A detail of a photo by Chris Kridler

By PAM HARBAUGH

I am an unabashed fan of weather photographer Chris Kridler and the unofficial president of the Chris Kridler Fan Club.

This woman has taken some super fantastic images and video from her years as a professional tornado chaser. You’ve seen her work on The Weather Channel as well as images of her Honda Element beaten up by a brutal hail storm.

She catches not just the mechanics of the storm, but the drama stirred up below the clouds. There’s this intoxicating tension between Mother Nature’s massive gesture and Man’s paltry attempt at stability. Ms. Kridler floods her aesthetic with nature’s deep grays and brooding blues. And there’s frequently a focal point of vulnerability — a bobbing boat, a ramshackle home, a budding flower — alone in its fight to endure. And sometimes it’s just the grandeur of noble midwest plains painted with the storm’s divine power.

These are profound images meant not only to extol the force of nature but also to evince personal response to our efforts to endure.

Ms. Kridler takes as many photos of the wild and wonderful weather we have here in Brevard. Just yesterday she posted images from a building storm heading east. Here’s one:

Photo by Chris Kridler

While I wanted to write about her photography, I want you to also know that Ms. Kridler is a terrific writer as well. She has a trilogy of books called “The Storm Seekers Trilogy” which pits both exciting and quirky characters against nature’s powers. You’ve never read such dreamy descriptions of nature.

If you want to know more, visit her website, ChrisKridler.com.