Conservation Photography

Angelo Concilio: Rider on The Storm

As I child, I was terrified of storms. Especially those that occurred in the summer, when a strong contrast between hot and cold air made them particularly violent. I remember one occasion in August, when I had just turned six years old. I was out shopping with my parents just a few kilometres west of Salerno when suddenly there was a loud noise coming from the direction of the Apennine Mountains.

A huge cumulonimbus cloud split the sky in half, with hot and sunny weather on one side, and a very strong thunderstorm on the other. As the storm got closer, lightning fell a few hundred metres from us, and hail whitened the streets in minutes. This was a totally new experience for me, and I ran into my father’s arms in terror. It’s a memory that remains with me to this day. I was afraid. But I was also in awe.

Like the pull of a gripping horror movie, my fear morphed into fascination as I grew older. When a thunderstorm broke out at night, I would rush to my window to witness the night’s sky put on a brilliant show. As a young boy without a computer, I wasn’t able to access meteorological forecasts or detailed weather maps. But if I heard thunder, or sensed the sky was threatening, I would wait giddily in anticipation, ready with my parents’ camera in the hope of capturing a fleeting moment forever.

This led to my interest in photography, focusing mainly on the beautiful landscapes that form my home region of Campania. Here in Salerno, we are fortunate to have the Amalfi Coast to the west, and Cilento National Park to the south. Our coastline overlooks the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, between the Gulf of Salerno and the Gulf of Policastro. It is an area of natural beauty, and a perfect canvas on which storms can paint their beguiling magic.

Before long, my landscape photography focused almost exclusively on the niche that was getting the most attention and bringing me the most joy: storms. What once frightened me now gave me a strong adrenaline rush, especially the first time lightning struck just a few metres away and resulted in a spectacular photo. From that moment on, I realised that I absolutely had to chase storms in southern Italy. It became almost like my drug.

The storm season in southern Italy lasts almost all year, but the best time to hunt is from March to November when the contrasts between cold and warm air are at their highest. At the end of winter, with the lengthening of the days and the longer daylight hours, the ground heats up more than in the colder months. Consequently, there is more energy in play.

Living a few kilometres from the southern Apennines, thermo-convective thunderstorms often occur during the afternoon. They are characterised by the development of huge cumulonimbus ‘anvil’ clouds that develop up to the highest limits of the tropopause: the boundary in the Earth’s atmosphere between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

At the height of the thunderstorm season, it’s possible to see storm cells at sea, often associated with the arrival of a cold front that accompanies them. These are viewed as being more dangerous, since the warm sea provides more energy than the spring or winter months. Most of the time they develop at night, when it is easier for us storm chasers to photograph lightning associated with waterspouts or tornadoes.

For me, the best conditions in which to shoot storms are when there are isolated thunderstorms expected. This ensures the rest of the sky is clear and clean, especially during the darkness of night when you can admire the lightning bolts flashing out from the storm. Known as ”positive lightning’’, it is perhaps the most fascinating electrical manifestation that can develop from thunderstorms. These are extremely powerful discharges that are among the longest lightning that can be observed during a thunderstorm. Arising from young cumulonimbus clouds, they have the peculiarity of appearing to fall from a great distance from the cloud that generated them.

After consulting the weather bulletins and the medium and long-term forecasts, my storm chasing friends and I decide where to position ourselves the day before. Then three or four hours before the storm is due to arrive, we’ll jump in my Jeep Renegade and head to our chosen spot. My standard equipment includes my Canon EOS 200D camera, my various lenses (70-300mm, 50mm art, and a 14mm), and – key to a good shot – my fixed camera tripod. Given the chase lasts most of the day, snacks are a must.

People often ask me about the dangers of storm chasing. Put it this way: my parents are not too keen with my chosen activity. Before Covid, my day job was as a wedding photographer. They certainly preferred me photographing newlyweds, because it is of course a lot less risky. But it’s also a lot less exciting!

The truth is that storm chasing is quite dangerous, especially to those who set out to chase storms without acknowledging the risks, or respecting nature, or doing their research. Most accidents caused by lightning occur outdoors. You are most at risk in the mountains, but all large and exposed places such as a lawn or a soccer field can be a dangerous place to be during a storm. Especially anywhere in the presence of water, such as the sea, beaches, piers, docks or outdoor pools.

But it is not only lightning that is dangerous. Among the most dramatic and worrying effects of climate change is the increasing extremes of weather phenomena, destined to become increasingly violent as temperatures rise. A frightening change that is already underway has seen hurricanes becoming more powerful and destructive. Near the coasts, if you are near large plains, you can also experience waterspouts or tornadoes that can be very dangerous to human life. I once witnessed this danger myself, and I’m thankful that I live to tell the tale.

It was the evening of October 3rd, 2019. Some weather models had offered a small chance of thunderstorms, and right on the Gulf of Salerno there formed a self-healing thunderstorm. This is a phenomenon that feeds itself and regenerates due to the contrast between the warm and humid low altitude air and the cool and drier high altitude air. On this occasion, it brought gusts of over 100km/h and a flurry of hail, hitting first the city centre, then the coastal area.

In a hurry to capture it, me and a friend positioned ourselves a few metres from the beach to shoot some lightning. And while the picture that came out is amazing, I was almost killed as two bolts struck just a few hundred metres from our beach. It was a moment of pure terror, since we were positioned just steps from sea level! It was an epic experience, but really scary. Would I do it again? I would. But with a few more precautions this time.

On another occasion in 2020, I was on the beach at Cilento National Park with friends who were surfing in the sea. A strong Atlantic disturbance had scourged southern Italy, bringing thunderstorms that resulted in huge waves in the Tyrrhenian Sea. After a few hours, a strong storm formed over the Gulf of Salerno, slowly approaching us. All of a sudden, electrical discharges came down a few hundred metres from the surfers! I had to call my friends out of the water because of the very dangerous situation. It was a captivating and epic thrill. My photos of that day resembled the scenes of foreboding and doom from Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Recently I started working for Extreme Weather Club, which works to promote and publish the work of storm chasers all over Europe. But one day soon I aim to expand my storm chasing journey beyond Italy’s horizons. I would love to go to Venezuela where electrical storms are guaranteed almost all year round on the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo. It’s one of the most fascinating places on the planet for those drawn to extreme weather.

Another dream trip would be the USA, where it’s possible to see and photograph supercells, tornadoes and lightning all at the same time. My hope is to one day join a team of storm chasers in the USA and around the world, working with The Weather Channel or National Geographic. Maybe that will be the day that my parents finally accept my chosen career.

To read more about Angelo’s storm chasing experiences in southern Italy, head to DiscoverInteresting.com

Angelo Concilio

Angelo is a 21-year-old storm chaser from the port city of Salerno, in the south of Italy. Two years ago he took up storm chasing, a hobby that has led him to photographing extreme weather around his tempestuous home region of Campania and beyond. This is the story of how, and why, he does it…

[xyz-ihs snippet=”Prepared-by-PK”]

Related Topics:conservation photography Italy Photographer things we likes

Up Next

Pacific Whale Foundation & University of Hawaii Announce Scientific Paper Documenting Rapid Weight-Loss in Pygmy Killer Whales

Don't Miss

Whale Sharks in Video Games, Where to Swim with the Gentle Giants

Conservation Photography

National Geographic Explorer Thomas Peschak to Receive 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling

This year’s award recognizes Peschak’s legacy of visually illuminating ecosystems, including the people advocating for them, while connecting audiences to the importance of conservation

Cover of the Amazon Special Single-Topic October 2024 Issue of National Geographic Magazine. Photo by Thomas P . Peschak/National Geographic.

Award-winning photographer and National Geographic Explorer T homas P. Peschak will receive the National Geographic Society’s 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling for his long legacy of conservation storytelling at National Geographic and beyond.

The award — named for the writer and photographer Eliza Scidmore, the first woman elected to the Society’s Board of Trustees in 1892 — recognizes individuals whose work focuses on immersive storytelling to advance our understanding of the environmental and conservation issues we face, with the ultimate goal of supporting societies in making the best decisions for a healthier planet.

While Peschak began his career training as a marine biologist specializing in human-wildlife interactions, he eventually moved to photojournalism after realizing his impact on conservation could be greater through storytelling to inspire change. Now, Peschak’s accomplishments are world-renowned, with 18 Wildlife Photographer of the Year wins, seven World Press Photo Awards, and most recently, the 2024 Wildlife Photojournalist Story Award — all for his significant work documenting some of the most crucial conservation stories of our time.

Ariaú River, Brazil – A pink river dolphin cruises in the shallows of a flooded forest in Brazil’s Ariaú River. Its unique anatomy allows it to swim easily through these waters. Narrow dorsal fins, long snouts and large, flexible flippers let the mammals slip in and out of submerged branches. “They basically fly between the trees,” marine biologist Fernando Trujillo says, “following the fish.” Featured in the Special Single-Topic October 2024 Amazon Issue of National Geographic Magazine. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

“Tom’s work is rooted in a commitment to drive meaningful impact. Whether documenting vital ecosystems, the plight of at-risk species or the stories of communities, his images open our eyes to the world, make it clear what’s at stake and inspire us to act,” said Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society. “Tom’s dedication to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world defines his work, and it’s why we are deeply honored to present him with the 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling.”

Most recently, he was the lead storyteller on the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition, a multiyear series of solutions-centered science expeditions spanning the entire Amazon River Basin. Working with fellow Explorers and local communities, Peschak immersed himself in the basin for 396 days to reveal its aquatic and wetland habitats. The single-topic October issue of the National Geographic magazine was devoted entirely to Peschak’s stunning images of the Amazon Expedition. Starting with ice axes and crampons in the icy high Andes and finishing with scuba gear in the Atlantic Ocean, he created the first-of-its-kind comprehensive photographic archive of our planet’s most iconic and biodiverse river system.

Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands – A ground finch pecks at the base of a Nazca booby’s flight feathers and drinks the blood. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

To date, Peschak has photographed 20 National Geographic magazine features on various subjects, including manta rays, sea turtles, climate change in Antarctica and the global seabird crisis, the latter of which resulted from a Society grant in 2017. Seeking to address the loss of 230 million seabirds over 60 years, Peschak mined archives for images of seabird colonies in Peru taken 100 years ago and re-photographed those same locations, presenting these images side by side in an innovative multimedia display to visualize this staggering absence in the hopes of protecting this ecologically critical and unique species.

Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles Islands – Blacktip reef sharks wait for the tide to refill the lagoon at remote Aldabra Atoll. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

In addition to his extraordinary photojournalistic work, Peschak has written and photographed eight books, including “Sharks and People,” which chronicles the relationship between people and sharks around the world, and “Wild Seas,” a collection of photos taken by Peschak documenting the beauty and fragility of underwater life and wild coastlines from around the world. He has also appeared as a speaker for the National Geographic Live! series, having presented over 20 shows in 15 cities on three continents.

Mexico – A manta ray being cleaned by Clarion angelfish. Today these animals play an important role in tourism in places like Mexico’s Archipiélago de Revillagigedo Biosphere Reserve, in the Pacific Ocean about 240 miles southwest of Baja’s southern tip. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

“Photography and storytelling aren’t just about highlighting places with unique biodiversity, especially when areas like the Amazon basin are under siege every day from issues like overfishing, pollution and climate change,” said Peschak. “To capture the full scale, it’s imperative to highlight these challenges as well as the people who are facing them head-on: local communities, Indigenous peoples, researchers and other Explorers. The goal and hope with my work has always been to photograph places I love in order to help save them, so it is a true honor to receive this award and get to continue to work on important stories of conservation.”

Bahama Islands – Green sea turtles congregate near a dock in the Bahamas. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

While remaining a cornerstone of storytelling work at the Society, Peschak continues to focus on marine conservation storytelling more broadly, serving as the director of storytelling for the Save our Seas Foundation — an organization he has been an integral part of for almost two decades. He is also a founding director of the Manta Trust and a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Peschak will be honoured as the 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award recipient during the annual National Geographic Society Storytellers Summit in February 2025. To learn more about Peschak and other Explorers’ work, visit our website here.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

Conservation Photography

Manta Ray Magic: Witnessing a Feeding Frenzy in the Great Barrier Reef – Photography by Aliya Siddiqi

While working at an island that’s known as “the home of the manta ray,” it’s easy for most of us staff to get jaded at seeing one or two manta rays…per day. Maybe they do a quick cruise past, or maybe a stop at the cleaning station. But when these mantas do aggregate around this small island on the Great Barrier Reef, those are the days that turn into pure magic. And it reminds us all as to why these animals are so spectacular to interact with.

Manta rays, more specifically Manta alfredi, are unique in the contrast between their large size and inquisitive behavior around humans. Despite reaching average lengths of three to five meters wingtip to wingtip, they are filter feeders and seek out the smallest creatures in the ocean to feed on. The diets of manta rays are found to consist mostly of different types of zooplankton, small creatures that range from microscopic single-celled organisms to the larvae of larger animals like crabs, octopuses, and fish. Zooplankton are heterotrophic, meaning that they obtain their energy from feeding on other organisms including phytoplankton and other zooplankton. In this photo series, all of those small dots sparkling in the photos indicate a high number of plankton.

According to scientists studying the island aggregation site, the higher biomass of zooplankton seems to be a result of “local concentration and retention processes around the island”. Though still unknown why these zooplankton blooms around the island happen, when it does become what we call “manta soup,” the foraging behaviour of the manta rays gives guests and staff some unforgettable experiences. The elasmobranchs ensure filter-feeding efficiency by looping around consistently in nutrient-dense areas. All one must do is stay in that same spot and wait for the mantas to swoop in and detour around you – though with strong currents, this is often more easily said than done. However, some days you get lucky when the weather window blesses you with no wind, high zooplankton biomass, and an influx of manta rays.

These photos come from a day like that, making it almost too easy for an amateur photographer like me to capture these charismatic animals. The mantas were swooping in and out, with some of the females displaying quite pregnant bellies. Like any aggregation site, tourism operators greatly benefit from the frequency at which these animals appear. Their docile and curious nature also makes them excellent flagship species for marine conservationists. Listed as Vulnerable to Extinction by the IUCN, these experiences with the public allow for an opportunity to discuss the challenges our oceans are facing, and why protection is of the utmost importance.

Conservation Photography

Cleaning Stations & Coastal Cruising – Under the Waves with Karim Iliya, October 2024

This is a turtle cleaning station. You can see the turtle in the back getting cleaned by a fish which eats parasites and algae off the turtle’s skin, shell, and scales. The turtle in the front is waiting its turn. This is a symbiotic relationship in which the turtles get cleaned, and the fish get a meal.

A Hawaiian green sea turtle cruises beneath the waves off the coast of Hawaii. This turtle was eating algae off the rocks, seemingly unaffected by the powerful turbulent water all around. When not eating algae, these turtles spend much of their time laying on the nearby beach .

Karim was published in National Geographic magazine for his humpback whale photography. He now leads his own trips so that others can swim with whales.

If you are interested in swimming with or photographing humpback whales, Karim guides people on small trips between August and October every year in Tonga. Visit www.dancewithwhales.com to find out more

To see more of Karim’s work, visit his website at www.karimphotography.com