Featured Photographer within the ‘Pursuit of Power’ SWE Calendar (July 2026) » Severe Weather Europe

The Pursuit of Power — Severe Weather Calendar 2026 showcases Europe’s main storm chasers by their strongest climate imagery. The seventh month, July 2026, options storm chaser Gijs de Reijke with a photograph of a bow echo that turns into strikingly photogenic close to Gournay-en-Bray, France.

The interview collection for featured images in every month-to-month version of the calendar presents a more in-depth look into the photographer behind the scenes, his strategy to images, his ardour, and his placing storm pictures.

Don’t overlook to comply with Gijs’ social channels and assist his work — you’ll discover all of the hyperlinks on the backside of the interview.

About the Photographer – Introduction: Gijs de Reijke

 

Let’s begin easy — who’re you? How outdated are you, and the place in Europe do you name residence?

 

Gijs de Reijke, I used to be born in 1986 and raised within the south of the Netherlands.

When did your ardour for storms and images start? Was there a selected second that pulled you into chasing?

 

As the son and grandson of geography lecturers, I used to be uncovered to the wonder and energy of nature fairly early in life.

Geological phenomena have been essentially the most attention-grabbing to me ever since, however I step by step developed an curiosity in understanding the processes in Earth’s ambiance as nicely. It’s no shock I train geography myself because of this.

I purchased my first DSLR (Nikon D70) in 2004, primarily to {photograph} landscapes. In the summer season of 2009, I used to be invited by a buddy to affix him on a storm chase within the area the place I stay, and from then on, I grew extra occupied with discovering and capturing extreme climate myself.

One of a very powerful components that drives me is figuring out that Earth’s most spectacular phenomena can happen near residence. Knowledge and having the ability to suppose by way of potentialities, quite than unlikelihoods and even impossibilities, will allow me to get my fair proportion of what many will take into account to be ‘You’ll solely discover this in Tornado Alley’ and even ‘out of this world’.

Gear & Chasing Setup

 

What’s inside your digital camera bag and chase car at this time? Any must-have gear you by no means go away residence with out?

 

The outcome ought to solely shock laypeople. When I’m out on a chase, much less is usually extra. A dependable automotive, accessible web, and a manually adjustable digital camera with interchangeable lenses and a tripod are all I require.

Provided there’s loads of theoretical information and sensible expertise, it’s what anybody will ever have to chase and seize storms—no pimped automobiles with a climate station, additional lights, or armour towards massive hail.

Being considerably deliberately provocative, I’d say the skilled (learn: precise) storm chaser will simply be recognisable by the absence of something however the naked requirements, after all, making an allowance for solely those that don’t intend to drive into tornadoes.

What a part of storm chasing offers you the largest adrenaline rush or emotional excessive?

 

After having seen fairly a number of really stunning supercells and linear storm modes, one having completed extra injury than the subsequent, I’d say the reply would probably be exceptional to most.

To me, nothing beats capturing a bunch of wildly-branched bolts of CG lightning over a fairly panorama.

The Chase Experience

 

The picture we chosen for the calendar is genuinely inspiring. What was the ambiance like round you — the temper, the sunshine, the vitality of the storm — and what went by your thoughts as you pressed the shutter?

 

It can be our second important intercept of the day. There had been 4 of us, driving to the French metropolis of Rouen, and we discovered ourselves a quasi-stationary supercell for nicely over an hour from the identical spot.

As the storm grew bigger and extra photogenic, we determined to drive north to intercept the bow echo it was forecast to change into. We by no means even bought near the place we wished to go. While heading east for a little bit over twenty minutes, the supercell misplaced its spectacular constructions nearly completely, with one other supercell to the southeast having kicked the bucket nicely earlier than ours, leaving solely a structureless blob surrounded by a thick haze. What occurred subsequent is what I by no means thought doable.

A ‘Rear Inflow Jet’ had shaped in between what remained of the 2 storms, which began the formation of the bow echo. While initially misidentifying the ensuing sign within the precipitation radar as a big ‘Rear Flank Downdraft’ of a supercell embedded within the wet blob shaped by the 2 earlier supercells, we bought in entrance of it on the similar time. The cloud constructions had been condensed into existence nearly quicker than I can write it, which led me to abruptly pull the automotive to the aspect of the street and run into the adjoining discipline.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the storm went from hero to zero. Just as quick because it shaped, it overtook us, already shedding its most menacing and photogenic traits. Its look and energy by no means recovered from that second on, so it will be honest to say we bought fortunate with the unintended timing and site of our intercept.

How far has this ardour taken you? In what number of nations have you ever chased or photographed storms to this point?

 

It’s figuring out I don’t must go very far to see spectacular phenomena that drives me to remain as near residence as doable. I did a loopy one-day journey to München in June of 2019 with two different chasers, in addition to a number of three-day journeys overlaying hundreds of kilometres all through France and Germany.

The most important distance for a single state of affairs was the notorious hail-hurling monsters in northern Italy on July 24-25, 2023.

Tell us about your chase car — is it a standard automotive, or have you ever turned it right into a lightning-hunting machine? Do you chase solo or with companions?

 

Just an everyday, dependable automotive. I want to chase with others, particularly when it’s extra handy for us to not must divide our consideration an excessive amount of. One individual behind the wheel and one or two dealing with meteorology whereas navigating will be one of the best strategy to each success and security.

Still, generally it’s simply beautiful to seek out myself a storm, to benefit from the serenity of the evening a bit extra.

Describe your final dream chase: location, storm construction, gentle, terrain — the right scene.

 

Just someplace photogenic, with stunning CG lightning placing out of a high-based storm with a dense precipitation core.

I nonetheless must verify the containers for a state of affairs like this over very mountainous terrain, in addition to very totally different local weather zones, like savannas and deserts, therefore my dream to sometime head to the western a part of the United States for the monsoon storms, quite than to Tornado Alley through the spring months to seize tornadoes.

Be trustworthy: a strong supercell types 20 km away… proper as a boring work assembly is about to start out. What occurs subsequent?

 

Luckily, I’ve seen so many fairly storms I can deal with not seeing one or two. I can actually say I’m at some extent in my life the place I can management the urge to drop all the things and maintain chasing storms as what it’s: a passion, not an obsession.

Still, there’s an anecdote that precisely describes what would occur if a chance had been to show into an irresistible temptation. In May of 2022, I needed to train a collection of courses, similar to on some other workday. Knowing a squall line would kind and transfer overhead sooner or later throughout my workday, I introduced my drone and stored a watch on radar and lightning detection.

About ten minutes earlier than the storm hit the college, I had my pupils take a look at the smartboard, which displayed the info above. I requested them what they thought it featured and had them go exterior to the schoolyard to attach the semi-abstract info on the display to what they may see shifting over the constructing.

Luckily, the storm’s constructions had been all I dared to hope for, and a singular alternative to take instructing to the extent it must be and to snap a number of footage got here to fruition.

Inspiration & Milestones

 

Which storm chasers or photographers have impressed your journey? Anyone you look as much as, even at this time?

 

Those who can maintain their cool and be efficient. Chasers who spend money on information all the time get a +1 from me, and chasers who additionally know learn how to take image or two get a +2. If you occur to be pleasant, useful, and simply enjoyable to be round, it’s a +3.

There are loads of folks within the European chase communities who’ve all of those traits. Please drop in on one of many many barbecues, conferences, and gatherings being held throughout and after each storm season.

Having that mentioned, I’d like to chase with a man like ‘Pecos’ Hank Schyma, if I’m to say any of the well-known American chasers. Not to exclude any of the others who encourage me, however his wonderful movies are enjoyable to indicate within the courses I train, and I really like a laid-back and humorous way of living generally.

What second in your chasing or images profession are you most pleased with — a seize, a visit, or a private milestone?

 

Any and each second that revolves round ‘using knowledge and skill to force luck’, as a major diploma of luck is all the time required, however it takes willpower to utilize it.

A supercell removed from residence, that good bolt over a fairly little bit of panorama after having gone residence from the identical place empty-handed loads of occasions, or simply that swift response to an unexpectedly creating state of affairs.

Every chase and each image has a narrative that comes with it, which is price way over anything within the passion and can all the time maintain true aficionados going, no matter how partaking a posted image or video is on social media or how practical AI footage will change into.

What’s the closest name you’ve ever had? Any harmful moments you’ll always remember, and what did you be taught from them?

 

There had been a number of lightning strikes close by, however a thick department of an oak tree that got here down throughout a really highly effective RFD surge in June of 2021 is the one which immediately involves thoughts.

It landed about ten centimetres in entrance of the automotive whereas we couldn’t even see it falling, because of the intense precipitation and chilly air, which condensed the humid air into the densest fog I’ve ever seen.

Trees and tree limbs crushing automobiles are important causes of dying when extreme climate strikes, and after a tiring evening of chasing storms, we weren’t on the high of our sport anymore, leading to us heading into the woods and stopping the automotive the place it wasn’t secure.

Connect With Photographer’s Work

 

And lastly, the place can folks comply with your work and chase adventures on-line? (Facebook, Instagram, X, web site, TikTook,…)

 

You can discover my images and adventures on-line at:

Final Note

 

Thank you, Gijs, for being a part of the Pursuit of Power mission!

Your story and visuals assist showcase the power, magnificence, and variety of European storm chasing.

*****The Pursuit of Power — Severe Weather Calendar 2026 options one of the best European storm chasers by highly effective images of extreme climate.

The Calendar has 13 pages – a canopy web page plus 12 month-to-month pages.

The calendar will be bought right here: Pursuit of Power – Weather Calendar 2026

*****Each of you is a necessary a part of the SWE household, and we might love to listen to your voice.
Take a fast 2-minute survey and assist form the way forward for Severe Weather Europe: what you take pleasure in most, what pursuits you, and what you’d like to see subsequent.

As a thanks for sharing your ideas, you may enter our giveaway to win one among 5 SWE rewards, together with the brand-new ‘Pursuit of Power’ Severe Weather Calendar 2026.

Your suggestions really helps us create a greater SWE service for everybody!

Severe Weather Europe Quick User Survey