Michael Boyd
Safety First
I typically read and post very little as you will note in the amount of posts I have written in the years I've been a member of ST but I feel it important for me to chime in on this particular thread.
Over twenty years ago I photographed my first F4 tornado in Payne County, Oklahoma, and since then I've captured a few more in my day but my focus has always been on the publics safety and not necessarily the imagery, adrenalin or the rush but there is that as well when I've gone out to photograph or videotape a storm. It has been, particularly the last five years, emergency management, safeguarding people, and depending on people such as yourself to provide me with valuable information.
What I see with this thread are two mindsets - maybe three but I'll focus on the two.
1) you have the chaser willing to get the photograph at any cost; this should scare us all!
2) you have the chaser who wants to photograph the tornado, get the big shot, but is unwilling to compromise the publics safety.
3) and you have the chaser/scientist - he may fall into category one or two.
Breaking it down I think we should be more focused, as some of you are quite frankly, and look strictly at safety - yours and the publics. The videos I've seen, the recklessness, the disrespect for life (for yourself and the general public) should be appalling to each and everyone of us that view the video no matter who was driving. The events that have unfolded that I have read, seen, and watched on video the past two weeks in Oklahoma makes me shutter to think there has not been a death(s) caused by such carelessness.
I am responsible for the safety of seventy-five souls when I'm at the office and it is my number one priority during a severe weather event. Whether you are a chaser, scientist or someone out just interested in the 'big photo' I along with thousands of other people depend on the communication we receive from each of you in the field providing us with the video, photograph's and first warnings. God forbid the image shown on SH33 a traffic accident would have occurred blocking traffic and that storm dropped a large cone; imagine the carnage and death that would have occurred on that strip of road.
I know 'corporate' money, big money, is likely involved with some of the incidents we're seeing and pushing folks to make decisions hopefully they wouldn't normally make but everyone involved should stop for a moment and reevaluate why they are out trying to get the 'big shot'. No shot, no image, in my opinion, is worth your life, my life, the lives of the family going down the road next to you, etc.
I guess my point is your life on the road is perhaps the most important one to me (and to anyone else reading this) because you may be my life link in receiving valuable information that may save my life.
No charge...
I typically read and post very little as you will note in the amount of posts I have written in the years I've been a member of ST but I feel it important for me to chime in on this particular thread.
Over twenty years ago I photographed my first F4 tornado in Payne County, Oklahoma, and since then I've captured a few more in my day but my focus has always been on the publics safety and not necessarily the imagery, adrenalin or the rush but there is that as well when I've gone out to photograph or videotape a storm. It has been, particularly the last five years, emergency management, safeguarding people, and depending on people such as yourself to provide me with valuable information.
What I see with this thread are two mindsets - maybe three but I'll focus on the two.
1) you have the chaser willing to get the photograph at any cost; this should scare us all!
2) you have the chaser who wants to photograph the tornado, get the big shot, but is unwilling to compromise the publics safety.
3) and you have the chaser/scientist - he may fall into category one or two.
Breaking it down I think we should be more focused, as some of you are quite frankly, and look strictly at safety - yours and the publics. The videos I've seen, the recklessness, the disrespect for life (for yourself and the general public) should be appalling to each and everyone of us that view the video no matter who was driving. The events that have unfolded that I have read, seen, and watched on video the past two weeks in Oklahoma makes me shutter to think there has not been a death(s) caused by such carelessness.
I am responsible for the safety of seventy-five souls when I'm at the office and it is my number one priority during a severe weather event. Whether you are a chaser, scientist or someone out just interested in the 'big photo' I along with thousands of other people depend on the communication we receive from each of you in the field providing us with the video, photograph's and first warnings. God forbid the image shown on SH33 a traffic accident would have occurred blocking traffic and that storm dropped a large cone; imagine the carnage and death that would have occurred on that strip of road.
I know 'corporate' money, big money, is likely involved with some of the incidents we're seeing and pushing folks to make decisions hopefully they wouldn't normally make but everyone involved should stop for a moment and reevaluate why they are out trying to get the 'big shot'. No shot, no image, in my opinion, is worth your life, my life, the lives of the family going down the road next to you, etc.
I guess my point is your life on the road is perhaps the most important one to me (and to anyone else reading this) because you may be my life link in receiving valuable information that may save my life.
No charge...
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