My Background
Hi, I'm Dusty.
I've been obsessed with weather since I was a kid playing with my toy soldiers and digging up my mum's garden whilst looking at the clouds.
I remember one particular storm, when day turned into night, the thunder was so loud and lightning so bright, I hid under a blanket on the sofa.
I was only around 45 then!
OK, I was about 8 or 9 years old.
Maybe it was this that made me photograph my first lightning bolt around 1984/5? But it wasn't until 2013 that I got to chase storms in the U.S. for the first time. To date, I've seen over 30 tornadoes. Since then, my interest in the sky has grown to learning about astronomy, clouds, weather and even doing my own forecasts, etc.
Having two rare spine diseases, photography became my freedom; it became my escape from pain. I feel alive regardless of the weather or locations I find myself in. Having a camera in my hand and watching light change is such a magical experience.
Achievements
Shortlisted for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year by the Royal Museums Greenwich in 2018 - Aurora category.
Shortlisted for the Siena International Photo Awards 2021 - Nature category.
I have been published in the Royal Meteorological Society's Weather – A Force of Nature book, which is an honour as a weather obsessive: