jeffniederstadt
FollowOn April 15, 2016 a beautiful tornado formed near Eads, Colorado. We were lucky enough to witness the entire life cycle of this tornado. The only way this chase...
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On April 15, 2016 a beautiful tornado formed near Eads, Colorado. We were lucky enough to witness the entire life cycle of this tornado. The only way this chase could have been any better was if we were able to get closer.
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Awards
Contender in the Photography Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
2020 Choice Award
Top Shot Award
Honorable Mention in Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016
Contest Finalist in Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016
Member Selection Award
Runner Up in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 1
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 1
Contest Finalist in 5000 Dramatic Landscapes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in The Battle Of Advanced Photo Contest
Featured
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
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Mary18
May 27, 2016
Wow, what a great shot! While you didn't win my photo challenge, if I could have picked a second, it would have been yours. Nice job, and keep up the great work!
Bruz
June 29, 2016
An amazing picture. On my bucket list to do storm chasing. Thanks for inflaming that for me. :-)
lindapersson
July 09, 2016
Amazing capture! Would have loved to have been there. I chased a wall cloud in Minnesota a few days ago but it never developed more than golf ball size hail before it disappeared (for good and bad).
PinkSinProductions
January 17, 2017
Absolutely stunning photo!! I think I saw this tornado on YouTube from a few chasers. Thank you for this beautiful photo!!
FredThom
January 25, 2017
Your picture deserved to be the image of the year compaare to the otherss so common. Congrats
elizwalker1214
January 26, 2017
I love this picture! Consider entering it in my challenge! https:// viewbug.com/challenge/colors-in-nature-photo-challenge-by-elizwalker1214
darrenbromell
January 27, 2017
When i saw this image i let rip with that f word and i think ive said it 4 times since. This is f...ing awesome.
bonniestreets_4963
January 28, 2017
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
bonniestreets_4963
January 28, 2017
I have been to close to one of these twice to think that these pretty
heatherjones_3563
April 17, 2017
I would be huddle in my bathroom! Not only is this a fantastic capture but shows how brace you are
adamreid
August 18, 2017
If I had the funds, I would definitely have ordered a print to hang up on my wall. I love thunderstorms and especially tornadoes. My partner thinks I'm insane for wanting to be a storm chaser. However, I'm only 19 and wouldn't know where to even begin. Such an amazing capture.
AileenCometaMusco
January 27, 2019
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
AileenCometaMusco
January 27, 2019
Absolutely the most stunning tornado photo I've ever seen. That amazing layered cloud skirt, and the overall radiance - the composition/contrast between flat motionless prairie and whirling sky - wow!
BeachedMermaidPhotography
March 01, 2019
This capture is nuts! In a good way. This is scary and jaw dropping and beautiful! Tornadoes terrify me. This is amazing!
donnakirckof
June 30, 2019
Awesome photo! I have a "Thunder and Lightning Oh My" challenge up right now if you are interested!
BiggShots
July 22, 2019
Storm chasing is on my bucket list...because of breathtaking photo's like yours!! This is fantastic!!
okie918
September 24, 2019
Awesome shot! That scary green color is something that we here in Oklahoma have come to hate!
Robert_Grauer
July 09, 2023
Nice shot! I'm following your work. I saw in the behind the lens section your looking to improve your editing skills. I'm editing half in photoshop and half in OnOne Software. The best and quickest way to improve your editing is to swallow your pride and let photographers whose work you admire to critique your work. Honest critique can be painful most people shy away from it. As for me this is the 1st time I logged into viewbug in months so if you chose to seek my advice it could be a while before getting a reply.
stefanklein_2109
September 25, 2023
I remember this day, amazing angle you got there! Second tornado I ever saw, first one I ever "chased!"
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Behind The Lens
Location
Being a storm chaser, I never know when and where I will be shooting. Some days we can drive for hours and never take our cameras out and have to turn around and just head home. Some days the weather doesn't agree and any photos I do take can end up being bad. Then there are days like this one in the image where conditions are almost perfect. No rain, no hail and nothing blocking our view. This was taken near Eads, CO and the only thing that would have made it better in my opinion would be to be closer.Time
This is one of my favorite images from this year. I remember waking up that morning and looking over the weather models and seeing 2 targets that day. One in eastern Colorado and one in Texas. It was a tough decision to make but decided to take a chance on the Colorado target. As we arrived in Eads, CO I remember feeling a very cold wind which I thought was going to be very bad for any tornado potential. It was pretty early in our chasing season and was our first chase of the year. As the storm approached we decided to go after it and have a better look. It was mid day around 2:30pm. As the funnel cloud dropped out of the sky I quickly stopped the car, grabbed my camera and tripod and took off running through a field towards the tornado. I couldn't run as far as I would have liked because I had been so excited that I forgot to turn off the car.Lighting
The natural lighting provided wasn't the best but it was enough to shoot at a low ISO. Lighting is rarely great while under a storm and sometimes you don't have much time to get your shot. Many times there will be just enough time to jump out of the car, snap off a few shots and then get to a safe location. I had plenty of time with this storm but with the excitement and adrenaline flowing I tend to forget everything and just enjoy the moment and hope that I get a good shot.Equipment
I used a Canon 70D and my go to lens while storm chasing is my Tamron 10-24mm lens. I hang my camera on the head rest in my car and my tripod is laying on the back seat. Not having much time I can quickly grab my camera and my tripod. Most of the time I shoot storms handheld and then later wish that I would have used my tripod.Inspiration
I am inspired by every storm photographer and every storm image that I see. Storms just amaze me. I started out buying a camera only for storm chasing. I wanted to capture images like I had seen in magazines and online. I wanted to be able to share what I see with others that aren't able to go after nature's fury. I am actually very inspired by many photographers. I look up to many and strive to one day produce images as good as the ones that make me go awe.Editing
I spent many hours in post processing on this one. Even though I have been doing this for a few years I still have so much to learn when it comes to post-processing. I had a certain idea in my head and through trial and error I did my best to bring forward my vision. Like the majority of my landscape work I process the sky and foreground separately with many layers and masking. I usually want my sky to look one way and the foreground to look another. With this one I wanted the image to be dark and moody. I wanted a sense of fear but also a sense of beauty. I did my best to bring that across and I hope others see that in my image.In my camera bag
I don't have that much but I take everything i own with me. A Canon 70D body and attached to that is my Tamron 10-24mm lens. I have a Canon 35-80mm lens that I rarely use but got it dirt cheap. I recently purchased a Canon 55-250mm lens because my wife has one and I get jealous of her great close up shots. I have a couple cleaning cloths to wipe the rain from my lens and the typical things to clean my lenses. I also have my lightning trigger packed. Sometimes after dark the sky lights up with a beautiful display of lightning. One day I will capture that. Can't forget to have a spare SD card. Seeing a tornado and then realizing that you left you SD card at home is like a punch in the stomach. All of this is packed in a Lowepro camera backpack along with bug spray and a flashlight.Feedback
My number one piece of advice would be to be safe. When it comes to severe weather you never know what could happen. Besides the danger of a tornado there is other dangers like hail, lightning and flooding. Always have an escape route. When it comes to the photography part my advice would be to be aware of your surroundings. Look around to see if there is anything that would make the scene better like a barn, a tree or anything of that matter or something to show scale of the storm. There wasn't anything around for this image and that is the case a lot of the time for me. Experiment with your camera and try different settings and angles. Most of all just have fun with your camera.