Christmas Gift Ideas

Are you planning to give the gift of travel for that loved one for Christmas? Why not give them an adventure of a lifetime. Take them storm chasing!!! Extreme Chase Tours is the company to go with. Lanny Dean and crew will take you and/or your loved one across the Great Plains in search of severe weather. There is the opportunity to receive one-on-one time with your guide. You'll learn a lot about the weather and what to do when you see it. After you purchase a seat with Lanny Dean's Extreme Chase Tours, and you would like to give a tangible item(s), some of my lighting photos should add to the excitement. Just go here Chad Berryhill Photography. You can order any size print and it's very easy to do. There are options to make calenders too! I am running a sale on certain prints, just go to the Christmas Specials gallery to see more and be sure to follow the simple instructions. Don't wait any longer, hurry before seats fill and you can't get prints in time for Christmas. Merry Christmas!!!

Earthquakes, Tornadoes, and Thanksgiving???

This fall has flown by, which makes me happy. That means spring will be here before we know it. Of course Ma Nature was a little bit confused as to when the spring storm season is. Of course most people know, there is a small two week time frame for severe weather in the fall. It seems to float around between October and November. I normally don't pay much attention to it, except for lightning opportunities. Maybe I should start though as tornadoes have occurred this season and last. November 2011 in Oklahoma has been one to remember. The two most notable days: Saturday November 5th the state was rocked with a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. Then November 7th, south west Oklahoma experienced a long track cyclic super cell that spawned 8-9 tornadoes (one being rated an EF-4) over roughly a track of 100 miles! Later that same evening a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck. Earthquakes and Tornadoes on the same day...Only in Oklahoma! I'm sure the west coast inhabitants got a good laugh from us southerners. I do have to say in our defense that the ground is softer here. So a small quake can feel bigger. That's my story and I'm sticking to it lol. Earthquakes are a common occurrence in Oklahoma. They are never felt most of the time. Some are from the New Madrid Fault and others are from the Meers Fault. What I find confusing are the epicenters of the recent Oklahoma earthquakes. They are nowhere near either fault, as all have been centered just east of Oklahoma City. Some people say it could be from a technique called Fracking. Oil companies use the technique to make sure they are getting all oil and gas from a well. Fracking very well could be the cause, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea. I would think something like that would be more of a localized event. Not something that spreads over 100 miles. Either way earthquakes are crazy. I'd rather have tornadoes because I can see them. Below is a photo from a recent Light Painting session, it kind a fits the crazy Oklahoma November.

Don't Fight The Lines....Order Online

Below are a few items you might think about purchasing. Even if Irene is not going to impact you directly, you never know when a hurricane, snow storm, flood, or other natural disaster is going to effect you. Most of these items have a long shelf life. It's better to be prepared now.

















You could go all out and buy an EPIRB:

Wind & Rain

I'm slow to blog about hurricane Irene. It's been a hectic week and lot's of preparing to cover Irene. As of now we are still trying to decide where the best intercept will be. I know I know, you don't chase hurricanes. But you have to do a little home work if you're planning to be in the eye of one. You can't adjust your location once the game begins.

Looking at models and I wanted to note the GFS. It's not one of the main models used for hurricane guidance, but I wanted to show something of interest. It shows Irene not making landfall until Sunday evening around eastern parts of Long Island then Connecticut and Massachusetts head on.



With the all of the models not handling Irene very well, it's anyone's guess. I wouldn't be surprised if Irene slams into Miami FL. I mean forecasters anticipated Irene to be a Cat 3 hurricane right now. She is currently a Cat 1 as I type this. So I'll say it again, it's anyone's guess. That makes it really difficult to pin point land fall.

Don't get me wrong the whole eastern seaboard is going to be impacted by Irene, regardless of where Irene makes landfall. Below is a widget from the National Hurricane Center if you would like more detailed information. I encourage everyone living on the east coast to pay attention. You just never know what could happen.

Hurricane Tours

Now that Hurricane season has fired up, so have Hurricane Tours with Extreme Chase Tours. We still have room for TS Irene, so hurry up and book. This storm is showing potential to go down in the history books, and you only live once! Witness Mother Nature's raw power!!!

Test

I'm testing out a feature from SmuMug. Let me know if it works on your end.

Time For A Prime

Amazon has a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX lens marked down to $199. It has great reviews and the only questionable side to it is the Bokeh. While not fantastic, it's not bad either. Just remember Bokeh isn't everything. A lot folks get stuck on that. Don't be afraid to push the "rules" of photography or even break them (I'm kind of a rebel). You never what you will come up with.

Light Painting

Last night my wife and I went out to Paint With Light again. Some fun images were made, but the heat created problems for the camera and the lens. It was 98F at 11pm, that's ridiculous! So the focus is not the best. Finding that perfect infinity zone was impossible. Taking my gear from 72F to 98F was not a good move. So we through the worry about focus out the window, and just had fun.

On another note: I purchased an EL Light two weeks ago and finally had time to use it. My wife really had fun with it, and produced some interesting images. I really like this one. It looks like a tree.



EL Lights can be purchased at Amazon.com for really cheap and come in various colors/lengths. Make sure you buy the models with a portable power source. Here is the link to the brand I purchased

Save 20%

From now until September 5th save 20% on all print purchases of $20 dollars or more. Just enter this code sizzling2011 during the checkout process. To use your coupon go here: Chad Berryhill Photography

Trial Contest

Okay I am going to try a contest, depending on the turnout, this may or may not be a monthly thing. The contest is a trivial type. All of your answers can be found on this website Extreme Chase Tours It is free to enter.

Entries will be accepted starting tonight July 17th 2011 9PM and will end July 31st 2011 9PM. The drawing will take place August 1st 2011 7pm. It will be streamed live. Server TBA, so check back often to get the URL.

Prizes will be a mixture of weather photos. See listing below

How to play:

Answer the questions below in an email to me here using the Contact tab at the top of the page. If all are correct, then your name will be entered into a hat/bucket.

What kind of tours do we offer? Hint: It's not on the home page. Think carefully on this one as there are a couple different pages that list this. Only one is correct.

What height/range are mid-level winds?

How many team members are there, and what is the combined number of tornadoes seen?

What was the base city for the "Northern Photography Tours" and how much did it cost?

In one of the videos who is drinking Lanny's Pepsi?

More ways to add your name into the drawing after emailing me your correct answers:

Following my blog-2 extra entries
Liking my Chad Berryhill Photography Face book Page-2 extra entries
Following me on Twitter here-3 extra entries
Purchasing a photo from my website here-10 extra entries
Making a $500 dollar deposit for a tour-20 extra entries
Purchasing a full tour-50 extra entries

Rules:
Add your First/Last name along with answers in the email here, so I can put it on the entry form(s) and put it in the hat/bucket. If you win a prize package. I'll send you a notification email and a request for a mailing address so I can ship your prize package to you.

None of the extra entries will be counted unless you have entered answers. All answers have to be correct. Include what extra entries you are utilizing, so they can be confirmed. Once confirmed, extra entries will be placed in the bucket.

Again, this is a trial. I'm looking for 20 entries minimum to continue. You'll want this to continue, Lanny has mentioned a custom tornado video as part of the prize package for the next contest!!! I guarantee it will be action packed! So tell all your friends to enter!

Prizes:

Weather photos. They will range from 8x10 to 6x9, depending on the photograph style.

Food!

I want to step away from photography and weather for a moment to discuss food. The other day I was channel surfing and come across the Pentagon Channel. I'm not sure when they added it to our listing but, I started watching it for a few minutes. That few minutes turned into two days with my wife watching also. Nothing was on more than 30 -60 minutes. One of the shows we watched titled Grill Sergeants. As you guessed it, it was a cooking show with active duty service members . Sergeant First Class Brad Turner was the chief for us on that episode. He is comical to watch and made some great dishes.

What's even better is the show has a website with all the recipes. All free and available for download here. I encourage you to give it a look. Bananas Alexandria is fantastic for a healthy snack and satisfies that sweet tooth. Trust me, it's replacing my not so healthy snacks. My biggest problem now is deciding on a main course. They all look and sound good!

Painting With Light

Painting With Light is a fun technique using different light sources in combination with long exposures. It's a great way to bring out your artistic abilities. The whole family can get involved too. Might be a fun date idea for you singles out there.

The typical light sources are glow sticks and flashlights, although anything can be used. Just take a walk through the camping and kids section at Walmart. You should find everything you need. I tried using a glow stick/kite combo. The end result was interesting to say the least. Just make sure you do not have power lines or trees in the area if you try the kite trick.

Below are some examples of what you can do.











If you want to see more, please visit my website here

4th of July

4th of July this year was great...I got to see family, eat great food, and shot off some fireworks. Seeing how the 4th was on a Monday, most of the weekend had fireworks displays around the region on different nights. My wife and I were able to attend the Sherman TX show. It really was a good show. I was able to take some pics.



Be sure to click on the photograph. It will take you to the fireworks gallery, so you can view all firework pictures.

Lightning Series

I'm going to start posting a lightning or weather shot once a month. I'll tell you a little about that particular shot and maybe how I obtained it.



If you like the shot, be sure to purchase a copy at my website http://www.chadberryhillphotography.com

You Better Hurry!!!

Extreme Chase Tours

Hey guys,

Don't forget to book a tour with us, seats are filling up! I can't wait for the weather photography work shops. Not only will you chase, you'll learn techniques of how to get the best weather photograph! Shooting weather is a challenge, lighting is in a constant rate of change.



Again I wouldn't wait, seats are filling up.

Warming up...Slowly

I'm ready for some warmer weather. Right now Ma Nature is transition us into spring, and you know what that means. Severe weather is around the corner. We experienced severe weather not far from my house just the other day. The pic below is a small area of rotation above me. The storm was trying to produce a tornado but, it was being choked out by another storm. It was fun none the less.

Follow Danny Neal

Make sure you follow Danny Neal. He's an awesome friend and storm chaser. Danny started writing some "how to" blogs for new chasers. Great reads!

It's That Time Of Year Again

It's time to book a storm chasing tour and I wouldn't wait to much longer. Seats are filling up fast. I'm not playing, get your spot reserved today!!!

Winter Weather ?

As of right now, Oklahoma will receive a glancing blow from two storms. One from the south on Sunday and one from the north on Monday. Of course a 25-50 mile shift in the track of the lows can mean a huge difference as to what happens. Forecasting winter weather in the southern plains can be a daunting challenge. From what kind of winter precip, how much, and who is going to get what.


I've added some possible snow depth maps from two different models, and a current US Watches/Warnings map.








Only time will tell if my area receives anything. I'm kind a looking forward to something. The weather has been really quiet around this place. I've got my camera and video camera ready.

Just be safe if you venture out into it.

Yin and Yang

My chase partner Lanny Dean, is finally producing a dvd "Yin and Yang". It will be action packed, I promise you that. The dvd will be 2.5 hours featuring 50 different tornadoes. Even some never seen before footage of the Greenburg KS, EF5 monster. Lanny has put together a trailer that I have posted below. Be sure to check it out. There will be another trailer released just before the dvd is available for purchase. I'll post that too.