Persistence paves the way to success.

After many years of chasing storms as one of the "Twister Sisters" my priorities changed due to a health crisis and life transitions. I went back to school and started a new journey in holistic health, while continuing storm photography more part-time than before. In 2020 the pandemic shut down my new, thriving business. After a couple months of deep depression, I decided to focus on the positive and go after my true passion with full force again. I invested in new equipment for 4K video, grabbed my Nikon and hit the road with determination to find the best storms out there. 2020 turned out to be a very slow year for severe weather in tornado alley, especially for tornadoes. After traveling thousands of miles without many striking storms to photograph, I began to doubt myself and question my sanity. My husband encouraged me to keep going, assuring me that something "big" was going to happen. I kept going. And on July 8th it happened. The most photogenic tornado I have ever witnessed in my 20 years of chasing storms. The forecast for this day didn't look too exciting initially. But I chased, because the weather can often surprise you. My chase partner and I targeted Fergus Falls, MN and we arrived just 5 minutes before the storm exploded into existence. It very quickly began to rotate and we were in a perfect position. Not only was this tornado perfectly lit by the sun, it also moved very slowly over the course of 31 minutes, taking on many different shapes and sizes. Most tornadoes only last one minute or less. This is the type of chase that all chasers dream of, that we strive for. From a photographer's perspective, this is was what you would call a "Lifer". A once in a lifetime storm.

July 8th, 2020 near Ashby, Minnesota

This is my true Genesis Photography NFT.