Miles and miles of dust, thousands of feet above the sky. In a moment you see nothing but a big dust cloud – you can either lose your sense of being or keep watching the magnificence of nature. That’s exactly what Jason Ferguson, a photographer from Arizona, did when he took these pictures of a dust storm from the safety of a news helicopter.
These dust storms are called “haboobs”, an Arabic word that means “blasting”. The storms occur during seasonal changes called the monsoon season, when Arizona receives half of its annual rainfall. During this time, desert dust lifts to the sky, creating a huge dust wall. And this seasonal change is just one of many reasons why Jason Ferguson loves his job.
So how did the photographer manage to take shots like this, you might ask? The helicopter was moving more than 100 miles per hour, almost twice as fast as the storm itself. That meant Jason and the pilot could keep a respectful distance from the storm, allowing them to land safely with some magnificent snaps. Take a look at these incredible pictures for yourself.
Titles:
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- Jason Ferguson braved an enormous Arizona dust storm to take these incredible photos from a helicopter
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Jason Ferguson, a photographer from Arizona, took these incredible pictures of a dust storm from a helicopter
Jason’s job is to capture news stories from the sky. Weather changes don’t frighten him – on the contrary, they are the reason he loves his job
This is the view from the helicopter’s cabin, where Jason has worked for 6 years
The storm occurs during seasonal changes called the monsoon season, when Arizona receives half of its annual rainfall
The dust storm usually happens during the summer period, when there's a greater chance of thunderstorms and rain
During the monsoon season the desert dust lifts to the sky, in a huge dust wall
While the dust storm moves at 40-60 miles per hour, the helicopter moves faster, at 100 mph. This extra speed kept Jason and the pilot out of harm's way and they were able to land safely
