Would you like to see a photography section?

[Jim Saueressig]

A photography section?

Whats the possibility of a photography section specifically for the various photography topics we have ( mainly during the off season ) scattered about in various sections?

 

[Connor McCrorey]

I think this would be a great idea. A place where a photo-noob like me could get a few tips would be wonderful.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Now that STORMTRACK has a new opening page, a 'photo of the day' can be chosen from this pool on the main page - kinda making STORMTRACK look like an online store-bought magazine. If the upper border can be made to look like a magazine, it would complete the concept.
Putting it in a class all its own, as it already is!

 

[Mickey Ptak]

Not to come of as a prick, but ST is about weather / chasing not photography. There are many sites out there for photography. I know a lot of people love the photography aspect and I to enjoy looking at many of your photos (doctored or not) but IMO it's not in the scope of ST main purpose. Just my opinion.

Mick

 

[Jim Saueressig]

Not to come of as a prick, but ST is about weather / chasing not photography. There are many sites out there for photography. I know a lot of people love the photography aspect and I to enjoy looking at many of your photos (doctored or not) but IMO it's not in the scope of ST main purpose. Just my opinion. Mick

I don't know of a single chaser that does not photograph / videotape their chases, that's what it is about for most chasers. I do know some chasers that could use some help getting the entire scene correctly exposed or composed and the hints and experiences of other chasers would help. Storm photography takes a different set of rules than general photography and is not covered in most photography sites.

I don't think a subsection about the second most important part of chasing (Getting there being the first) is going to take away from the forum in any way but may possibly enhance it. We have a market place to sell or buy our photography equipment so I cannot see that it would possibly distract from the original intent of the forum...

But that's just me....

 

[Greg Campbell]

Maybe the equipment section could grow sub-divisions?

Apart from photo/videography, there are plenty of people talking about their new Truckasaurus chase vehicles (and how to chop holes in them!) A third category for chase-specific electronics, computers, and software also seems worthy.

IMO:
If discussions of photographic techniques and equipment are chase relevant, as they usually are, they certainly fall within the scope of ST as a weather forum. Where else can you find dozens of people with weather-specific photo/video experience???

 

[Mickey Ptak]

Storm photography takes a different set of rules than general photography and is not covered in most photography sites.

How much more difficult is it to shoot storms than say any other situation. It's all about lighting, shutter speed, blah blah blah - right? If you know how to shoot in various lighting situations outside of storm environment then you should be able to shoot while in storm environments.. Right? Am I off base here and completely wrong?

It just does not make any sense to me. It just seems to me you can get all of that info on MOST photography sites and forums? There is no need for it here when it is already on the web.

Mick

 

[Jason Boggs]

I agree that too many "sub categories" will take away from the true intention of the site.
Kind of like Grlevel3. Of course it's a radar program but some people want so many additions to it, it begins to take away from it's original function.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

I guess I don't see why anyone would bother posting to object in this case. Not like anyone would force you to go into the section. Most forums have a whole lot more sections than ST does, covering all sorts of things.

I don't think it would be any crazier than the spotter section that got added, that remains on page 1. A wild guess says more chasers would visit the photography topics than those about spotting.

I'm one of those that has no desire to bother with a bunch of different forums. I've sometimes pondered just doing more of the photography things online and dropping the chase related ones(just because like I said, I don't want to bother with a bunch of different things). In a way, this could argue for that(then again probably makes no difference). I know if it was my forum, I'd want to keep people doing things on the site, rather than sending them away....often over nothing/for no good reason.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

How much more difficult is it to shoot storms than say any other situation. It's all about lighting, shutter speed, blah blah blah - right? Am I off base here and completely wrong?

Storms present more of a challenge in my opinion with the low lighting and higher contrasts needed for good viewing than any other thing I can think of.

It just does not make any sense to me. It just seems to me you can get all of that info on MOST photography sites and forums? There is no need for it here when it is already on the web.

Mick

I would think the forum owner would want people to hang around here than send them elsewhere. It is real easy to ignore it if you don't want to see it.

By your reasoning there should be a separate forums for the forecasters, chasers and reports. They are all tied together to chasing but slightly different.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

Would you like to see a photography section? Do you think it would distract from the focus of the forum or think it is related?

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

IMO you want to see posted photos or post photos yourself, join a photography forum. Why clutter the forum with more stuff not chase related?

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

People/general public come here and lurk/read what we discuss. They also come to see and copy pictures for their own use - or they want to buy them. Which - in turn - creates more hits for this site and Tim V can only appreciate the extra advertizing dollars - and I wouldn't blame him. Photos give definition to the discussion, and having a section would certainly create a larger draw to this site - another 'win/win situation.

Most storm chasers have a vehicle, laptop, HAM radio, cellphone - and oh yeah - some kind of camera gear. Often times they have a video cam at least, or they have both a still camera and a viddy cam.

Call me crazy, but filming events is a part of storm chasing. AS in being able to make an account of the chase and/or sell footage and pics to reimburse some of the cost of chasing. How could it hurt - it certainly isn't going to affect the flow of meteorological discussions; it can only enhance them by their presence and themselves be points of discussions. That is what I have seen here on ST...

 

[Chris Nuttall]

MOD NOTE: I merged the poll and discussion threads and placed the merged thread in the "ST News & Announcements" area. Just keeping everything related to the topic together to help with the discussion.

 

[Jeff Richardson]

I don't feel that a section devoted exclusively to atmospheric related photography would detract from the site. As an avid photographer for almost 30 years, I can attest to the difficulties and challenges related to photographing weather related events. Yes, there are many sites devoted to photography and with their own forums, they do serve their purpose. I visit them often myself. But many of the photographers that I know personally who do studio/fine art photography wouldn't have a clue or couldn't care less about weather-related photography, especially in a setting where equipment is exposed to the elements and not knowing how to operate equipment in a difficult low light situation could mean your best pic of the chase season is the one you just missed. I've found many tricks of the trade shared by other storm chasers to be of great value to me and when I talk to aspiring chasers, I always emphasize that photography in the storm environment has it's own challenges, hazards, and rewards.