Would you rather?

[Mike Marz]

Would you rather chase with NO camera forever and see tornadoes on almost every chase... or chase WITH a camera and see tornadoes 1 out of every 300 chases? I am leaning towards option 1.

 

[Shane Adams]

While neither option is appealing, I'd opt for #2. Documentation is why I'm out there, and it would be devastating to see incredible tornadoes and come home with nothing to show for it.

 

[Jon Strebler]

I'll take option 1 and it's not even close. I didn't have a camera when I first started chasing and I enjoyed it just as much as I do now with a camera. At times I've actually had to take a step back and put down the camera because I've found that I was paying more attention to taking pictures and not enjoying the storm that was right in front of me. Everyone has different motives though so I can understand why people would rather have the camera, but that isn't me.

On top of all that, those 1 in 300 odds would be depressing. I get maybe 15 chase days in a good year so going 20 years between tornadoes would be a hard pill to swallow.

 

[StephenHenry]

My tornado dreams often feature me scrambling around looking for a camera battery while an amazing tornado is in progress - totally not enjoying the sight because I can't film it. Does that mean I have to pick option 2?

 

[Skip Talbot]

It's #2. Not only would I feel that it would be such a loss to not capture what I witness, but having to work for that 1 in 300 tornado would make it such a rare and precious catch. The joy of that catch would be exquisite.

When I first started getting into chasing I used to dream about just seeing a tornado. Now my tornado dreams always revolve around me finding ways to botch taking pictures or video of it (camera on? right lens? focus?). It started as #1 but it's very much #2 now.

 

[Doug Crisp]

I would have to say id pick option number 2 id rather have pictures from my chasing

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

Can #2 come with free gas? If I can chase everything - the question is pretty easy.

 

[Adam Reagan]

For me it's #2 hands down. I want to share what I see to as many people as I can. Plus I agree with Skip; seeing 1 tornado out of 300 chances makes that one catch more rewarding for me.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

#1 would be like a hunter going out and seeing deer everywhere and then just heading home. It's a much bigger deal when you have evidence of your catch. #2 hands down.

 

[Jesse Risley]

I'll go with #2, just because having the memory of documentation is nice for me. Also, if I am seeing tornadoes on a continual basis, I would suspect that I would start to become desensitized to the experience of it all. It would make the "capture" with option #2 that much more valuable if it's a once in every 300 chase occurrence.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

#2 better be like a three hour long Campo style tornado. Otherwise I might go a little more looney. That's tough for me because the navigation and the actual hunt of the chase is my favorite part. If option one doesn't mean a guarentee every single chase, then I might have to go with that. If it means even if I'm old and wrinkled that I can still go enjoy chasing and see tornadoes, then I'm chosen option 1. If it means that everytime I drive out of town I see a tornado like it's a normal thing, then I'm going with #2. If number two means I have a camera with unlimited structure days and all expenses paid, then I'm going to chase 100 times per year.

 

[Jim Cross]

I'll go with #1, I can chase only 10 to 15 days a year now and that's going 20 to 30 years between tornadoes with option # 2. I'll take just the memories and seeing tornadoes just about every chase.

 

[James Hammett]

This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer. I have a lot of chasing photos and videos I've done nothing with over the years...even tornado captures...due to a lack of time. So #1 doesn't seem as bad of a deal to me as it may to others. And #2 would mean I'd see a tornado once every ~20 years. I chase for a lot more than 'naders but over time that would make me seriously question whether the investment in time and money is worth it.

It's really one of those "why do you chase" type of questions. Some chase more to show others what they've accomplished and some chase more to experience the moment. I'm much more the latter so I'd lean toward #1.

 

[Mike Marz]

Yes, that's kinda what I was thinking when I posted this question. Why do I chase? What do I like more, being there and seeing the tornado and the experience of the chase, or do I enjoy it more when I get to show everyone that tornado. I still can't really figure it out, but for people who have already seen their fair share of tornadoes, I can see why option 2 is the answer. Thankfully, we don't have to chose for real.

 

[Jeff Duda]

I don't think I would be able to handle seeing a tornado once out of every 300 chases. As Jon said, that's about 20 years between tornadoes for me. F that. I'd rather see tornadoes almost every time I chased. At least then I'd have a memory of a real one.