to snag one before the new year arrives!