What does it take to be a National Geographic photographer?

That is the question Krystle Wright asked herself as a kid growing up on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. She’d buy what she called the “famous yellow-bordered” magazine, which has showcased the best of nature and wildlife photography since it was first printed in 1888, and pore over the photos, wondering what sort of patience they took to capture.

First stop in the learning process was work experience at The Sydney Morning Herald in 2006. She gave up dreams of becoming a sports photographer when she met the Herald’s chief photographer, Nick Moir, who taught her the art of “storm chasing.”

Nearly two decades later, Wright’s behind-the-scenes photography work, capturing her chasing tornadoes and climbing canyons, along with the work of six other National Geographic shooters, features in the documentary series Photographer, which premieres this week on Disney + in Australia.

It features six episodes, each one an hour-long journey into one photographer’s process as they work on a particular project. Wright’s episode features her work chasing storms in Morton, in western Texas with Moir in 2022, as well as a rock climbing expedition in Utah.

“I reached out to Nick, so he could teach me the art of chasing monster storms, and within an hour of chasing one I was addicted and have been ever since,” Wright said.

“From the moment I mentored her in storm chasing she’s been infatuated with it, and you can see that in the documentary,” Moir said.

“I guess we all have a storm chaser within us, the 1997 film Twister has been held in high regard and for some of us that infatuation never goes away,” Wright said.