You may have heard the saying, “bad weather makes good photographs.” Using storms, rain and wind can make for some epic landscape photographs that tell a story about the place. From storm chasers to travel photographers - check out these Instagram accounts for inspiration on how to take an eye-catch dramatic image using stormy weather to your advantage! Tag your Sony photography posts with #BeAlpha for a chance to be featured and follow @sonyalpha for your daily dose of photography inspiration.

From storm chasers to travel and landscape photographers – check out these Instagram accounts for inspiration on how to use stormy weather to your advantage!

Gary Hart – @garyhartphoto

Nature photographer, Sony Artisan, writer and teacher Gary Hart uses imagery to share nature's beauty with others. In the caption of this image Hart talks about how thrilling lighting strikes are and we feel the excitement and energy in this photo. Be sure to follow Hart for breathtaking images in your feed and read about what gear he uses to capture those images HERE.

Bob Krist – @bobkristphoto

Bob Krist is a freelance photographer and filmmaker who has worked extensively on assignments for magazines such as National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Islands. He is also a Sony Artisan of Imagery. Krist is a master storyteller and always comes back with creative travel images. He recently just tried out the new Sony 15mm f/1.4 G lens. When describing it he said, “For me, that range between 20-24mm (full frame) or 14-16mm APS-C is the perfect storytelling angle of view and this lens falls right in the middle of that sweet spot, with a blazing fast max aperture of f/1.4.” 

Mike Meyers – @mmeyers76

Mike Meyers is photographer/creative director/writer based out of Chicago and a member of the Alpha Collective. He primarily focuses on urban and natural landscapes. We always love seeing Meyers sweeping frames that seem to tell a full story in one capture. This one was shot on the Sony Alpha 1 and the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens. Check out what gear Meyers carries to get these epic shots! 

Nate Stephens – @natestephens1

Nate Stephens is a wildlife, landscape, and adventure photographer. His Instagram feed is stunning enough to make you want to ditch your house and start #VanLife! We love this shot from Grand Teton National Park, the storm rolling in adds drama and intrigue to a classic landscape. And the pop of colors from the trees at the bottom of the frame adds some great contrast. Stephens took this shot with his Sony Alpha 7 III along with the Sony 70-200mm f/4 G lens. 

Matt Stirn – @mattstirn

Matt Stirn is an archaeologist and photojournalist who tells stories of the environment, archaeology, and history for outlets including the Smithsonian, National Geographic and the New York Times. This image was shot for Smithsonian Magazine – we love how the sky is a part of the story. Stirn photographs fascinating stories around the world, follow him on Instagram to keep up with his work and learn some history! 

Mervin Zhao – @mervophoto

Photographer and scientist Mervin Zhao is a landscape photographer who specializes in long exposures. His photos often show the rush of water and flow of clouds, highlighting the movement of nature. However, in the caption of this image Zhao explains, This was actually taken at 1/1600-sec (even though the "flowing" storm makes it look like a long exposure, you can see some of the snow falling), and this Grand Canyon walk was one of the only times in the last few years I've shot handheld.” Her took this image with the Sony Alpha 7 III and the Sony 24-105mm f/4 G lens. Unlike typical landscape images that are wide and expansive, we love the closer look at just a small piece of the Grand Canyon. 

Sarah Alsayegh – @sarah_alsayegh

Kuwait based landscape photographer and storm chaser Sarah Alsayegh is a must-add to your Instagram feed. She champions landscapes with frames of intense clouds and lighting bolts. In a recent interview with the Sony Alpha Photographers Podcast Alsayegh gave advice to others looking to get into storm chasing. She stated, “you really need to be extra careful, you really need to know about the weather… usually some people end up in a very dangerous area… you always have to have an exit plan.”

Gareth Llewellyn – @withgar

Gareth Llewellyn is an outdoor photographer based in the UK whose work encompasses landscape, wildlife, adventure, storytelling, and commercial work. He took this image in Whales and we love the contrast of the dark sky and clouds compared to the bright light held by the tiny person in the center of the frame. It’s a great storytelling technique, to showcase the grandeur of nature next to the small-scaled person. Give Llewellyn a follow to keep up with his work and adventures.

Craig Smith – @craig_montana_

Craig Smith is a photographer based in Billings, Montana. We came across this eye-catching image on Instagram and were blown away. In the caption Smith explains that this is one of his favorite images he’s ever taken. He also states that this was taken in a moving vehicle (warning, don’t try this at home kids!). It’s rare to see a daytime lighting shot like this and we can’t look away!

Ben Akers – @ben_akers

Based in Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona Ben Akers specializes in landscape photography. He took this photo with the Sony Alpha 7 III and the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master lens. His settings were 35mm, 1/80-sec, f/13, and ISO 400. The leading line of the fence and the mountain range adds some great composition elements to this photo that we love.