New frontiers: The rise of year-round, all-USA chasing

[B Ozanne]

If you're privileged enough to live in OK city or another chasing mecca in the regular season you can work until 5pm and still have 3 hours of daylight to chase after work. In November its dark at 430pm.

 

[mike scantlin]

Why limit it to just chasing? I do other video work that can be just as fun as chasing to get that perfect video or image.

I think I blew my right ear drum out today on a shoot on what could have been one of my more dangerous video shoots. More dangerous the my solo scuba dives or driving into tornadoes. Worse then undercover stake outs in high crime areas. More dramatic then shooting video inside court rooms and crime scene video.

What could be so bad? I was at the Mall Of America to shoot video this afternoon and lost my most of my hearing for a few minutes and my ears are still ringing.

Why? "One Tree Hill" stars James Lafferty (Nathan Scott) and Lee Norris (Mouth McFadden) will be at Mall of America for an appearance and autograph signing. Show creator, writer and producer, Mark Schwahn, will also make an appearance. I was on stage with them and a few other local news photogs and it was nuts with all of the insane screaming fans. 2000+ screaming girls and about 15 - 20 dudes (talk about a good hook up ratio) all screaming at the same time when they walked on stage.

But back on topic, Chasing does not have to be your only gig if your into doing video work. There is a lot of stuff to chase if you are looking at shooting video for looking for a chase of sorts. It does not all have to be about the weather. Besides, paparazzi work pays way better then storm chasing these days.​

i like this idea! lets chase people around simply because they have a talent that pays better than any of ours!!!



the whole idea of celebrities is insane.



anyways, i chase pretty much any mediocre set-up within a few hundred mile radius. why? i would rather be out on the road chasing crap storms than at home doing nothing.

 

[Stephen Levine]

Loving lightning as I do, I will chase any storm within reasonable driving distance so long as there is a good possibiltiy of a good juicy show.
Thus, I enjoyed a fulfilling chase into E.Texas just before Thanksgiving, and an extra night stay in Houston to see another kickbutt show last month.

In 2002, my girlfriend from then and I drove from Dallas to within 70 miles of Houston to intercept a vort max swinging around a powerful Southern Rockies low and heading for SE Texas. It was a moderate risk day, 12/21 or so, and we drove from arctic chill of 30's and falling into 69 or 70 DWPT bouyant air, with tornado-warned supercells hurtling towards the Interstate from the West. We saw no tornadoes, but the lightning and wind was spectacular as was the thrill of intercepting cells that visibly rotated on radar loops. We ended the day with a game of catch using the golfball hail that rested on the ground.
Definitely a wonderful brief vacation. Tornadoes? No; Excitement, drama and beauty? Yes.

One of the most spectacular lighting shows I have ever seen was again around 12/21 near Tyler TX. a few years ago. It was night, and I stood a couple miles from a line of thunderheads that arced from horizon to horizon beneath a star-filled sky. Frenzied lightning danced across the entire line beneath stars and a moon that ascended from behind the cloud bank.

 

[Tony Laubach]

My stunt of catching a flight to chase Alabama and Mississippi the first week of January likely signals the beginning of my all-year chasing. I am only chaseless in November and December now that I have popped my January virginity.

I think so long as I am able to maintain the flight connections, its likely you'll see me out more on those setups. The fairly inexpensive price of the trip makes it about the same as a normal chase to Kansas. Hard to pass up such an opportunity.

I look forward to getting out and experiencing the challenges "off-season" chasing has to offer. December may be the toughest to pull out, but I envision one day catching a major outbreak in my homestate of Ohio in November. Afterall, it was mid October 1999 when an F-3 raked my hometown of Circleville, Ohio.

 

[Shane Adams]

If you're privileged enough to live in OK city or another chasing mecca in the regular season you can work until 5pm and still have 3 hours of daylight to chase after work.

That sounds great on paper, but the fact is most events are well underway by 5pm, and they're rarely within an hour of home. Living in a "chasing mecca" is no benefit whatsoever if you can't leave when it's time to leave.

 

[Gerrit Gulden]

As much as I love Thunderstorms and capturing lightning the months April-June sound great. Unfortunately for my Area we are still thawing out or experiencing snow well into the end of April or even May. Typically the storms fire up from the end of may thru October, sometimes an early November storm as well. But that doesnt mean my photography opportunities are out the door. I look forward to all seasons cause every season the Landscape changes. Currently in winter and I am loving the snow and freezing drizzle and rime. When spring comes I look forward to seeing things turn green again and being able to walk anywhere without fear of slipping. I miss the lightning 100% during the winter and frequent all of your websites to get inspired on how to capture my lightning next but luckily the snow is exciting enough to keep me going till Spring arrives. Then when Summer passes I will be back to shooting Fall colors and then winter again. I do sympathize with those that experience 1 or 2 at most seasons. I experienced that in Southern California and hated it. Now that I experience all seasons I have learned what I have been missing for soooo long.

-gerrit