WHO AM I

My name is Hunter Fowkes. Husband to my wonderful wife, Lucia as of 5 years. I am a Meteorologist, graduated from Iowa State University with my Bachelors degree. I am a storm chaser and photographer, where my upbringing brought me from the deserts of Arizona, to the rolling Midwest plains, to the highest 14,000-foot peaks of Colorado. I love mother nature's temper tantrums and how the world has been molded and shaped into what we can behold today.

WHAT I DO

I have been chasing storms since 2009, witnessing my first twister destroy a pig farm in rural Dike, Iowa. Ever since that first tornado, and my childhood fascination, I've been hooked on chasing down tornadoes for the rest of my life. After chasing for many years without a camera I felt the desire to capture and retain images from my chases. After finishing my church mission service and returned home to attend college and chase storms I finally purchased my first DSLR in 2018. From that point on, I wanted to use photography to document my storm chases and adventures. Capturing storms is like my way of recording my own personal history and adventures. Each chase is either a triumph or a crushing defeat. This dream has pushed me onwards to continue to develop my craft as a photographer, to obtain my degree in meteorology, and hone my skills as a storm chaser.

WHY DO WHAT I DO

I chase and photograph storms because it gives me purpose, helps me to document events of my life, and help tell the story of my life. While some run away from storms, I actively seek them. I’ve had this moment in my life, maybe even hundreds of times at this point, where something in the world strikes you, cause you to stop what your doing, pause, and behold what’s before you. Our world we get to call home is beautiful. From landscapes to cityscapes, to weather, the night sky, to the aurora in the skies above, there is so much to behold. After moving around the country in my childhood, I got to experience what this truly means. For 10 years of my life, I never saw winter. For years, I stared at the sun for 300+ days a year. Once that first clouds roll in from the monsoons, in the deserts of Arizona, everything changes, and life comes after the storm. When that first dark cloud begins to envelop the sky, and the first raindrop in the ambient air temperature of 110⁰F hits your skin, and the crack and boom of the first bolt of lightning hits, I knew I was captured. This passion for weather began as early as I can remember and it carries me through all parts of my life. I love what I do, and I cannot imagine a world where I cannot chase my dreams. Come along on the journey with me and let's see what we can behold in the real world!