Ack! I wasn't ready for this yet - Help Please.

[DVC Jen]

One of the reasons I wanted so badly to get a really good camera is because DH and I are storm spotters for Dallas county.

I wanted to get the camera and have months to really learn how to use it so when storm season hit us this coming spring I would be able (hopefully) to get some great shots.

Well wouldn't you know it - like everyone else we are experiencing insane weather as well.

We were just issued a Tornado watch until 8pm ct. The storms are moving from the south to the north -heading our way. AND there are also 3 tornado warnings south of us.

So it looks like I may be breaking in my camera as far as storms go a bit earlier than I expected.

Does ANYONE have any advice on getting the best possible pictures? I know I am going to need my tripod - I have two - a full size and a smaller table top model. I know I will need to use a very slow shutter speed - but what about aperature?

Advice? Ideas? Suggestions?

 

[ukcatfan]

#1 - Don't get it wet unless both it and the lens are weather sealed.

I have never shot storms, but I would think that if you know you need a long shutter, then you will likely need a small aperture to keep the image from being overexposed. You might try using shutter priority to set the shutter and ISO and then let it pick the aperture. It all depends on how much light you have, which during a storm can change from minute to minute.

Kevin

 

[JR6ooo4]

I would use the highest ISO that will still get a somewhat clean shot. If you have the rebel XT you can use ISo 1600.

You will probably need a very wide lens, if you do not have one then sshoot several pics with about 20% overlap and you can stitch them together later.

you can also buy a waterproofing kit that will cover the cam and barrel of the lens.
watch out for lightning
and then post some of those scary storm pics when you can!

Mikeeee

 

[mabas9395]

There is a common saying in photography that the key to great pictures is f/8 and be there.

 

[JR6ooo4]

also some tips I just found:
SCIENTIFIC-QUALITY VIDEO and PHOTOGRAPHY
Storm chase season is upon us and many of you will be shooting video and photographs of severe storms, supercells, and maybe even a few tornadoes. There are already documents available online that describe how to get the best video for personal and potential commercial use. For example, check out the following:

http://weather.siu.edu/vidtips.html
You might also consider capturing scientific-quality video and photographs. The needs and goals of thunderstorm research require that scientific-quality images have additional standards.

VIDEO MUST BE STEADY using a tripod, stabilizer, or some other mounting system.
TURN OFF THE AUTO FOCUS and set manual focus to inifinity. Many video cameras now default to the autofocus setting when you power them on. Also, some cameras will go out of focus when you zoom in. Keep checking the focus!

DO NOT PAN the camera. Select an appropriate part of the storm and keep the camera locked in on this feature for at least a few minutes before panning to another feature.

DO NOT ZOOM IN but try to get as much of the storm structure as possible. Use of a wide-angle lens is helpful. The large-scale structure associated with the rear-flank downdraft and the occluding gust front are especially relevant features for current severe storm research.

ACCURATE TIMES are important. Leaving the internal video clock on is desirable as long as it does not obscure the storm features. A log of photo times is adequate.

YOU MUST KNOW WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED. Use of a GPS to get latitude and longitude is desirable but certainly not required. Note what highway or road you are on and the distance to the previous or next intersection. Any additional information that helps to pinpoint your location is desirable.

MAKE USE OF YOUR AUDIO TRACK if you are shooting video. Use a microcassette recorder if you are shooting photography. Talk about where you are. What direction are you looking? What do you see that might be outside the field of view of the camera? What are the current conditions at your location? Is it raining or hailing? Is the ground wet or dry? Talk, talk, talk!

BE CERTAIN THAT YOU INCLUDE SOME GROUND in your video and photography images. A good rule of thumb is to have the ground occupy the lower 15-20% of the frame.

REFERENCE MARKS IN YOUR FIELD OF VIEW are desireable but be certain that they do not obscure the relevant storm features. These references can include power poles, traffic signs, farmhouses, trees, bodies of water, etc. These landmarks considerably improve the depth perception of the image and also assist in accurately determining your position and the location of the storm relative to you.


Collection of scientific-quality video does not automatically make the video unusable in a commercial context. With practice, you can shoot video or photographs that are valuable in both situations.

 

[DVC Jen]

Thanks I need to get my camera stuff together and get some plastic to have on hand to cover it all with.

I just heard that normally Texas gets about 1 tornado every 9 years in December. Today there have already been 9 reported and they are moving north towards the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Keep the advice and suggestions coming. I will be checking in off and on. We also have a laptop we take with us when we go out. It has mobile internet on it so we can keep track of the radar and also know where everyone else on the team is. If we get a low moment or two I will check in to see if anyone else has any ideas.

I am going to be really disappointed if I only get icky gray skies.

 

[DVC Jen]

also some tips I just found:
SCIENTIFIC-QUALITY VIDEO and PHOTOGRAPHY
Storm chase season is upon us and many of you will be shooting video and photographs of severe storms, supercells, and maybe even a few tornadoes. There are already documents available online that describe how to get the best video for personal and potential commercial use. For example, check out the following:

http://weather.siu.edu/vidtips.html
You might also consider capturing scientific-quality video and photographs. The needs and goals of thunderstorm research require that scientific-quality images have additional standards.

VIDEO MUST BE STEADY using a tripod, stabilizer, or some other mounting system.
TURN OFF THE AUTO FOCUS and set manual focus to inifinity. Many video cameras now default to the autofocus setting when you power them on. Also, some cameras will go out of focus when you zoom in. Keep checking the focus!

DO NOT PAN the camera. Select an appropriate part of the storm and keep the camera locked in on this feature for at least a few minutes before panning to another feature.

DO NOT ZOOM IN but try to get as much of the storm structure as possible. Use of a wide-angle lens is helpful. The large-scale structure associated with the rear-flank downdraft and the occluding gust front are especially relevant features for current severe storm research.

ACCURATE TIMES are important. Leaving the internal video clock on is desirable as long as it does not obscure the storm features. A log of photo times is adequate.

YOU MUST KNOW WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED. Use of a GPS to get latitude and longitude is desirable but certainly not required. Note what highway or road you are on and the distance to the previous or next intersection. Any additional information that helps to pinpoint your location is desirable.

MAKE USE OF YOUR AUDIO TRACK if you are shooting video. Use a microcassette recorder if you are shooting photography. Talk about where you are. What direction are you looking? What do you see that might be outside the field of view of the camera? What are the current conditions at your location? Is it raining or hailing? Is the ground wet or dry? Talk, talk, talk!

BE CERTAIN THAT YOU INCLUDE SOME GROUND in your video and photography images. A good rule of thumb is to have the ground occupy the lower 15-20% of the frame.

REFERENCE MARKS IN YOUR FIELD OF VIEW are desireable but be certain that they do not obscure the relevant storm features. These references can include power poles, traffic signs, farmhouses, trees, bodies of water, etc. These landmarks considerably improve the depth perception of the image and also assist in accurately determining your position and the location of the storm relative to you.


Collection of scientific-quality video does not automatically make the video unusable in a commercial context. With practice, you can shoot video or photographs that are valuable in both situations.

this is AWESOME - thank you.

 

[DueyDooDah]

I would use the highest ISO that will still get a somewhat clean shot.

Don't you mean use the lowest that will still get the shot. 1600 ISO is going to give a very noisy shot. I'd suggest no more that 400 or 800, whichever you can get away with.

Also, use a remote switch if you have one. This will help reduce movement of the camera on the tripod. (I assume there will be some shake from any significant wind blowing. I have not been in tornados, so don't know what you will experience near one.)

 

[DVC Jen]

Don't you mean use the lowest that will still get the shot. 1600 ISO is going to give a very noisy shot. I'd suggest no more that 400 or 800, whichever you can get away with.

Also, use a remote switch if you have one. This will help reduce movement of the camera on the tripod. (I assume there will be some shake from any significant wind blowing. I have not been in tornados, so don't know what you will experience near one.)

I was thinking about the same thing as far as ISO as you are. I am going to try 400 and see if that works. If not I will go up to 800.

I am not planning on getting out of the car if I can help it. I would like to be able to just set the camera up inside the car and open a window. It has been raining cats and dogs here all day. I don't want to take a chance on the camera getting wet. I am going to fashion something out of a large baggie or garbage bag to put around it to protect it the best that I can.

Things are still pretty quiet around here - but just recently there were 10 different counties in Tx with current tornado warnings.

I hate storms - I just do this because DH loves it and he isn't supposed to go out alone. Two people are supposed to make up the team - one to drive and one to spot. Thank goodness we don't need to get really close to anything - we just find an area with a good view and report what we see and what is happening on the ground since radar can't always tell the NWS what is actually happening at ground level.

 

[Groucho]

If it does get windy, try a weight hung off the center column of the tripod. Some have hooks already there for that purpose, if not, you can probably jury-rig something. That will give it some added stability.

 

[JR6ooo4]

There is a common saying in photography that the key to great pictures is f/8 and be there.

especialy canon's kit lens

Mikeeee

 

[DVC Jen]

it looks like we may totally luck out on this one. Not sure if I am glad about that or not.

I hate storms - but was looking forward to trying to capture some great lightening.

There has been really nasty weather all around us - just not right on top of us. It is supposed to hang around until around midnight though - so I may still get something.

 

[JR6ooo4]

I was thinking about the same thing as far as ISO as you are. I am going to try 400 and see if that works. If not I will go up to 800.

I am not planning on getting out of the car if I can help it.

that can be worse. The car has much area to catch the wind, compared to a camera and tripod. And it sits on squishy springs and shocks allowing it to bounce and sway. It feels like it is still but compare it with the fact that a heartbeat can cause camera shake. Even a perfectly smooth running engine is not always smooth. That is why you need to get the shutter speed as fast as possible with the high ISO. On a tripod you want the fast shutter as well, in windy conditions.

Mikeeee