Arizona Storm Chasing
Photography Workshop
Storms you can count on. Lightning you can photograph. 100% guaranteed
Photographing lightning and storm cells is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences a photographer can have. Whether it's getting a perfect landscape storm shot or an insane bolt of lightning, the experience cannot be beat.
Our storm chasing workshops will teach you how to shoot lightning during the day and night, in a scenic environment that allows your composition to tell a story.
There is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you can experience when chasing a mammoth storm cell and then capture its power. During this adventure, you will learn how to figure out in advance where the storms will be and where you should be able to capture the best images of them.
During our workshops, you will capture many incredible day and night lightning shots!
Our programs cover:
Advanced planning using weather maps and forecasts to select the best days and times to shoot.
Location and scene selection in order to create dramatic, stunning, and unique photos.
Camera settings to ensure your shots turn out beautifully.
How to safely track and follow a storm to maximize your opportunity to capture its lightning.
Post-processing in Lightroom and Photoshop.
We will be working towards shooting massive storm cells, lightning, rainbows, sunsets and the Milky Way. We may be able to shoot landspouts and haboobs if the opportunity presents itself. You may also have a chance to photograph elusive sprites, red cold plasma lightning above the cumulus storm clouds. Each day and night will bring a new adventure, fantastic photos and stories that last a lifetime.
Lightning & Rainbows
Sprites
We will capture old west windmills, ranches, barns, mountain ranges, fertile valleys, saguaro, Barrel, and the prickly pear cactus as dramatic storm clouds roll into the scene and explode with beautiful lightning. These are key features of the southern Arizona high desert.
We look forward to having you join us
About our Workshops
Four action-filled days storm chasing in Southern AZ
What's Included
Award-winning, professional photography guides
Daily classes on forecasting where the storms will be, tracking them, and positioning yourself in the best spot to capture artistic landscape storm photos. It's more than just lightning strikes
Proper use of a Lightning trigger and ND filters to capture stunning daytime storms
All Transportation to all locations
After the workshop zoom class, our "How to photograph breathtaking monsoon storms” E-book, Lightroom presets, and Photoshop actions
Snacks and Bottled Water
The experience of a lifetime
What's Not Included
Hotel Accommodations
Camera, Lens, Post Processing Software*
Lunch, Dinner and Alcoholic Beverages
Transportation to and from your location to the workshop
* We typically bring extra lightning triggers with connections to all makes of cameras, ND filters in the most common sizes, Canon cameras and lenses and tripods to the workshop. So if you forget something we probably have you covered.
Recommended Equipment
DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
Lightning trigger and Intervalometer
We recommend MK Controls Lightning Bug Plus
Use code RGallucci at checkout for free shipping
6-Stop Neutral Density Filter and a Circular Polarizer
We recommend Breakthrough Filters
Email us with questions about filter selection
Sturdy Tripod with Ball Head
Lens suggestions below
Recommended Lenses
Telephoto zoom lens (70-200mm, full frame)
Wide-angle zoom lens (16-35mm, full frame)
Mid-range zoom lens (24-70mm, full frame)
50mm Prime (Nifty Fifty)
Your Team
-
Robert Gallucci
Founder
Robert Gallucci is an internationally recognized, award-winning photographer, writer, and instructor known for capturing the power, beauty, and unpredictability of the natural world. His work has been featured in major publications, books, and television networks, and he serves as the Night Sky Ambassador for the City of Willcox, Arizona. He is also a member of the Bisbee Dark Sky Committee, working closely with local communities to promote and preserve the dark skies of southern Arizona. Robert has spoken at camera clubs throughout the United States and has been a featured guest on photography and outdoor-focused podcasts. He teaches photography and post-processing through Cochise College’s Center for Lifelong Learning, as well as through his private workshops and field-based instruction.
Driven by a lifelong pursuit of light, weather, and landscape, Robert has photographed across three continents, chasing storms, night skies, and fleeting moments of atmosphere. Yet it is the southern Arizona high desert he calls home that continues to inspire his most compelling work—a landscape where monsoon storms, dark skies, and vast open terrain converge into something truly extraordinary.
Through his photography, teaching, and writing, Robert invites others to slow down, observe, and experience the world more deeply. He is currently working on a book that pairs images and stories from the southern Arizona high desert, capturing both its raw beauty and the personal journey it represents.
-
Lori Bailey
Senior Instructor / Master Storm Chaser
Lori Grace Bailey is a professional photographer with a passion for capturing extreme weather and extraordinary skies. Her pursuit of the perfect storm has taken her across the country, chasing supercells and tornadoes in the Midwest, towering dust storms in the Southwest, and rare atmospheric phenomena like sprites. Lori’s dedication to her craft results in vivid, evocative imagery that stands out in the world of weather photography.In 2024, Lori was featured on CBS Sunday Morning in a segment exploring the science of lightning. Her work has additionally appeared in prominent publications and media outlets, including Cosmopolitan Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, and the “Tempest” issue of Flaunt Magazine. Her photography has also been featured in several books focusing on weather and lightning phenomena.
Lori was the director of Monsoon Con from 2019 to 2025, an annual convention held in Tucson, Arizona, that brings together storm chasers, photographers, and weather enthusiasts to celebrate and learn more about the monsoon season and chasing the desert southwest.
She now hosts a podcast called "The Storm Before the Calm," available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. The show delves into the often-untold stories of thrill-seeking adventurers—storm chasers, extreme athletes, and boundary-pushing weekend warriors—who have faced life-threatening adversity. While mainstream narratives tend to focus on the excitement of the chase, Lori is determined to shed light on the quieter, more profound experiences that occur when lives hang in the balance. These are stories of resilience, transformation, and the surprising calm found at the edge of chaos.
-
Jim Hazen
Senior Instructor
Jim’s nickname could be “detail,” for he is a master of details. Whether it is in the planning for complicated shoots such as eclipses or Milky Way shots or shooting with unparalleled expertise, Jim brings the professionalism from a career as an Air Force Officer and the charm of an Iowa country boy to all our workshops.
As a master photographer who shoots a Canon system, he excels at Milky Way and Storm Chasing photography.
The Lightning Guarantee
Southern Arizona’s monsoon is one of the most reliable lightning seasons in North America, and this workshop is scheduled during the peak window for consistent storm activity. You can expect that we will encounter storms that produce lightning, giving you real opportunities to photograph active weather throughout the workshop.
If the weather itself fails to provide those opportunities — meaning no storms develop in our chase region during the workshop dates — you’ll receive a credit toward a future Storm Chasing Workshop at no additional workshop cost. This credit applies only when the lack of opportunity is due to weather conditions, not individual shooting challenges or user error.
Key points:
The guarantee covers the presence of lightning-producing storms, not the outcome of any participant’s photos.
The credit applies to a future Storm Chasing Workshop, based on available dates in a later monsoon season.
Travel, lodging, meals, and related expenses for any future workshop are the participant’s responsibility.