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Stunning Storm in Stratton
A powerful supercell thunderstorm with a tornado near Stratton, Colorado on July 27th, 2022.
A powerful supercell thunderstorm with a tornado near Stratton, Colorado on July 27th, 2022.
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Feb, 2023Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was photographed from an open field West of Burlington, Colorado, US. The storm was near the small town of Stratton, CO moving West-Southwest away from me, allowing me to safely maintain position and shoot as the thunderstorm produced tornadoes. As the storm moved away I was able to get a perfect view of the entire supercell with a stovepipe tornado still underneath, at which point I snapped this picture.Time
Colorado tends to get thunderstorms almost every afternoon, and this day was no exception. I saw this particular storm forming just before 3PM Mountain Daylight Time and decided to follow it. Just after 3:30 the storm began producing weak landspout tornadoes, at which point I moved into position and captured this photo at 4:13 PM.Lighting
I wanted a very clear shot of the entire structure of the storm. I was at the perfect angle to capture the storm with sunlight illuminating all the features, including the base of the storm where the tornado is, which, thankfully was high above the surface, allowing more sunlight to hit the tornado itself.Equipment
I used my Nokia G20 cell phone to take this photograph freehanded. No tripod, no flash, default camera settings.Inspiration
For 25 years the afternoon thunderstorms of Colorado have always inspired me. On this particular day the Storm Prediction Center did not expect any tornadoes, but forecast models and a local National Weather Service office seemed to indicate that landspout tornadoes would at least be possible. I decided to drive to where models showed a surface boundary, which are often conducive to tornado development. Watching the storm form was enough inspiration to begin documenting it.Editing
I made some very minor adjustments to saturation, clarity, and contrast using Windows Photo Editor. You want to keep edits minimal on storm photos, too much clarity and contrast can make the photo look grainy, too much saturation can make the photo look painted and unrealistic.In my camera bag
I often carry my Canon Rebel T3 DLSR with 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses, a portable spider tripod to mount on the car, and my cell phone. The phone acts as more than just a second camera, I use weather radar to help me find a good storm and position for the best pictures.Feedback
Take a spotter training course from your local National Weather Service office to learn the basics of storm anatomy before chasing, it can be dangerous at times! Learn how to interpret forecast models to figure out where storms are going to be most photogenic, and study the road network beforehand. Always try and keep at least a half tank of gas, and always have an escape route planned before photographing!
