DENVER — After the tornadoes moved off Colorado's eastern plains this week, the sky put on a show with jagged purple streaks breaking up the darkness — and it was all captured by a local photographer.
Severe storms rumbled across Colorado both Wednesday and Thursday, bringing large hail, strong winds and several tornadoes to multiple communities. The National Weather Service estimates that two to five tornadoes hit the Sterling area in Logan County on Wednesday, and a preliminary EF-1 tornado ran about six miles in Highlands Ranch on Thursday afternoon.
After work both days, well after the tornadoes had disappeared, Colorado photographer Jeremy Janus packed up his truck and headed east.
There's a good chance you have seen his photography before. In 2022, he had a 35-piece exhibit called "Colorado Through the Seasons" set up at the Denver International Airport. His photos were featured at the R Gallery in Boulder, Foothills Art Center in Golden, Loveland Public Library, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and more. He has had four photo books published.
Janus picked up photography about seven years ago, but fell in love with the outdoors well before that. When he was younger, he found peace in nature amid struggles with depression and anxiety. When he was just 19 years old, he broke his back and turned to the healing power of art.
"And then, back in 2016, I picked up a camera for the first time, and I just started shooting like crazy in nature," he said. "Combining nature and art, to me, has been the most gratifying thing — to be able to share the beauty of the world with people, and kind of inspire people to get outdoors, especially in Colorado."
Over a few years, he taught himself how to handle and adjust the camera to get clear, crisp and engaging shots. But his love for storm photography sparked with a single, stunning photo. It was 2019 and he was at Sloan's Lake in west Denver.
His camera was set up.
Lightning struck.
And it was a perfect reflection.
As Janus began exploring weather photography more, he also learned how to interpret storm radars and understand how cells and clouds form, and subsequently, where lightning can strike. But it's tricky.
"With lightning, it's like you're trying to chase something that doesn't exist before it gets there," he explained. "So, it's really just bringing something to life that doesn't exist. And in my mind, that's the best art or creation you can get into."
He calls it the most technical kind of shooting that he does, which also includes high-alpine photography.
"You're just constantly learning," he said.
Big bolts can blow out a shot. The camera's ISO and aperture settings have to be just right. Wind can knock over a tripod. Plus, he has to monitor radars and forecasts to see how the storm is progressing and where he should head next. And sometimes, Mother Nature simply does not cooperate. But when it all lines up, Janus can capture a magic moment.
"It's like the best way to live in the moment in life as possible, because you're obviously worried about the dangers of storm chasing and then when you're actually near lightning, it's like viscerally — you'll feel it in your chest," he said. "There's almost nothing else I've ever experienced like that."
He sometimes is so focused on snagging the photograph that he can't enjoy the show in the sky for himself. It's something he said most people don't realize, but it's worth it when they can admire his work away from the dangers of storms.
"I mean, I'm self-admitted crazy," he said. "So, I go through this stuff all the time. I love it. I tell people, 'Your passion has to become your obsession — and that's how you go from good to great.' And that's kind of the way I live my life. But you know, just because you love the photos doesn't mean you need to go chase or anything like that."
On Wednesday evening, he tried to find active lightning as thunderstorms moved over the eastern plains and ended up near Last Chance, about 34 miles north of Limon.
"And then one of the cells pulled up, so I kind of just popped in there and got a few shots over there," he said. "But the lightning that night was actually really intense. And I was surprised how much lightning was out there."
On Thursday evening, he headed toward Limon after spotting a cell moving in that direction. Luck was on his side — the backside of the cell, where he was, had much more lightning activity than the interior.
"It's kind of nice because those are the best type of moments you can have — where you're on the backside actually shooting toward the cell," he said. "You're not really worried about rain and stuff."
He then packed up and began to head back to Denver when one other cell caught his eye. He pulled off the road and snapped a shot that he said "looks like a spaceship is just coming in with the lightning coming out from under it."
Flooding has impacted the eastern plains this week and Janus said navigating some of the county roads proved more difficult than normal. But maneuvering the obstacles as they come up is all part of the learning experience for him.
"Over the last five years, I've always improved my photos year over year because I'm constantly trying to improve the way I'm doing it," he said. "And then I also understand the cells better — just being around them more."
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