Poll: What is your main goal when chasing?

[Bill Hark]

Photogenic tornadoes are my main goal, but I also want to see good storm structure and lightning. I don't coun't poorly visible low contrast tornadoes or brief spin ups. I screwed myself on the Imperial, NE day as I was in too close looking for tornadoes and missed the awesome structure.

 

[James K]

My main intent would be to see a tornado.
Though there is something to be said for seeing nice structure, and/or a good lightning show! (that last one can be done from home...though we really don't get many thunderstorms in a summer here)

 

[James Hammett]

On the Imperial, NE day I was with a group that had a person that "had" to see a tornado, so we played around too close in (did see rapid rotation and 70mph RFD) but when I saw the structure photos later it was my biggest disappointment of the season. I can't count how many times I have been several miles away from a storm marveling at the structure and seeing numerous SN dots right up next to the area where a tornado might occur and wondering what the heck they were doing.

I was one of those dots. Sat under the thing with basically zero to see and drove off with no idea what I was missing. I was an hour west before I caught wind of what I left behind. Ugh. That and deciding to head home rather than chase KS the next day were my two big mistakes this year.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Would you take this

or this structure?

Wasn't possible to see both.

 

[Mikaela Norris]

Considering I have yet to see my first tornado (been so close a few times it makes me sick), that is obviously going to be my top priority. However, since I don't get dedicated chase days very often due to my job, I have learned to take what I can get. I have yet to witness any truly breathtaking structure, but I desperately want to. The two are very different in my eyes. Where as a tornado is a relatively brief, violent, beautiful thing to behold, storm structure to me is almost humbling. Not that tornadoes aren't, but even the images I have seen of truly great storm structure leave me feeling almost insignificant in the face of this monstrous beauty. It's hard to explain how I feel about the two. It's almost poetic (as cheesy as that may sound).

I also enjoy lightning. I'll sit outside even when I don't have my camera out and just watch approaching storms for hours. It's mesmerizing.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Oh yeah I love snow and photographing it, esp when snow skiing. Now about tornadoes..

If I drive 14 hours or spend hundreds of dollars on air fare, I'm going for tornadoes. Period.

Stretch goal is DDC or Harper-Attica. One really can't expect it, but such days make the vacation.

Threshold goal was met this year. We saw two cycles, but only a few minutes each cycle. One was photogenic.

In-between is something like Rozel. It was two long photogenic cycles. In fact it's close to DDC for me for personal reasons (chaser company including two first-timers).

Goal not met would be a single crappy cycle or very distant. Moderate distance is good because one can get both tornado and structure, but long-distance is meh.

Once threshold goal is met the pressure is off a bit, and we can enjoy structure and other experiences.

....

In 2016 DDC met stretch goal. Therefore I'm able to appreciate a non-tornado day same trip. ...

...
The said non-tornado days would not be great memories if we did not meet goals other days of the trip. Maybe I should learn to appreciate those days regardless.

Well said Jeff, I feel exactly the same way. Before my goal is met - especially if I didn’t meet it because of my own errors and squandered actual opportunities - I tend to be too pissed off and frustrated to enjoy the “other” stuff. I might enjoy it on the first day or two of chase vacation, but as time runs out and disappointment sets in, it becomes harder to enjoy. Then maybe on the last day or two I’ll get my head screwed on straight and realize I’d better enjoy whatever I can before it’s all over.

I think part of it is the “competitive pressure” to have a close encounter with a tornado. Not competition in a literal sense, but in the sense that I haven’t achieved enough if all I got was structure.

You’re right, we need to learn to appreciate those days regardless. They are still amazing sights and experiences we can’t get anywhere else. That level of mindfulness is key in all aspects of life, not just chasing, although chasing maybe be an excellent vehicle of self-improvement in that regard if we can use it as a catalyst to achieve that mindset...

 

[JamesCaruso]

What’s being referred to as the Imperial NEB day, 5/27/19 - did that storm still have good structure at that point? The best structure shots I have seen were when the storm was still southwest of Holyoke. We were late to the storm so missed that, then came in behind it so were close-in at Imperial. Then we decided we didn’t have a good road option to follow it north, so we bailed east hoping for structure, but our view from our resulting position to the southeast really wasn’t that great. Was the structure still good at that point and we were just at a bad angle, or was its best time already past?

 

[Warren Faidley]

1: Campo-Simla-Pampa (Twister) type, lone, slow-moving supercells with highly visible tornado(es) -- on long shot / slight days out west where convergence is limited. I'm almost a 100% dryline chaser now days and avoid any HP set-ups exept the very early stages. I've seen multiple wedges, and although they are exciting and mesmerizing to watch, I actually find them boring as a photographer / videographer. As a volunteer EMS worker, I also dread the possibility of a small or large town being pulverized when large and violent tornadoes are forecast.

2: Hurricane storm surge of at least 15+ feet, e.g., Biloxi / Katrina. I'll only chase if there is substantial infrastructure to survive the projected strength+. (Yes, I'm crazy when it comes to hurricanes but I wear floaties).

3: Insane LP storm (or similar) structure.

4: Wildfires where I've somehow gained access to the best action. The Forest Service is so anal now days, it's almost impossible to gain access unless you get there fast.

5: Biblical-class dust storms in the Phoenix area. This year will be great after the multiple deep freezes.

6: Lightning. I've shot almost every possible lightning situation there is. However, as soon as global shutter, cinema cameras are available in an affordable, low light quality format, I'll start shooting full force again.

 

[Jeff Duda]

I prioritize great photogenic opportunities however they reveal themselves. Usually that is in the form of a tornado. However, in many cases a storm's cloud structure far exceeds the photogenic nature of the tornadoes it produces. In those cases I would rather be backed off and seeing great structure. A great example of this was 22 April 2015 in WTX. This sunset saver of a storm (the main event blew by to the north as an HP storm that just chased us out of the way and provided little in the way of any valuable show) ended up being not only the highlight of the chase, but the highlight of the first half of my 2015 season, despite apparently producing a tornado that I could not see. I only wish I had been 5-10 miles further ahead of this storm...it would have been epic.

Also, what I consider my career best shot so far is storm structure, not a tornado. I don't even have a framed picture of a tornado hanging up in my apartment, but I do have a few framed structure shots.

 

[Kem Poyner]

I have photographed dozens of tornadoes which is still my main goal. One thing that has eluded me in my +25 years of chasing is an LP supercell with a tornado. That would be the best of both worlds!

 

[James Hammett]

Was the structure still good at that point and we were just at a bad angle, or was its best time already past?

Good Q...best I can piece together there were actually two storms with good structure at different times. Earlier storm southwest of Holyoke and later storm near Imperial. I got under the Holyoke storm for tornadoes and then happened to pass under what was to become the Imperial storm later on. Missed structure on both.

Structure vs. tornado value depends on the view of the tor for me. If a tornado isn't high contrast/close range I could definitely see structure winning the day. Especially on the high plains where structure is often contrasted against a deep blue sky and wide-open visibility. Or I hear Wyoming can sometimes give you both That said you can't win (a close range tornado) if you don't play. I'll be paying closer attention to maximizing both ops by checking out structure once the boundary layer stabilizes if LL shear is still (or newly) cranking.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

#1 Lightning is my original passion and its what got me started.

#2 Structure. Its harder to get than most realize. I still have yet to find that shot of an isolated mothership. I've gotten really close shots, but not "the one."

#3 For me tornadoes are pretty damn exciting, but rarely if ever an active goal. I see them more as a bonus event and will chase them if the opportunity presents.

Honestly, I like being able to hang out in one spot for an appreciable amount of time catching lightning as opposed to having to constantly be in the car, repositioning for the small chance a storm might decide to spin up...all the time missing the lightning and structure.

 

[JamesCaruso]

I think @Marc R. O'Leary is right about structure being harder to get than most realize. Is it just me, or have the last few years seemed to have fewer structure opportunities? I know this is just anecdotal and affected by my own chase vacation timing each year as well as success/failure in the field. But it just seems like a lot of mushy HP storms these last few years, even on the forecasted “big days.” This could also just be because of my own strategy; I do tend to stay close in for tornados, and am probably too slow to pull back for structure when the storm goes HP. But I remember times in the past when I’d be close in and still able to look up into the vault and see incredible banding and whatnot. Just can’t recall having too many experiences like that for quite some time.

Also agree on wishing I could stay out in the field more and not always be in the car, constantly on the move to stay in tight only to probably have half the brief spin ups occur behind me while driving or hidden in the murk or whatever. And now with more chaser traffic it’s even more of a pain to have to keep moving.

 

[Michael Towers]

Seeing a tornado is always the objective and if I don’t see a decent potential I won’t chase. The farther distance to the target also requires a higher potential (e.g. I’ll chase a 2% tornado risk in my back yard but likely wouldn’t do so for any target over 250 miles away). I love structure and great structure (among other things) can make a chase a success but the primary motivator and driving force that gets me to chase is to see a tornado. I have driven and will drive 1,000+ miles for a chance at strong/violent tornadoes but absolutely wouldn’t if the best outcome was likely only decent structure.

Just a note, my perspective is shaped largely by balancing limited free time and work. I can only carve out so many days a season to chase (including travel to and from) so unless a season is lacking opportunity any trip taking more than a day must have a decent potential for memorable tornadoes.

 

[Jason Boggs]

Tornadoes are the icing on the cake for me. Give me great structure and I'm a happy camper. I've always been a structure nut.