Award-Winning Photograph of Kansas Storm Receives International Attention

A photograph of a Kansas thunderstorm shot on June 5, 2004 in eastern Barber County by extreme weather photographer Jim Reed is receiving international recognition and a variety of prestigious photographic awards.

(PRWEB) June 3, 2005 --A photograph of a Kansas thunderstorm shot on June 5, 2004 in eastern Barber County by extreme weather photographer Jim Reed is receiving international recognition and a variety of prestigious photographic awards. The image, titled A Bolt from the Gray," is featured in the June issue of National Geographic Magazine and its the featured June photograph of the month in the 19th annual popular Accord Weather Guide Calendar.

Later this month, Reed will receive a First Place Award for the image at the National Press Photographer Associations 2005 Best of Photojournalism Awards Banquet in San Antonio, Texas.

Earlier this year A Bolt from the Gray" received an Award of Excellence from the highly competitive 62nd Annual Pictures of the Year International and First Place honors in the stock photography category of the PDN Photo Annual 2005. In January the photograph won the MSNBC Readers Choice Award for Best Picture of 2004.

The photo shows an isolated lightning bolt striking the ground beneath a striated thunderstorm during a colorful sunset. Defined as a supercell" by meteorologists, the picturesque storm crossed nearly half the state in a somewhat rare due-south direction before weakening. The storm prompted multiple warnings and dropped hailstones the size of baseballs.

Reed, who works full-time as a professional storm chaser, has been working on a long-term project on Americas changing climate since 1991. He divides his time between Wichita and Columbia, South Carolina. A courtesy copy of the image is available to the media upon request.

Contact:
Jim Reed
316-371-9621
jreed@jimreedphoto.com

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