How far are you when photographing?

[BKDPhillips]

Hello,

I put myself through college via newspaper photography of people and events for a small town but never really took much of the sky. I think as my husband and I go into the years where the kids are in college, we'd like to return to photography and this seems like a lot of fun and many challenges to it. (Which he and I both enjoy!)

After viewing all the great photos of the storm structures on this forum and many of the members personal sites, how far on the average would you say you are from the storm to get the best structure pictures? I realize it varies greatly on the size of the storm, the type of shot you are after, and the lenses you have but it seems to me each of you have a specific distance you prefer based on your style of photography. I seem to get too close too fast when I have done this on a whim thus having to move often to get the entire storm.

Thanks for your estimates on average distances. I hope someday in the next few years, I am able to meet some of the wonderful people I feel like I know via my reading of this forum.

Belinda

 

[D. Hayes]

I only have had one good structure photo and that was last weekend with a storm pulling a nice tight NE heading and i was right on the edge. I was about 10 miles away at the time this one was taken. It's unedited except for a resize.

 

[BKDPhillips]

Thanks... I tried to go out tonight and get one and still was too close... I was on K10 west of KC and the storms were north of I70 around Tonganoxie east towards the airport and still was not far enough just before sunset. I will keep trying on these small ones until I get it!

Belinda

 

[Bobby Prentice]

...how far on the average would you say you are from the storm to get the best structure pictures?

If you want good storm structure shots, purchase a good quality SLR camera with a super wide-angle lens. Park in the inflow region of the storm about 5-10 miles away from the outer edge of the updraft base, place the camera on a tripod and shoot away. The wide angle-lens will allow you to see beneath the storm's updraft base and still allow you to photograph the entire updraft.

Beware that low clouds, hills, trees, dust, haze, etc. may still block your view, so choose your shooting location carefully.

 

[BKDPhillips]

Thanks for the advice of parking in the inflow region of the storm. I think that is the problem, I haven't been the correct position. I will keep trying when I'm not busy w/ the kids.

Belinda

 

[Eric Flescher]

Photo also depends on the structure

Belinda
Sometimes the type of structure and the way it is moving dictates how far away the photo is taken.
A few days ago, as I was going from Olathe toward Lawrence this shelf cloud literally popped up within a minute or two as I approached DeSoto. By then it was pretty close and straddled the highway and was more then 180 degrees around (give or take). It was so big and I was so close when I stopped that all I could do was taking a few pictures and stich a panorama.



:::

Hello,

I put myself through college via newspaper photography of people and events for a small town but never really took much of the sky. I think as my husband and I go into the years where the kids are in college, we'd like to return to photography and this seems like a lot of fun and many challenges to it. (Which he and I both enjoy!)

After viewing all the great photos of the storm structures on this forum and many of the members personal sites, how far on the average would you say you are from the storm to get the best structure pictures? I realize it varies greatly on the size of the storm, the type of shot you are after, and the lenses you have but it seems to me each of you have a specific distance you prefer based on your style of photography. I seem to get too close too fast when I have done this on a whim thus having to move often to get the entire storm.

Thanks for your estimates on average distances. I hope someday in the next few years, I am able to meet some of the wonderful people I feel like I know via my reading of this forum.

Belinda

 

[BKDPhillips]

Eric and Bobby,

I saw that shelf from our friend's house... good idea about stitching photos. My husband can do that for me, alas one more thing for me to learn to do. If only, I had more time!

Like I said, been a while since I've done any photography ('80's-early '90's) and I need to get a good digital SLR or get our Nikons and Minolta's out again. At this point, I was trying to figure out where you guys all sit in comparison to the storms and then trying to go out when the storms are heading towards Olathe. What's interesting is that before I started to try and learn all the science of weather, I think I took better photos. Maybe I am thinking too much!

Thanks again for your suggestions... sometimes the obvious is not at the front of my thoughts while I am trying learn the science.

Belinda

 

[Eric Flescher]

where to watch

Stiching can be used with photoshop, PS elements. I used a stiching program for the Mac and I can also used it for 360 stiching like I did for total eclipses.

One thing I wanted to do this year was (1) find and notice the wifi spots I could use and (2) go lookout views more for directions NEWS.

Looking East in Olathe- great overlook behind the railroad tracks on 119th street with the New mall and shops just south. I took good videos and pictures to the east, west and south.

Good overlook on 95th street just east of I-35 in the gas station just north of the Holiday Inn

Over look on highway 7 looking West near 119th street

Good view of West and North and east in the Parking lot of Frontier trail junior high. I caught the International Space Station high above in the dark a couple of weeks ago.Also have taken some nice storm, hail and other shots there.


The Eudora exit outside of Lawrence is good


post your favoriter spots

::

Eric and Bobby,

I saw that shelf from our friend's house... good idea about stitching photos. My husband can do that for me, alas one more thing for me to learn to do. If only, I had more time!

Like I said, been a while since I've done any photography ('80's-early '90's) and I need to get a good digital SLR or get our Nikons and Minolta's out again. At this point, I was trying to figure out where you guys all sit in comparison to the storms and then trying to go out when the storms are heading towards Olathe. What's interesting is that before I started to try and learn all the science of weather, I think I took better photos. Maybe I am thinking too much!

Thanks again for your suggestions... sometimes the obvious is not at the front of my thoughts while I am trying learn the science.

Belinda

 

[BKDPhillips]

Eric,

First my apologies.... just after I read your post, my 7 year old MAC computer finally lost its picture for the last time. I had to decide if I could replace it. We did... I now have the newest MAC. YEA! Now I can respond to your request.

Now as far as favorite spots...not necessarily for the WIFI... I go to are LOCAL- have kids and like to be close to home for emergency reasons. I am learning to check for free WIFI now that I have seen it mentioned on this forum so often.

Olathe Locations no particular order:
FTJH or MNU (largest area close to home), OSHS or ONW parking lots
Overpass leading into Gardner or any of the paved east/west roads south of town (think 179th?)
Heritage Lake
K-10 - several of the overpasses - I think it was the DeSoto or Eudora exit we used the last several times
Out by the hospital or mall has been used
West of town near the Prairie Center Nature/Trail Park owned by the state (not the Prairie Center park with the baseball fields owned by city)

Actually- I grew up west of Topeka and can't wait until we can travel further without it being a visit home... to see the storms again like I remember seeing as a child! Which is one reason, I love this forum and the many websites/blogs of the chasers. They bring back great memories of large storms. I finally found the time to begin to study how to find these storms on my own someday. Never was a math wiz and this stuff is difficult! So I am at the stage of putting names to the clouds I know to look for. haha- BASIC!!

Generally, I am not as organized on this front (haha) as you guys yet. I go where ever I can see and think of at the last minute. I only can go when there isn't a school, church, or child event. I find it much more difficult lately, since Olathe has grown so much. So after, I started this thread I went to the JoCo Skywarn http://skynet.entz.net/webpages/shorty/k0ecs/
and downloaded there maps to see where they sit. I won't go there to bother them but it gave a list of great locations. Check it out!

Sorry this is more than the "spots" but at least a little reason why they are not the "best" places.

Thanks for your list of locations....

Belinda

 

[Eric Flescher]

funny you should mention

Glad you got the mac fixed. All the places you have mentioned at least most of them, I have been to or used as vantage points, lookouts or places to take photos and videos as well.

Thanks for the feedback. Very good !!!

We are a mac family too. I recently bought on Ebay an older but capable ibook with 1 GiG ram white ibook with Leopard. Best of all it has wifi and is faster then my my desktop Imac flatpanel rounddome.

This year I have been looking for hotspots to use on the road when chasing. It sure helps as I don't feel "as blind."

Here are some wifi spots I used lately and was able to utilize
* The Motel 8 at the Gardner exit
* The hotel exit off of ridgeview on the way to Lawrence
* The best Western near Raindow Blvd off of I-35
* the exit stops along I-70 but have to be inside near the restrooms ( I wonder if there is a list of them?- indeed there are

http://www.jiwire.com/wi-fi-wireless-hotspot-Salina-Kansas-KS-US-I-70-24-7-Store-1203263.htm)

Wish I could afford the monthly charged to use with the Sprint card that works with Mac .
So until then it is wifi

::

Eric,

First my apologies.... just after I read your post, my 7 year old MAC computer finally lost its picture for the last time. I had to decide if I could replace it. We did... I now have the newest MAC. YEA! Now I can respond to your request.

Now as far as favorite spots...not necessarily for the WIFI... I go to are LOCAL- have kids and like to be close to home for emergency reasons. I am learning to check for free WIFI now that I have seen it mentioned on this forum so often.

Olathe Locations no particular order:
FTJH or MNU (largest area close to home), OSHS or ONW parking lots
Overpass leading into Gardner or any of the paved east/west roads south of town (think 179th?)
Heritage Lake
K-10 - several of the overpasses - I think it was the DeSoto or Eudora exit we used the last several times
Out by the hospital or mall has been used
West of town near the Prairie Center Nature/Trail Park owned by the state (not the Prairie Center park with the baseball fields owned by city)

Actually- I grew up west of Topeka and can't wait until we can travel further without it being a visit home... to see the storms again like I remember seeing as a child! Which is one reason, I love this forum and the many websites/blogs of the chasers. They bring back great memories of large storms. I finally found the time to begin to study how to find these storms on my own someday. Never was a math wiz and this stuff is difficult! So I am at the stage of putting names to the clouds I know to look for. haha- BASIC!!

Generally, I am not as organized on this front (haha) as you guys yet. I go where ever I can see and think of at the last minute. I only can go when there isn't a school, church, or child event. I find it much more difficult lately, since Olathe has grown so much. So after, I started this thread I went to the JoCo Skywarn http://skynet.entz.net/webpages/shorty/k0ecs/
and downloaded there maps to see where they sit. I won't go there to bother them but it gave a list of great locations. Check it out!

Sorry this is more than the "spots" but at least a little reason why they are not the "best" places.

Thanks for your list of locations....

Belinda