Sunday, November 27, 2011

Motivations for Chasing

Today I wanted to take some time to post a little bit about my motivations for chasing! It seems to be a subject that comes up alot in the chaser community alot... but what I think people fail to realize is that no matter what their motivation or 'purpose' is, for all of us it started with a very similar experience. Everyone I've ever talked too that chases or spots storms seems to be able to remember that one previous experience, whether it be as a child or adult... that sparked their interest in learning more about thunderstorms and the weather, and documenting it!

I guess an appropriate place to start would be to describe the moment that started it all for me. I remember always watching lightning and enjoying thunderstorms as a kid growing up in the Midwest. Usually though being a child, I always had someone telling me to take cover and what not during storms. I was always somewhat interested in storms, but the experience that truly started it all was when I was 12 or 13 years old. I was coming home from school alone. It was early May towards the end of the school year and I remember them briefly talking about the possibility for severe weather on the news that morning when I was eating breakfast. Later that afternoon, when I went out to get on the bus I remember seeing billowing towers off to the northwest of town. It was very humid and sticky, I briefly got excited at the possibility of storms. I would always call my mom when I got home to let her know I had made the bus, and when I called she let me know there was a tornado watch in effect for the area. I flipped on the tv and they had interrupted broadcasting to talk about a severe thunderstorm that was moving southeast towards us... producing golf ball sized hail. The meteorologist also mentioned some rotation even though there was not a tornado warning and talked about it being a supercell thunderstorm. I looked outside and an anvil with some mammatus had spread over head, it was very dark to the west. I felt the humid air flowing into the storm on a brisk wind, when I went back inside the phone was ringing and my mom was calling just to make sure I was comfortable at home because she had heard about the storm.

I hung up with her and spent about 5 more minutes outside... listening to the distant but constant rumble of thunder to the northwest. I went back inside, the warnings were still scrolling along the bottom of the screen, but soon froze as the news station again broke into programming. As they came on the air they said a tornado warning was being issued in our county because spotters had reported a rotating wall cloud, and radar showed stronger rotation then before. I watched them talk about the 'hook echo' on tv. I stayed inside at first, hearing the tornado sirens outside! Then my curiosity got the better of me and I went outside, at first I couldn't see much. Then after watching tv coverage for a little longer, I noticed it was getting very dark outside... I headed out on my back porch and my jaw dropped. I was witnessing my first supercell. The updraft base was only a couple miles to my west, but I remember the storm having a ton of striations and tiers that were rotating. The remember the green glow to the north of the core of the storm. The structure of the storm just fascinated me, it was almost like a dream with the rotation ripping around the storm and the vivid colors of the clouds. A close cg and instant crackling thunder snapped me out of my stupor and I bolted inside. I remember the storm looking somewhat like the below image... that I took in 2010 on a high risk chase day in Oklahoma.


From that day forward... I used the Internet to learn everything that I could to learn about storms. I used google to search for images to try to identify what I had seen. I found sites from chasers like Mike Hollingshed and Scott Blair. I also read chase accounts from other chasers. I also joined forums like Stormtrack (yes at that time it was actually a good resource and I learned ALOT). I learned about the model runs, parameters chasers used to chase, and reviewed chase accounts. Soon I started to drive, and would go out and observe storms locally with my little Hi-8 Sony video camera. I picked up my first Digital SLR in 2005 and started shooting images of storms, landscapes, and wildlife. Unfortunately I lost all my images from those early years due to a laptop crash. In 2008 I started actually 'chasing' and driving further to witness storms. I didn't catch much that year but I did see some incredible storms, including the images below... from June 11th, 2008, which many may remember is the day that a tornado struck a Boy Scout Camp in Little Sioux, Iowa.


And this storm in early November that despite being rather weak, was incredibly photogenic.


I guess the point of writing the above is to kind of show what shaped the roots of what would become my interest in chasing storms and photography. My motivation is pretty simple to understand. I'm not out there to do any kind of scientific research, I'm not out there to 'save lives' (though I certainly will report what I'm seeing if its affecting a populated area or I know it hasn't already been reported), and I'm not out there to be on any kind of tv show. I simply want to document the incredible forces and skies that these storms provide. Some people think this is the wrong attitude to have... I've been criticized before for not being big on reporting things and not taking certain stances on issues within the community. I can't say I'm suprised and I've never really let it bother me. To me the whole experience is about witnessing something incredible and being able to document that with my cameras, and opening other peoples eyes to that experience, showing them the beauty that happens in nature and especially storms that you have to search out to find. I just want to be there when things like the below happen!


Here are a couple more examples!




In closing I just want to know what your motivation for whatever it is that your hobby is... whether that is photography or chasing storms, or even something else. You can also share that experience that piqued your interest like I shared at the beginning of this post.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Got the May 24th, 2011 Shawnee Tornado account up... Hope to have more soon @ www.intotherfd.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Adding the Human Element

So, I wanted to blog about something I've often pondered and tried to achieve with my storm photography. That is adding the human element to my frames to make the images more intriguing. To start with, I think the premise behind this is simple... you can have beautiful images of storms regardless, but to really make people think and feel something about the image, it makes a huge difference to include a person, or some kind of human element in the shot. When I post these kind of images on my gallery pages I seem to get a lot of comments where the viewer expresses something about how they would feel if they were in that persons shoes, or what the imagine the person in the shot is thinking. It seems to make the shots a lot more engaging to the viewer. Here's an example:
This image is simply a storm, and incredible storm, but that's really all the image inspires. I see the storm and think it looks incredible but its hard to imagine a story here. Now lets look at it with a subtle addition, a person in the frame:

Now there is a story line, you see a person looking up at the sky in awe. You wonder how they got there, are they a chaser, a person that lives on this dirt road watching the storm? It adds another dimension. A viewer imagines what this person might be feeling, are they awe struck, are they scared? Finally it allows them to wonder what they might do in this situation, a chance to put them into the subjects shoes so to speak. I find this to be one of the most powerful ways, because it leaves the connotation of the image up to the imagination of the viewer. Here's another example:
What do you think he is thinking, what is he feeling as this massive storm lumbers over the Plains above... Here's one last example from this set: 
I think the textures, hair and shirt blowing in the wind really allow a view to imagine what it might be like to stand in front of this gust front and feel the atmosphere change around them as a storm approaches. You can almost encourage physical feelings and create a mood for the viewer, allowing them to feel the scene. This brings me to my next topic, taking advantage of the people in the photo, and utilizing them as a compositional element in the photograph. Here is my first example on this topic:
In a lot of my storm images I try to make the focus the sky, since that is obviously what is putting on the show in most of these photographs. That being said, the human element can be that finishing detail that ties the whole image together. In this image the only thing that crosses the horizon, and the base of the storm, seemingly connecting them together is the person in the frame. This allows the eye to travel from the foreground, up to the looming supercell above and vice versa, tying the whole image together. In yet another example:
The person in the frame is the only thing crossing the flat horizon, connecting Earth and Sky and giving the eye a line to follow up to the amazing display of the storm, and back down to the foreground. Additionally, in this particular shot... it also gives the viewer a tremendous sense of scale with the person dwarfed by the gigantic supercell above. Finally, the last think I will touch on is adding the human element, without having an actual person in the frame. I have plenty of shots of storms over open fields, in nature, and while they are still violent storms. The mood that can be created by including some kind of 'human element' can definitely change the mood of the photograph. Check out this example:

Here a storm lumbers over a farm house near Elkhorn, Nebraska. While there isn't an actual person in this photograph. The 'human element' is still very much there. You wonder if anyone is home in the house, are they taking cover, is it a family, whats going through their minds? These are just some of the questions that come to my mind when I look at this image. It also certainly adds a foreboding atmosphere to the image. Will the house make it through the storm, or will a tornado drop and destroy the lives of the people that live there. Luckily in this case, the storm did produce a tornado, but it passed well south of the home. Here's my last example:

Again, no actual people are in the shot... but, we have vehicles that are obviously occupied, at VERY close range to a violent tornado. The same questions come to mind... why are they so close, are they scared, are they concerned about trying to take cover? The debris flying around the condensation funnel could also potentially be a 'human element.' It could be composed of structures or vehicles that were constructed by people (in this case a semi trailer) and adds that same sense of power and danger to the image. As you can see, adding the human element to these types of images can add a storyline to an image, help make your composition more interesting, and change the entire mood of the image. Its definitely something I want to continue to strive to do with my work to make it more thought provoking for the viewer. I'd definitely be interested in hearing others' thoughts on this... so don't be shy, if you have a thought or comment jot it down below, or if you have images where you have utilized the human element, feel free to think them so we can all check out more examples.

Chris
Got a trio of new chase accounts up today at www.intotherfd.com, feel free to check them out!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

A number of updates on intotherfd.com tonight, 3 new chase accounts coming soon! Stay tuned!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Got 4 storm chasing accounts posted from '08-'09 at www.intotherfd.com/images.html. Definitely check them out and let me know what you think! Work continues!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Working on website updates at www.intotherfd.com, stayed tuned for updates as we get the site up and running!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

I am going to be working on getting some chase accounts up here soon... I know I've neglected the blog this spring. Got a lot of work to put in!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Lost a windshield in softball/ baseball sized hail yesterday near Atkinson, Nebraska. Images coming soon... Been an active late May.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Photographed 2 incredibly photogenic tornadoes, one at very close range, in Central OK on Tuesday. Posting images today, chasing NE tomorrow

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Looking forward to getting out and chasing in Central Kansas tomorrow! Updates coming soon!

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Got some new images uploaded today! Check them out and let me know what you think!

Friday, March 18, 2011

In addition, I will be making an attempt at chasing on Sunday somewhere along the I-70 corridor in Northern Kansas. Recent models show the cap eroding around 3p
Just wanted to drop a quick line and let everyone know that I will be attending the 2011 Douglas County Severe Weather Symposium in Lawrence this Saturday.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

February 27th, 2011- Grainola, Oklahoma Supercell/ Tornadoes

Where to begin... this had looked like springs first glimmer of hope for sometime on the models. (A February chase day, could it be?!?) Myself, as well as Tyler Burg and Cody Ervin had been anxious to chase. The night before... the setup looked pretty bad and we all decided to give it one last chance, and get online to see what things would look like in the morning. After reviewing the 12z NAM, RUC, and HRRR the decision was made to go ahead and chase giving the instability was looking better than previously forecast and the short range models were consistently firing convection in SE KS near the Coffeyville area. We headed out and met Tyler in Nebraska City before continuing south on Highway 75. We stopped for some Taco Bell in Topeka for lunch and then again continued south on 75. During this time an MD was issued for most of SC and SE KS up towards the Kansas City area mentioning elevated storms north of the warmfront. We had been in dense fog most of the morning and werre anxious to break into clear skies. A severe storm had fired near Whichita and we decided to head West on US54 to see what it looked like. As we approached the storm (still in dense fog) spirits were pretty low do to the bad visibility and the unorganized nature of the storms on radar. After some rain and thunder we decided to head south out of Eureka towards the KS/OK border and get into the better air. An area of enhanced cu was forming down near the Ponca City area and we figured this would be our storm. Eventually these too fizzled as convection was firing out west on the dryline surge in W OK and SW KS. We headed west on US 160. One storm near Medicine Lodge was trying, while a storm further south in Oklahoma also looked to be intensifying. We reached Wellington and gassed up, as the storm in Kansas was dying. This made the choice pretty easy. Get to the tail end charlie in Oklahoma. We headed south on US 81, eventually getting back on I-35 south of the OK border. We got off on SR-11 (sentimental memories from May 10th's High Risk last year) and headed west to Deer Creek, OK. The structure when we popped out of the rain near Deer Creek let us know we were in business and the chase was on!


We continued west through the town of Deer Creek, eventually finding a dirt road to stop on SW of town and watch the storm evolve. I missed that constant rumble of thunder inside of a growing updraft so much. As the storm approached the structure continued to improve!



...and improve further!



As the RFD punched around the developing wall cloud, some choatic but not very organized rotation started to occur. I though the wall cloud with the circular 'vault' looked pretty cool in the early spring lighting.



Heres another image... shortly after this we decided to head east towards Blackwell to stay ahead of this supercell.



In addition, heres a timelapse video sequence that shows you how rapidly this thing changed before our eyes. Great structure for February and we were certainly glad we had decided to make the trip down. (Video is Cody Irvin's)

We headed east through Blackwell, and eventually north and east further on some mud/ gravel roads. Struggling to keep up with the still tornado warned storm as it moved into a worse road network. Just east of Grainola, OK. The RFD punched in rather hard, and a brief funnel was observed in the intense motion at the leading edge of the RFD cut. TORNADO! IN February no less! haha.



It was certainly one of the more impressive RFD notches I've seen! And the inflow band wrapping into the storm ahead of it, combined with the amazing pre-sunset lighting only made it more incredible!


We struggled to keep up with the storm on the winding dirt roads of the Kaw Indian Reservation as the light lowered. The storm produced a another funnel (and tornado) as we neared the KS/OK border region. I dont have a photo as I was driving at the time. Review Tyler Burg's account for images of that second tornado. Here is one last image of the updraft and RFD cut in the lowering light as we fell well behind the storm.



We drove through some hail fog (video below) and ended the day with some dinner in Chanute, Kansas before the lonely ride home.
All in all, a great chase day for February! Hope you enjoy the images and video. We are monitoring this weekend for the outside shot at some chasing!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Long Week

Well I figured I would throw up an update about what I've been doing the past week, last week the sun sent out a series of M and even a brief X class solar flare, the first one in over 4 years, and somehow it was Earth directed. This could only mean one thing, a series of all nighters waiting for its impact and the possible Northern Lights that followed. Unfortunately it never happened.... myself, Tyler Burg, Mike Hollingshead, and Evan Ludes spent about 5 nights looking for auroras and hoping for moon lit fog from the hills of Western Iowa. While not a whole lot happened, I did get some interesting images from the few outings that I felt were worthy of sharing.


This scene occured the first night we were out, banded cirrus shared the nighty sky with the stars making for a cool scene with the full moon and bright snow cover.



The tree in the parking lot area casted a cool shadow on the snow pack with the stars glittering above. The distant horizon is the view from the top of the hill... pretty sweet for being in the corn fields and plains of Iowa.




The second night we saw this moon halo poking out amongst the cirrus with the stars shinning through. It was one of the better ones I've seen with the full spectrum of colors visible for a short time before disappearing into thicker clouds. Sorry for the ugly lens flare.



Im honestly fairly certain that I didn't use my camera the 3rd night, clouds screwed up our aurora opportunities and high winds messed up the fog hopes. The next night,  a dense fog advisory had been issued, it had us all thinking we wouldnt be able to get above it even on the hills. Earlier in the evening I had gone outside with my dog and noticed I could see stars through the top of the fog. I called Mike and he had the same thing going on. He decided to head out and called saying that there was low dense fog from about Modale up to almost Little Sioux. We both thought it would be spreading north and the brisk southerly winds giving us an awesome sea of fog to shoot from Murray Hill. On my way up the fog was so dense you could see 2-3 highway dashes in front of you, but still see the moon and stars poking out above. It was surreal. I exited the fog on the way to Murray to join Mike. The photo above is Mike shooting the river of fog flowing through the hills to our east. The other insane thing was the wind gusts... almost knocking us over at times at what had to be nearly 50mph.


This is just what I thought was a cool scene, the grass blowing along a fence line as the haze cuts off our view.




We decided to head down into the fog and see what we could get as it wasnt getting any closer to our here. This image is near the Modale cemetary. This wierd verticle bands were streaming overhead as the moonlit fog contrasted with the textured wind whipped snow. One cool thing that was nearly impossible to get on a still image was the fog blowing at highspeed in front of the moon due to the winds. It almost had a tunnel effect.



This final image was as the low ground fog cleared out... a weak warm front lifted over us putting an end to our fog as the air temperature increased enough to not remain saturated. By now it was nearly 4am and I returned home to sleep, only to be out the next night when the CME from the solar flares hit. Ill have a few other images and some various timelapse footage that I shot of these scenes up soon, until then enjoy the images and let me know what you think!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

First Legitimate Post

Well, I have decided to start up a blog as we head into the next spring and summer season... and that means, CHASING! I've also been trying to get more involved in the photography things again and have decided that a blog where I can discuss some of these items might be a great tool to use and also interact with others, and at the very least, be able to jot my ideas and thoughts down to have something to look back on.

I guess I should start with a little more about myself. I am a 23 year old photographer and storm chaser from Omaha, Nebraska. My interest in the weather started while growing up in the Great Plains in Nebraska. The most specific memory that sparked my interest in severe storms that I can remember, is shortly after I started coming home from school alone at the age of 11-12. I remember it being a fall day, but very humid, and shortly after he arrived home from school... thunderstorms erupted. An isolated supercell thunderstorm quickly went tornado warned one county to the west, and moved slowly towards our house. About 30 minutes later I was witnessing the structure and motion of an incredible mesocyclone moving over... even though I didnt recognize it all the time. I decided I wanted to know more about these storms and haven't stopped learning ever since. I briefly attended the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, and while I had always had an interest in photography, it certainly took off after a few journalism and photography courses in Lincoln. In 2007/ 2008, I started chasing storms locally and continued to learn more about the weather. Then in 2009 I started chasing more long distance events. This past year, in 2010 I chased over 25 times for a total of 15,000 miles. I also ended up in many states... Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma, and was close to many others. Nothing will replace the feeling of being under a great storm.

In other news, you can see some of my photography at this link, until I start posting some here, I'll be doing some posts relating to my favorite images, some images that mean alot to me, and other items soon. I'll also be trying to get some forecasts up periodically to provide my insight on chases and other phenomenon we try to photograph here.

Thanks!
Just testing email updates, I will be using these email updates to post images and longer winded updates while I'm out chasing or photographing this spring, or simply to update while I am away from the computer.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Testing mobile updates, I will be using this blog to start posting images and reports while on the road during my photography and chasing adventures.