There is a second in each storm chaser’s profession after they understand they’re not simply documenting climate—they’re bearing witness to one thing much more profound. For Hank Schyma, higher often known as Pecos Hank, that realization got here step by step over three a long time of pursuing supercells throughout the Nice Plains, but it surely crystallized into one thing deeper: an understanding that storms aren’t simply meteorological phenomena to seize, however home windows into the very nature of scientific fact and human humility.
“I believe the pivotal second was after I simply stated: ‘I will do it for higher or worse’,” Hank displays, his voice carrying the burden of a choice that might reshape not simply his profession, however his complete strategy to understanding the world. “And I set the music apart for simply three months as a result of music was what interfered with that little portion of my life with storms, as a result of I used to be all the time gigging or touring when the massive outbreaks would occur, and I used to be lacking them.”
That three-month sabbatical from music in 2013 grew to become a lifetime pursuit that has yielded among the most gorgeous storm pictures and videography ever captured, contributed to real scientific discovery, and now culminates in his complete new ebook, “Storm: Chasing Nature’s Wildest Climate”—a 30-year compendium that appears to be essentially the most full documentation of extreme climate phenomena ever assembled by a single photographer.
The Musician’s Gamble
The story begins not with meteorology textbooks or digital camera gear, however with a younger musician’s unattainable selection. Schyma had spent years constructing a profession in music, fronting the rock group Southern Backtones and growing what would turn out to be a particular Americana sound that completely captured the open-road wanderlust of Texas and the Southwest. However there was one other ardour pulling at him, one which appeared to straight battle together with his musical ambitions.
“I used to be all the time torn between being a naturalist,” he explains. “I used to be going to highschool on the College of Houston, and I used to be considering: ‘you realize, I am a musician, however my backup plan goes to be a park ranger.’” The sensible realities of that path—requiring a grasp’s diploma for consideration and providing a beginning wage of simply $22,000—appeared to shut that door. However the pull towards nature remained, rising stronger with every missed storm outbreak.
The turning level got here when Schyma made a calculation that might have appeared reckless to most observers: he saved up $3,000, the “most cash [he’d] ever seen,” and dedicated to spending three months doing nothing however chasing storms. “I used to be sleeping within the automobile and consuming effectively, and that is what began it. It was simply going all in.”
It is a determination that exemplifies one thing Schyma has noticed about profitable entrepreneurs and artists all through his profession: “They are saying ‘all the time have a backup plan,’ you realize, a plan B. And for me, it was after I simply stated, ‘screw the backup plan. I am going all in.’ That is when it labored.”
Evolution of a Storm Chaser
These early years had been marked by what Schyma characterizes as a gentle development in knowledge: “I am not as silly. Every year I get much less silly. In order that’s the thought, proper?” It is a characteristically humble manner of describing what was truly a complicated evolution in each technical talent and threat evaluation. “You begin raking up near-death experiences,” he notes, “and also you suppose: ‘okay, how usually am I going to luck out if I hold having one or two of those a 12 months?’”
The educational curve concerned extra than simply understanding meteorology and growing situational consciousness. It meant constructing a posh technical setup that might seize the complete vary of storm phenomena whereas sustaining the mobility important for secure chasing. Right this moment, Schyma operates what he describes as a “one man band” of digital camera tools—a rigorously orchestrated system of a number of cameras, every optimized for various features of storm documentation.
“It is like juggling bowling pins,” he explains. “When you’ve mastered what you’ve got bought, you add yet another bowling pin and yet another bowling pin. And it is type of gotten uncontrolled the place I’ve bought simply cameras in every single place.” The problem is not simply technical mastery, however making split-second selections about which device to deploy for every second.
This technical complexity creates an attention-grabbing problem in the case of collaboration. Whereas many photographers would possibly profit from an assistant, Schyma has discovered that introducing one other individual into his rigorously choreographed system usually creates extra issues than it solves. “I do know the place all of the bowling pins are,” he says.
The Convergence of Artwork and Science
What makes Schyma’s work notably compelling is how naturally his creative background informs his scientific documentation. His musical sensibilities form not simply the apparent components (he scores all his personal storm movies) however his complete strategy to visible storytelling. “I like listening to music whereas driving,” he explains. “I used to like driving… open nation freedom driving, you realize, across-the-country driving into Mexico and what’s across the subsequent nook. I simply had that wanderlust, and the music simply actually set the cinematic expertise to it.”
This cinematic sensibility interprets straight into his storm work. When requested about his filmmaking background’s affect on his storm documentation, Schyma’s response reveals each creative ambition and self-critical consciousness: “Oh, it makes me understand how poor of a job I am doing. For the YouTube platform, there is a stability between publish and finesse. And every one in every of these movies, it’s like ‘I might simply have a month or two extra months to make it extra filmic!’”
The stress between the calls for creative strategy and the demand of social media. “I really feel like they appear type of video-y, however I would really like some extra handheld stuff and to make use of some lenses which have a shallower depth of area, which is a tough factor to wrestle with when driving.” The sensible calls for of storm chasing usually require compromises that work in opposition to cinematic aesthetics. “You need depth of area as a result of it is arduous to get it pin excellent. So, I am going to shut right down to f/8, f/11. If there’s fowl poop on the window, no, you want it extensive open so you possibly can blur that out.”
Scientific Contributions and Discovery
Whereas Schyma is cautious to tell apart between his position and that of formally educated scientists—”I’m not a scientist,” he emphasizes repeatedly—his contributions to atmospheric science have been substantial and real. His most notable discovery got here in 2019 when he captured and recognized a brand new transient luminous occasion he termed “inexperienced ghosts”—faint inexperienced glows that seem after crimson sprites within the higher ambiance.
The invention exemplifies how Schyma’s distinctive place as a area observer permits scientific development. “I am aiding these guys as a result of I am within the area,” he explains about his collaborations with researchers. “He wants a man out within the area going, ‘hey, look what I bought.’ However till I am sitting down doing scientific methodology and developing with outcomes myself, I do not suppose I ought to name myself a scientist.”
This humility is admirable, however Schyma deserves credit score for his work. His collaborations with atmospheric scientist Dr. Leigh Orf on the College of Wisconsin contain validating supercomputer simulations of damaging tornadoes utilizing Schyma’s high-quality area documentation. Equally, his work with Dr. Anton Seimon employs photogrammetry to estimate tornadic wind speeds and create three-dimensional visible representations of storms. These aren’t informal contributions—they’re integral components of great scientific analysis.
When pressed on whether or not his humility could be misplaced, Schyma attracts an analogy that reveals his perspective: “Have you ever ever performed basketball or tennis?” When assured that sure, most individuals have, he continues: “Do you inform individuals you are a basketball participant? When you’re hanging out with NBA guys and so they stated, ‘what do you do?’ Would you say ‘I am a basketball participant?’ Proper. So, I hang around with scientists, you realize? I hang around with actual scientists.”
Philosophy and Scientific Methodology
Maybe essentially the most vital side of Schyma’s work lies not in his technical achievements however in his broader philosophy about scientific methodology and human nature. His upcoming ebook weaves these themes all through the storm documentation, creating what he hopes shall be greater than only a assortment of spectacular photographs.
“I really feel like we’re drifting away from scientific methodology,” he explains. “This departure is exacerbating confusion and polarization and makes us hate one another.” This concern drives a lot of his instructional mission. He needs readers to grasp not simply how storms work, however learn how to suppose scientifically about any drawback.
“There are some workout routines within the ebook of scientific methodology that I wish to be cool. And I need individuals to not be afraid to ask themselves deep, arduous questions.” This strategy extends to analyzing our personal cognitive biases and cultural conditioning. “There’s an previous proverb that almost all males will deny a tough fact,” he notes. “We have been saying that, you realize, eternally. Why is that? And all people thinks, ‘properly, I am not that man who will deny a tough fact.’ All of us are. It is how we’re wired.”
This philosophical framework shapes how Schyma approaches each storm chasing and life extra broadly. Understanding human fallibility and cultural conditioning, he argues, results in larger empathy and fewer tribal considering. “Scientists perceive that, you realize, {that a} man born in Afghanistan goes to probably be that tradition and that faith. And a man born in Mexico goes to be that tradition and that faith and that mind-set. And a man born in Houston, Texas goes to be… You recognize, in case you go searching… when you perceive that, like, wow, I am like that, you understand that you just share this humanity with all people.”
The Artistic Course of and Creative Imaginative and prescient
The intersection of scientific documentation and creative expression creates distinctive challenges in Schyma’s inventive course of. In contrast to studio photographers who can management their atmosphere, storm chasers should work inside the constraints of quickly altering, usually harmful situations whereas sustaining security, scientific accuracy, and aesthetic impression.
“Every body price, every digital camera, every decision brings a special story,” Schyma explains about his decision-making course of within the area. The selection between capturing an ideal nonetheless picture and documenting the dynamic movement of a phenomenon requires split-second selections that may’t be undone. “If there’s upward lightning, it is the motion of the gradual movement that tells the perfect story of upward lightning versus a nonetheless picture. [A still image] will appear to be upward lightning, but it surely’s that rising upward that you really want. So, you will sacrifice decision for gradual movement video somewhat than a nonetheless.”
These decisions accumulate over time right into a complete physique of labor that tells a bigger story about atmospheric phenomena. “And now, I am taking a look at my upward lightning and I am considering I would like some greater decision upward lightning nonetheless. So subsequent time, I am going to most likely go for the stills somewhat than the gradual movement video.” It is a strategy of steady refinement and evolution, pushed by each technical development and creative progress.
The musical background offers an attention-grabbing parallel to this visible work. “Once I write music, it is prefer it’s written for what I being on the street, which does not translate properly into golf equipment,” he notes. The music that emerges from his experiences has a cinematic high quality that mirrors his visible work. Each are designed to evoke the expertise of being on the street, of encountering the huge landscapes and dramatic climate of the American West.
The Dodge Metropolis Benchmark
When requested about his most memorable chase, Schyma returns to an occasion that has turn out to be legendary amongst storm chasers: Dodge Metropolis, Kansas, on Might 24, 2016. “I normally should say one of many ones I am most grateful for is the Dodge Metropolis. Folks nonetheless appear to quote that. It simply retains coming again Dodge Metropolis 2016.”
What made this occasion particular wasn’t simply the standard of the storms—”quite a few high-based lengthy monitoring photogenic tornadoes not killing anyone on a street community the place you would work”—however the rarity of such excellent situations. It represents the perfect that each storm chaser hopes for: dramatic, photogenic phenomena occurring in a context the place they are often safely documented and the place nobody is harmed. Storm chasing depends on an usually imperfect street community, avoiding a wide range of hazards, hoping the storm doesn’t obscure the twister behind partitions of rain, the storms avoiding populated areas, and lots of different components. If even one in every of them isn’t good, the entire pursuit might be thrown off or put aside as chasers go into search and rescue mode.
“Anytime I miss an enormous occasion, I simply suppose, ‘you realize, I am so fortunate that I bought Dodge’,” Schyma displays. It was the primary time he met fellow chaser Reed Timmer. “We walked up to one another and we acknowledged one another. And he stated, ‘what do you suppose goes to occur at the moment?’ And I stated, ‘I do not know.’ And he type of nodded like, ‘yeah, no person is aware of.’ No person was anticipating that.”
This unpredictability underscores a basic side of storm chasing: “You simply bought to be on the market. When you actually, actually need it, you’ve got simply bought to be there in case of that.”
Technical Innovation and Gear Philosophy
The evolution of Schyma’s technical setup displays broader adjustments in each pictures know-how and storm chasing methodology. His present system represents a long time of refinement, with each bit of apparatus serving a particular function in documenting completely different features of extreme climate.
“It is computerized, like you will have a routine,” he explains about his area setup. “The issue is after I get footage now, I’ve to decide on. I’ve to have a look at 5 – 6 or seven completely different cameras and determine which one is the perfect one, which takes eternally.” This abundance of choices displays each the development of digital camera know-how and Schyma’s complete strategy to documentation.
This is not mere preparedness. “I’ve this recurring nightmare the place there’s tornadoes in every single place and I am like ‘the place’s my digital camera, the place’s my digital camera?'” he admits with amusing. “It is horrible. I am not kidding. It is a recurring nightmare.”
The technical challenges lengthen past simply digital camera choice. Completely different phenomena require completely different approaches: “For lightning, clearly a nonetheless picture is nice. However in case you’re taking pictures video, you type of need gradual movement video. And you must select, you realize, ‘what am I going to do?’ I’ve bought to decide.” These selections should be made in real-time, usually in harmful situations the place there isn’t any alternative for do-overs.
The complexity of his setup has made collaboration difficult, but it surely’s additionally enabled a degree of complete documentation that might be unattainable with a less complicated strategy. “I do know proper the place each digital camera is and might seize it. In order that manner, you possibly can deal with the street.” The muscle reminiscence developed over a long time permits him to function his complicated system whereas sustaining the situational consciousness important for secure storm chasing.
World Views and Exploration
Whereas Twister Alley stays Schyma’s major searching floor, his curiosity has pushed him to pursue climate phenomena throughout the globe. “I crave it extra. I simply wish to be on the market. I wish to see volcanoes. I wish to see cyclonic tornadoes within the southern hemisphere spinning the opposite manner.”
This world perspective has enriched each his scientific understanding and his creative imaginative and prescient. “The enjoyable of, ‘okay, let’s go to this nation and let’s be taught the tradition and be taught the language.’ And even whenever you fail the story, touring by Argentina and assembly individuals and studying is simply… I crave it. It is enjoyable.”
The worldwide work additionally reveals new phenomena to pursue. “I have not seen a huge jet but. I’ve bought an ideal blue jet. One of many most likely, I imply, best blue jet I’ve ever seen a photograph of. And I can not consider I bought it. However I need the large jet now. That is just like the Holy Grail of lightning.” These uncommon transient luminous occasions signify the reducing fringe of atmospheric analysis, and documenting them requires being in the fitting place at precisely the fitting time, usually in distant areas removed from Twister Alley.
The Problem of Success and Authenticity
Success within the digital age brings its personal challenges, notably for artists working in niches that turn out to be mainstream. Schyma has watched his distinctive strategy to storm documentation turn out to be broadly copied, usually by content material creators who prioritize algorithmic success over genuine documentation.
“How I used to package deal up storms is now mainstream. All people does it,” he observes. “And sadly, somewhat than shoot their footage, they only steal different individuals’s footage. After which they do a sensationalized faux thumbnail with a faux title. And it is sadly that the crap is rising above the [original work].” He’s proper. YouTube has turn out to be inundated by this type of content material, making it tougher and tougher to seek out the reputable work.
This evolution of digital platforms creates a basic stress between genuine work and algorithmic success. “YouTube is beginning to disgust me—my feed that is really useful to me, I flip it away. The problem is not distinctive to storm chasing or climate documentation—it is a broader difficulty going through all inventive fields within the digital age.
Regardless of these frustrations, Schyma maintains a philosophical perspective in regards to the cyclical nature of creative developments. Drawing parallels to the music trade, he notes how the Bee Gees went “from simply worshipped to comical in years” as their revolutionary sound grew to become oversaturated by imitation. “This has all the time been a cautionary story with all artwork, you realize. You need to be prepared for the altering of time.”
Nonetheless, he additionally notes the facility of recent platforms to raise content material which may have by no means gotten traction in previous years. “There’s this man who has marble races,” he explains, describing a YouTube creator who offers sports activities commentary for racing marbles. “When he was rising up and obsessive about this, his mother and father should have been going, ‘how are you going to make a dwelling? You are losing your time.’ And right here he’s now with tons of of hundreds of subscribers. You may make a profession out of these items we love now because of social media.”
Schyma’s work has made him one of the vital revered personalities within the climate group, the place he is recognized for his stunningly cinematic images and video, scientific collaboration, and sort character—you will usually catch him stopping to assist a misplaced animal cross the street.
“Storm: Chasing Nature’s Wildest Climate” represents greater than only a assortment of spectacular photographs—it is the fruits of three a long time of labor and a complete instructional useful resource. “Once I first bought into climate, it was most likely 1995… As soon as I bought my first shot of lightning, and I discuss this within the ebook, I used to be hooked.”
The ebook’s comprehensiveness displays Schyma’s bold imaginative and prescient for what storm documentation might be. “Again then, the books had been both written by scientists who weren’t within the area taking pictures, so that they had the data, however they did not have the images… So though the data was there, the images had been missing. After which in case you had a photographer, properly, the science was missing.”
Schyma’s distinctive place as each area documentarian and collaborator with main atmospheric scientists permits him to bridge this hole. “I desire a full ebook of every thing: of lightning, of tornadoes, of transient luminous occasions, of tropical cyclones. I need it to cowl every thing.” The result’s what often is the most complete single-author documentation of extreme climate phenomena ever assembled.
The academic strategy displays his broader philosophical issues about scientific literacy. Working with scientists like Dr. Anton Seimon, Schyma has created what he describes as “a very easy scientific ebook. Any time period that is launched, I launched that time period in a enjoyable manner early on. So, in the case of the verbose jargon, you realize what vorticity is. You are already there.”
The Intersection of A number of Passions
One of the putting features of Schyma’s profession is how naturally his various pursuits have converged somewhat than competed. The music that after appeared to battle with storm chasing now offers the right soundtrack for his documentation. “I promote extra data now. I’ve a file that I made in 1999, and I promote far more now than I did, 25 years in the past.”
This convergence extends past simply industrial success to creative success. “It is so unusual the way it all converged collectively. Like who would have thought, you realize? I nonetheless had this ache to be out in nature and at last switched profession goals to creating nature documentaries. Then, lo and behold, all my music simply suits completely with all that.”
Schyma’s snake documentation undertaking represents one more side of this multidisciplinary strategy. Whereas the North American snake documentation has slowed—”as a result of I am not discovering any new species. I am catching the identical species again and again”—worldwide journey has opened new prospects. “Snake season is mostly springtime after they’re all popping out and so they’re simply straightforward to seek out… however that is additionally prime twister time.” The battle between completely different passions creates attention-grabbing decisions, but additionally alternatives for revolutionary mixtures.
Residing the Artist’s Life
The sensible realities of pursuing creative and scientific passions full-time require sacrifices that Schyma addresses with attribute honesty, discussing his early days of chasing: “You sacrifice what the Jones have. You don’t have any cash, and also you’re dwelling in vehicles or on mates’ couches. However the the group round you acknowledges that you just’re making an attempt to do one thing and so they say: ‘hey, I’ve bought this storage you possibly can keep in’ or ‘I’ve bought an previous laptop I am not utilizing.’”
This assist community has been essential to sustaining his work over a long time. “Though it was removed from luxurious, it was quite a lot of enjoyable you realize, and even what we contemplate roughing it these days is simply dwelling higher than pharaohs and kings and czars.” His perspective displays each gratitude for group assist and a broader philosophical strategy to materials wealth.
The Way forward for Storm Documentation
Trying ahead, Schyma sees each challenges and alternatives within the evolution of storm documentation and scientific communication. The democratization of high-quality digital camera tools means extra individuals can seize extreme climate, however the proliferation of sensationalized content material makes genuine work tougher to tell apart. In a world the place creators usually vie to be the primary to submit one thing and are continuously importing new content material, Schyma’s strategy is decidedly completely different and refreshing.
“I am making an attempt to decelerate and do artwork. It will price me cash to do artwork. I will put extra time into issues and I am not going to have the ability to produce as a lot and hold cramming stuff out the window.” He’s referencing YouTube’s infamous choice for creators to add near-constantly. It’s a acutely aware option to prioritize high quality over amount, even at financial price.
The creative objectives lengthen past simply technical enchancment to innovation: “I wish to create new issues. I wish to create one thing I have not created earlier than.” This drive for originality turns into more difficult as his earlier improvements turn out to be mainstream, but it surely additionally pushes him towards new inventive territories.
Scientific Literacy as Social Mission
Maybe an important side of Schyma’s work lies in its potential contribution to scientific literacy and significant considering. His issues in regards to the decline of scientific methodology lengthen past educational circles to broader social implications.
“If we might simply perceive human nature, your personal human nature, different individuals’s, you will understand that they are no completely different than you,” he explains. This understanding, rooted in scientific enthusiastic about human psychology and cultural conditioning, might assist deal with the polarization and tribalism he sees rising in society.
The ebook’s instructional strategy displays this mission: “I need individuals to understand how fortunate we’re. I wish to make the world a greater place by schooling and gratitude.” The mix of spectacular imagery with scientific rationalization and philosophical reflection creates a singular strategy to science communication.
The Persevering with Journey
Regardless of three a long time of storm chasing and a complete ebook documenting his work, Schyma reveals no indicators of slowing his exploration. “Oh, I want I might let go of it. I wish to transfer on. I wish to transfer on to various things. I wish to transfer on to browsing. I wish to transfer on to cobras. I wish to transfer on to gigantic jets. And it is simply so arduous to pry myself away from supercells.”
This stress between eager to discover new territories and being drawn again to acquainted passions displays the depth of his connection to storm chasing. “If it wasn’t for my love for tornadoes, I might transfer out of this nation to discover one other nation… I’ve lived right here nearly my entire life… why not simply transfer to Thailand? However the reply is as a result of they do not have tornadoes there.” Roughly 75% of the world’s tornadoes happen in the USA.
The worldwide journey plans counsel a possible decision: combining the exploration of recent locations with the pursuit of atmospheric phenomena. “We will Bali and Komodo this 12 months… nearly every thing that they’ve goes to be a brand new species. Why hold wanting in Louisiana after I can go to South Africa and every thing is one thing you’ve got by no means seen?”
A Legacy of Surprise and Discovery
As our dialog attracts to a detailed, what emerges most clearly isn’t just Schyma’s technical experience or creative imaginative and prescient, however his basic lifestyle and studying. “I need the world to embrace important considering and scientific methodology, thus rising consciousness of emotional responses to incentivized algorithms,” he says, summarizing his instructional mission.
This need to raise public style and scientific literacy drives a lot of his work. Whether or not documenting the beginning of lightning in gradual movement, discovering new atmospheric phenomena, or composing music that captures the vastness of the American panorama, Schyma constantly pushes towards larger understanding and deeper appreciation of the pure world.
“Storm: Chasing Nature’s Wildest Climate” represents not simply the fruits of thirty years of labor, however a basis for the following section of exploration. For readers, it gives each spectacular imagery and the instruments for scientific considering that Schyma believes are important for navigating an more and more complicated world.
“I wish to deliver individuals some positivity,” he displays. “And it could be lopsided in the direction of positivity, however I really feel like there is a scarcity of that proper now, and we might all use a little bit bit extra of that.” In a time when discourse usually devolves into tribal positioning and scientific experience is questioned, Schyma’s mixture of rigorous methodology, creative imaginative and prescient, and basic humility gives a special path ahead.
For photographers, his work demonstrates how technical mastery can serve bigger functions past simply creating lovely photographs. For science fans, it reveals how area remark stays essential even in an age of laptop modeling and satellite tv for pc knowledge. For anybody fascinated by dwelling an genuine inventive life, his journey from musician to storm chaser to scientific contributor illustrates how apparently conflicting passions can converge into one thing larger than the sum of their components.
Schyma’s photographs and insights assist us perceive not simply what these phenomena appear to be, however how they work and what they reveal in regards to the complicated programs that govern our planet’s ambiance. Greater than that, they remind us that scientific understanding and aesthetic appreciation aren’t opposing approaches to nature—they’re complementary methods of participating with the world that may improve and inform one another.
“Storm: Chasing Nature’s Wildest Climate” is out there for pre-order now and can ship on October twenty eighth. You’ll be able to observe Pecos Hank’s ongoing work on his YouTube channel, Instagram, and Patreon, the place he continues to share each his newest storm chases and the philosophical insights which have made him one of the vital distinctive and revered voices in each climate documentation and scientific communication.
Notice: Whereas Schyma’s expertise makes storm chasing seem routine, it stays an inherently harmful pursuit that has claimed lives. The phenomena he paperwork—tornadoes, lightning, flooding, massive hail, and extreme winds—pose real threats even to skilled chasers. For these fascinated by extreme climate, safer options embody formal meteorological schooling, educated volunteer recognizing applications, or just appreciating the work of pros who deliver these wonders to us from a secure distance.
All photographs used with permission of Hank Schyma.
