Mitch Dobrowner has spent six years chasing epic storms across the American West. From rain curtains to tornadoes, his passion is darkened skies, violent winds, and the constant threat of danger. Last summer brought another amazing season of weather events, but the addition of Dobrowner’s youngest son, Josh, to the excursion made it one to remember.
"I’m not going to be around forever, so I wanted for him to experience something that he would remember me by when I'm not around anymore," Dobrowner says.
Josh, who was 18 at the time, joined his father and expert storm chaser Roger Hill’s expedition as it set out from Denver. They often drove hundreds of miles a day, roaming as far north as North Dakota and as far east as Minnesota. During eight days in June, they covered 7,000 miles and saw 17 tornadoes, including a few doubles. "He [Josh] got a couple selfies standing in front of twin tornadoes, which are a pretty rare sight," Dobrowner says.
Dobrowner likes to talk about supercells like they’re living creatures with a lifecycle, from impetuous youth to slower, more methodical old age, that mirrors our own. He shoots in black and white, which makes the storms even more ominously beautiful. Light and texture are key elements, and you can almost feel the power behind the storms.
As a teenager growing up on Long Island, Dobrowner was like one of those rambunctious, adolescent storms. "I was in a lot of trouble on the East Coast," he says. "I had a Harley and there were bike gangs trying to recruit me." His trajectory changed when his father gave him an old Argus rangefinder. Dobrowner fell in love with landscape photography. He moved to California and in 2009, met Sean Casey of the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers, and started seeking adventure in Tornado Alley.
His pursuits have gotten him into more than a few sticky situations over the years. He never plans on getting so close to the action, but when he strays too close, it invariably helps him better understand storms. One such encounter happened in 2010, when a hailstorm doubled back on him in Wyoming. "It came over the hill and changed direction and became extremely fierce. That one became the storm chasing us instead of us chasing the storm," Dobrowner says. "ABC News was with us and they couldn't get into the van fast enough. The hail destroyed one of their cameras."
The photographer has seen all kinds of storms, but he’s always on the hunt for new sights to round out his portfolio. He was in Kansas last summer when he bagged his first shot of a landspout. And in South Dakota, he saw an uncommon white tornado, a view that’s revealed only with the right light and perspective. All fill him with wonder.
"Storms take on so many different aspects, personalities and faces. I’m in awe watching them. They are an amazing sight to witness and I’m just happy to be there, shot or no shot," Dobrowner says. "It’s watching Mother Nature at her finest. I just try to do justice to these events with my pictures."
