Rowe, a collegiate basketball player, claimed she and her boyfriend had just exited the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge when they spotted a tornado in the distance. They decided to follow the storm and get a better look at it. "I had no clue how magnificent it was going to be up close." Rowe explained "We drove through dirt roads, pausing now and then to snap photos. The location where I shot the photo was our last visit. I felt we were too near but the storm was heading in the opposite direction so we kept putting. My phone was ready to die, so I shot a few more photographs as the sunset and we started heading home because it was becoming dark anyhow. I had no clue that shot I took would go viral at the time."

It's simple to see why the photo went viral when you look at it. It's difficult to believe but the shot was taken using a smartphone—an iPhone 11 with a wide-angle lens. The clouds are stunning on their own but the magical light that appears to emanate from within is what truly distinguishes this photograph. Rowe has been pleasantly pleased by the response to her art after releasing it.

"The reaction to this photo has been incredible," she confesses. "I've received comments from individuals all around the globe about how the photo has inspired them or what it means to them. It makes me feel fortunate. I genuinely believe that God has placed me in the right position at the right time."

At the same time, it's been a learning experience for Rowe, who is attempting to understand the intricacies of copyright. "I wish to learn more about photography and artists' rights as my rights have been violated so frequently as a result of this experience," she says. Nonetheless, the benefits greatly exceed the drawbacks. "At the end of the day, all of the lovely comments and individuals that support me make it all worthwhile. As I have stated I genuinely believe this is a blessing." Rowe is selling prints of the Texas storm cloud shot on her website. If you want to support her photography. Laura Rowe's shot of a Texas rainstorm went popular on Twitter. Laura Rowe: Website-laurarowe.smugmug.com