The Wrath of Hurricane Matthew Captured on 4K by Martin Lisius
/Cinematographer and StormStock founder Martin Lisius has a very unique job. For nearly three decades, he has tracked and photographed some of the most violent (and beautiful) weather in the world. Last week, it was business as usual as he followed major Hurricane Matthew along the Florida coast, bracing against 90 mph winds, and enduring stinging, horizontal rain.
"Yes, the rain actually stings if you aren't completely covered," Lisius said. "To me, filming a hurricane is like standing in front of a fire hose with a camera for several hours. It's invigorating!"
Lisius, who captured the only Super 35mm film, and some of the only HD video, of Hurricane Katrina making landfall 11 years ago, uses special techniques to film hurricanes.
"Rain protection is critical," he says. "I carefully tape my cameras and lenses and then add rain coats to them. And, as soon as I can, I rinse them in fresh water to remove sea salt."
And, what about safety? "Just read the hurricanes chapter in my safety book," he says, referring to "The Ultimate Severe Weather Safety Guide" which he wrote based on his personal experiences to help save lives.
His new material is available for licensing exclusively through StormStock, which he founded in 1993, now one of the oldest stock footage brands in the world. You can see a sample of Lisius' Hurricane Matthew footage on his Vimeo channel.