Vote for me!

Friends and family.

I've entered a photography contest online and part of it is based on viewer ratings.

So please go to this link: http://www.artistwanted.org/webbfeat .. and give me 5 stars so I can win $500!

-Steve

As the wind blows the storm grows.

Moonrise Over A Thunderstorm

I shot this looking southeast at a series of severe storms located near Matador, Texas. Sometimes secenes like this look better in black and white.

-Steve Douglass

Storm Panorama: Claude Texas 6-14-08

Hitler Goes Storm Chasing

Boiling

I shot this last week as the setting sun lit up a thunderhead south of Amarillo. Since then it has been hot,hot, hot. I think these clouds were trying to tell us something.

Atomic Test?

No not nuclear - just a normal everyday severe thunderstorm tower off to the East of Amarillo last night. I love photographing these giants, especially at sunset when the light up like jack-o-lanterns. This one dropped a few tornados and some baseball sized hail in the town of Wellington.

-Steve Douglass

Midwest Tornado Video Compilation:

Courtesy The Weather Channel

Downburst

Thunderstorm downburst that hit Amarillo with 75 MPH+ winds.

-Steve Douglass

The Big Swirl

I shot this looking due south of Bushland, Texas tonight as severe storms moved through the city dropping golf-ball sized hail, and packing hurricane strength winds.

Tornados were reported north of the city and I thought the way this one was swirling it would drop one too, but it turned into a very powerful straight-line wind events that caused trees to be uprooted, signs knocked down and bus benches tipped over.
I'll post more photos soon.

-Steve Douglass

Video: When Pigs Fly.

Better video of a tornado hitting a hog farm near Hennessey, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Tornado Video Fox News Coverage

Video report on today's tornados in North-Central Oklahoma.

Amazing Oklahoma Tornado Caught on Live TV

Recorded from Fox News feed of a strong storm in Oklahoma that had already dropped 8 tornados.
Man I wish I was there!

Update: The video you see here was shot near Hennessey, Oklahoma, northwest of Oklahoma City.

-Steve

Conspiracy Of Nature

We had a few thunderstorms pop up late this afternoon which helped set the stage for a glorious sunset.
The two horses ran when the thunder began and separated but rejoined just at the right time. I call these "conspiracies of nature" and amazingly seem to happen when a photographer is around to capture it.

A little tweaking in Aperture helped as well.

Enjoy!

-Steve

Still waiting ...

Looks like this weekend (most likely Saturday) will be our best chance of having severe weather. Check back often for updates. I'll keep you advised.

-Steve

Weather photo of the day: May Moon

Hole In The Donut!

My wife (downstate taking care of her elderly parents and the family farm near Waco) called me last night and said they had tornados nearby. I fired up Weather Tap and watched (via their excellent HD radar) storm after storm dropping "hook echoes" the unmistakeable radar-signature of a tornadic storm.

Although hook echoes are common, the following radar frame capture is not. It shows the "hole in the donut" or the eye of a tornado (with all of the usual radar reflecting water vapor and debris literally spun out) creating an almost perfect vacuum!

In that perfect hole there is basically nothing for the radar to bounce off of, hence the hole.

Usually you don't see this unless the tornado is very close to the radar (like a Doppler on Wheels image) or the tornado is very big and unusually organized in the center.

Cool indeed!

-Steve

Not exactly a tornado ...

.. but a distant cousin. Dust Devil shot near Childress Texas in 2007.

Skyscapes 2007

Drats! Good day- Sunshine

Stay tuned!

The weatherman promises more storms next week. Undoubtedly we will be out there when they arrive to document nature's beauty and and fury so check back often.

Mother Nature - did anyone ever tell you you are beautiful when you are angry?

-Steve