Stunning Desert Storms Captured in Magnificent 4K

When you think of the desert, you might feel a blistering midday sun, see a dry and dusty landscape of endless sand, and imagine a world without water. However, Emmy-award winning filmmaker and storm chaser Mike Olbinski is back again to show that this definitely isn’t the case. Following on from his previous film, Olbinski showcases the turbulent storms that run reckless through the desert, lashing the ground with swarms of rain.

Covering around 13,000 miles, Olbinski hunted far and wide across the US deserts in search of the perfect storm. From California to New Mexico and north to Arizona, he turned lens to thrashing storm to craft this jaw-dropping timelapse. Forged from an average of 600-800 exposures per scene, Olbinski shot over 110,000 frames for this piece, with only half ending up in the final cut – appropriately titled ‘Monsoon IV’.

Wielding two Canon 5DS Rs, five different lenses and an assortment of tripods, his determination doesn’t go unnoticed with this awe-inspiring footage of a desert turned dark and brutal. Flowing seamlessly throughout, we witness sweeping sheets of rain, streaks of lightning above a midnight motorway, and whipping dust storms racing towards the camera.

“It’s funny how every year is different. That’s the beauty of chasing the summer storm season out here in the desert southwest,” said Olbinski. “You never know what’s going to happen or what you might see.”

For more of Mike’s work, be sure to check out his website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.