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US Trip

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rjgjr
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« Reply #15 on: June 01, 2011, 07:53:09 pm »

That's an unbelievable video John. It really gets interesting about 4:25 when you can begin to see the base of the tornado. Your images are spectacular, it must have been an awe-inspiring experience to be there first hand. We of course saw hours of footage and hundreds of images on The Weather Channel here in the States and your images are every bit as good as those. Thanks for sharing and look forward to more when you get a chance to rest up and then post more!

Richard
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JohnC
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« Reply #16 on: June 01, 2011, 09:53:31 pm »

Thanks,Richard. I forgot to post my own stills Ugh. lol. We had The Weather Channel with us- I assume you will know Jim Cantori ?.. he's 5.7"..did you know that ? I say that because people we met who saw him said they thought he was much taller. We also had Indra Petersons with us , do you know of her ? -She's a weather presenter (with a degree in met.) and I have  a wonderful photo of her standing on TIV2. I didn't know who she was, I just saw a beautiful young lady on the TIV2  and she'd like me to send her the photo. She's on a TV station in LA. I believe.. KABC Channel 7. I'll post that photo later.

These photos aren't my best re. quality because I got to the side of the road worth my 24-105 and had to run back to the van to get the 70-200 with the 1.4X but as you see I got back in time but it happened so quickly and the light wasn't good.It was rtavelling at 45 mph. The last shot is the back end of it after we all ran behind the gas station/shop We then ran back to the van and tried to chase it  to get another view but the trees hindered us and it went away from the I60.The guy who took the video here happened to be in the front seat of the van, I was in the back.














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rjgjr
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« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2011, 12:17:31 am »

Those are some spectacular images John. Too bad you were in the rolling hills and forest at the time. But you have to play it safe when dealing with mother nature. I just looked up Ellsinore, MO in the road atlas and saw where it is across the opposite corner of the state from Joplin. I have watched Jim Cantori for about 25 years on The Weather Channel, he started out just doing the weather segments, but now does all the special stuff, like tornados, floods and hurricanes. I've seen him standing next to other people and thought he wasn't the tallest of people. When you mentioned Indra Petersons it didn't ring a bell until you said KABC TV Los Angeles. When we visit family down south she is always on the weekend news doing the weather, she is totally stunning!!!, I never miss her. Post more when you rest and have the time, will be looking forward to them.

Richard

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JohnC
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« Reply #18 on: June 02, 2011, 09:34:53 pm »

Cheers Richard..I''ll get Indra's photo up asap then LOl. Her family are from Latvia.

Well, let's start with it. Presenting the weather  http://wn.com/Indra_Petersons_in_a_spectacular_white_dress

On the TIV2



Now you're pulse is racing,Richard Lol.  Ok..more storm photos. TIV2 photos later.

Woodward OK on the third day  (May 19)- first day for photos.



Pratt OK
<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=25a3x9d" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/25a3x9d.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>


Woodward OK



Photo of the cap on a storm - Pileus.(Latin for cap-as worn by Roman soldiers)



Rozel near Dodge City.






Sylvan Grove Kansas. That's a supercell and the inflow winds from the NE was recorded at 45-50 mph.You can see the rain curtains too. We could barely stand to photograph and I clung on to a 7 foot wood post.



CB at Great Bend KS. May 19.  near Dodge City.They were on a retreating dryline









Sunset near Rozel KS They've had no rain for weeks and you can see the results of that by the colour of the corn/wheat or whatever crop it is.



Tried the fisheye 15mm Sigma








I looked at the LCd's of the other cameras and this blueish cloud was the same on all of them-amazing colour.It changes as the sun goes down.













Friday May 20-day 4 Lewis KS










Greensburg signs/tower taken from the moving van.















Fisheye



Pratt KS 4.30pm Friday May 20






..and then it rained.



Meso. at Prestoin KS.























..and then it rained..taken through the windscreen.













Tomorrow I'll post images of the best sunset skies I've ever seen. Taken at Isabel KS..near Wichata. Even the guides had never  seen colours like them.








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« Reply #19 on: June 02, 2011, 10:56:40 pm »

Wow!  Stunning pictures John!  Cool  A storm chase is something I must put on my list.  I like the truck - are they hydraulic anchor points on it?
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« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2011, 12:10:41 am »

Hi John, forgive my late response, I've just gotten caught up with all your images, video, and text posted so far and have been digesting it all. Thanks very much for posting your images on here to show us what we have been missing and also for the emails you sent while on the chase in the US which was very much appreciated and which really added to the excitement of knowing what you were going through. Scary scene showing the tornado damage - a reminder, if one were needed, that these storms have and do kill people every season so I'm sure you felt in awe yet humbled at the same time. The shots of the tornado crossing the highway are unreal, truly 'epic' as they say in the US. Love the other images too, my attention is drawn to the gust front with whale's mouth over the crops..very dramatic  Wink. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more storm images including those sunset clouds and of TIV2. Glad you had a good time John and that your'e back safe and sound  Smiley
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JohnC
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« Reply #21 on: June 04, 2011, 10:22:54 pm »

Thanks ,Martin. Next time  I think I'll either have a MaBook Air or put a link to Brian's daily account which is brief and to the point and of course a description of the structures.  I looked over the posts and there's a lot of mistakes- awkward using an iPOd and also doing it very late sometimes 11.30pm - to midnight when I was very tired and at that time we din't get to a diner- they're closed, so hungry too, that or rushing the next morning before we have to be at the van.

I'm up to  editing photo 89 now Ugh. lol. and had to get the garden straight for visitors today . That did me good anyway,got me away from here for a short while. Here's a video taken by Darren and the stills are mine but it's good to see the video to get the sense of what's happening. You'll hear  sirens and a top of the range Nikon firing off at 9fps.  lol..and then Bill shouts "One minute". I'd asked for this warning a couple of Tours back to give those  of us  with tripods (more often than not, just me and the guides) a chance to get them down and then get in the van safely-it's hard going when the call goes out "back in the van"  and no notice then you have to rush and it's too easy to fall or slip getting into the van with gear - it's happened to me  a couple of times.

I'll post the sunset  ones and some others tomorrow.


It's best to do it like this as this is one period...the video and my stills,same storm location.I'll put the TIV2 and any other Misc. photos of interest at the end.

Mark..That is Sean Casey's vehicle  TIV2 (he was with it but I wast aware it was him until someone told me after we'd left the hotel where we and they were staying-it was the research teem from the OK State Uni..I'm sure I'll have him on one of my photos being interviewed , a lot of TV people around. It's the one (TIV2) he used in his iMax film 'Tornado Alley' which we went to see .The screen was 6 stories high and 86' across,the sound was incredible.

Yes, those are hydraulic  anchors that go down into the ground about 18" if I recall  correctly from the iMax film,obviously to anchor it as a tornado passes over-I don't know if it would withstand an EF5 but  having said that I think someone in the film shouted that it was an EF5 they were in.Here it is http://blog.zap2it.com/kate_ohare/2009/12/sean-casey-of-storm-chasers-captured-a-twister-on-film-that-is.html

In this link there's a bit of video I recognise from the film-I recognise the house on the corner-the large one and like the film it doesn't show what happened to it    http://prairiestorm.blogspot.com/2011/03/sean-caseys-tornado-alley-imax-film-and.html  but this happened in Joplin  too..people failed to heed Sean Casey's warnings in his film and I  was told that  Silver Lining Tours were trying to tell people to take cover in Joplin  and people just waved to them as the EF5 entered the town-SLT  went out of town and people were driving past them into to town towards it .

Here's Darren's video and my stills.We'd been joined by a third  chase van so there were 23 chasers in this location- it kind of spoilt it as it was hard work trying g to get a decent spot ,infact I managed to get only 2/3 of the supercell .There was a TV crew with us too-The Weather Channel - so another 3 making it 27 Ugh.


































Taken from the van travelling at 50mph +..never easy.


« Last Edit: June 04, 2011, 10:37:19 pm by JohnC » Report Spam   Logged
markt
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« Reply #22 on: June 04, 2011, 10:55:56 pm »

Absolutely stunning John!  I keep looking back over and over again these images you've posted.  That vid is a stunner aswell!   Cool Cool Cool
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JohnC
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« Reply #23 on: June 05, 2011, 11:34:29 am »

Now you'll have to go,Mark lol. problem is,no guarantees.

These were taken on Friday May 20th. at Isabel near Wichita KS. The colours here are what I saw. The fisheye is new to me ,pity it was such a dramatic image to be trying out a new lens but I think it passes muster.  Smiley I'll post these now and then go on to the Saturday May 21st.
















End of the sunset




C >C Lightning. same location.Isabel is between Pratt and Wichita KS.












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markt
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« Reply #24 on: June 05, 2011, 12:37:20 pm »

The colours in those images are great John!  Which fisheye are you using?   I've had one on my shopping list for sometime now, mainly for aurora shots whilst in Iceland.  I've seen a few brands that offer them at differing prices...
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JohnC
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« Reply #25 on: June 05, 2011, 12:49:46 pm »

These are from Saturday 21. They've  been out of date order so I could attach the stills with the videos.

 Mark..Just about to post..saw your question. It's a 15mm Sigma fisheye. It's one of the few Sigmas that beat it's Canon equivalent and costs  less too.  Just google 'Comparison between etc...

Lake Shawnsee KS  7.00pm.








Oskaloosa KS 8.00pm Sunset













This is a lowering I saw as the distant lightning showed it ..looks like a wall cloud to me.












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rjgjr
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« Reply #26 on: June 05, 2011, 03:54:51 pm »

Excellent set of images John, really love the sunset related images, they really have the WOW effect!
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JohnC
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« Reply #27 on: June 05, 2011, 05:17:40 pm »

Thanks Richard..I've never seen colours like that in the 5 times I've been and I've seen some pretty awesome stuff  at sunset - even the guides  were taken aback.I look forward to the sunsets as they are so often spectacular and so photogenic. What I have missed these past 3 years,though are the evening lightning shows,the last good one was 2008 - I think it was Frederick KS


This  is Sunday May 22 The day of Tornadoes. Joplin of course and the one we saw on the north side of Southwest City MO amongst others. We'd been on the Joplin storm but the nearest we got was 30 miles before the tornado formed  hit.

The vans stopped to check out what appeared to be a  tornado 3.5  miles away-there was intermittent rain and very poor visibility, it was barely visible but nevertheless I've put up the two 'best' photos,the only  two acceptable photos. (both handheld -absolutely no time for a tripod) I've never heard a tornado before but  as I mentioned at the start of this thread this one sounded like a jet on the run way at full throttle seconds before take off. What's amazes me about the tornadoes I've seen is the difference between how far away  I think they are and what the experienced guides tell me. I thought the Ellsinore EF3 was a mile or two at the most- it was  5 miles   away and this one I thought was about a mile away - 3.5 miles said Chad, one of the  Tour guides. This was a wedge tornado too and an EF3. Later we came upon some of the damage it had caused. There was a single storey  house with outbuildings (it straddled the MO/OK border)  and the people were at home when it went over destroying an outbuilding and causing damage to their SUV but their home suffered  only minor damage and they were ok but a very close call. It brought down trees and also a power line pole which was right outside the house at the roadside. This was dangerous because it lay halfway across the  narrow country road ( as narrow as those here ) and it had those white terminals on it so the real deal and it was raining and dark,we didn't get out of the van of course. Our Tour leader asked if  the people were ok and they'd been taken away and were uninjured,it's when you see this sort of thing  first hand that it brings home just how dangerous living in Tornado Alley can be . There was a truck there and a couple of men walking around, possibly from the electric company. We drove on and soon ran into torrential rain, so heavy we had to take shelter -  shown in the last photo.

 We left the hotel at Emporia to travel to SE Kansas. At the 10.00am briefing the CAPE was forecast at 6000- astonishing . At 1400 we were told the CAPE was 5000 so a big day seemed to be infront of us and so it turned out with storms at 60,000 ft. and at Moran KS  4" hail reported.

At 1410 we headed SW and arrived at Parsons at 1530.This was the day of the Joplin EF5. The night before Reading (district of Emporia) KS was hit . There were quite a few nighttime tornadoes and we briefly  saw one lit up by lightning -  looking at one you really appreciate how  much more  dangerous these nighttime tornadoes are because they're unseen,they become more sinister than  the daylight ones.

Here's the Reading tornado (not my video of course)



Parsons KS







On the move away from Parsons. The dirt is on the van window not my lens  Grin


Labette KS












Radar showing  the storm with the EF3  north side of Southwest City MO



EF3 Wedge. Was most of the time rain wrapped.






We were talking to the resident of the  house  out of the frame to the left and one of the guides told him not to worry there'd be no tornado,within in a minute the urgent shout.. 'back in the van quick' was heard  as powerful winds swept across and we drove away.... fast. lol.
















The rain from this storm was so heavy we had to take shelter. Taken from inside the van at night. ISO 3200 1/30sec.











« Last Edit: June 05, 2011, 05:35:22 pm by JohnC » Report Spam   Logged
markt
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« Reply #28 on: June 05, 2011, 05:36:19 pm »

Lovin' these updates John! Keep em' coming!!!  Wink
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« Reply #29 on: June 05, 2011, 07:32:03 pm »

John, these images are spectacular together with a great detailed report too, and thanks for the updates while you were their I enjoyed reading each mail.
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