This severe storm produced a beautiful shelf cloud that extended over the Atlantic Ocean near Patrick Air Force Base. Photo by Chris Kridler, ChrisKridler.com, SkyDiary.com
I’m tired … it’s late … and I have to get my sleep schedule turned around before my epic drive to Tornado Alley in a couple of days. But I had to post images and video from Thursday’s chase of a beautiful severe storm in Brevard County, Florida. Find the photos and video here.
This is a video grab of a lightning bolt shooting out of a storm in West Melbourne, Florida, on May 7, 2012. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com, skydiary.com
I chased storms near home in Brevard County, Florida, on Monday. It was a good way to work out my gear, in hopes that I might actually have a chance to use it in Tornado Alley soon. The pattern in the Plains is not conducive to widespread severe weather, and it appears conditions will remain that way for a while. So … I chased lightning storms, and mostly messy storms, around the Space Coast. There was one nice storm in West Melbourne that had surprisingly interesting structure for a while, along with intense lightning. I’ve featured that storm in a video on a page with photos on my sister site, SkyDiary.com, which is storm-chasing central. See the chase account here.
This 1950s car was one of the entries in the Vintage Kulture show on May 6, 2012. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
The sun sets amid dying storms over the St. Johns River in east-central Florida on May 6, 2012. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com, skydiary.com
I’m in the mood to play with photos, since I’m anticipating my upcoming storm-chasing safari. While I await a better weather pattern, I’m keeping occupied with photo opps at home in Florida, like this pretty sunset Sunday amid dying storms over the St. Johns River. We desperately need any rain we can get, and I’m hoping Monday will be more productive.
Cool old cars line up for the Vintage Kulture car show in Cocoa Village, Florida, on May 6, 2012. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
But since it was beautiful for most of Sunday, we went to a local car show with friends. Vintage Kulture’s event in Cocoa Village was a feast for the eyes and imagination. I love shooting the retro-futuristic lines of these cars and giving them even more vintage flavor in processing.
Lightning amid the mammatus in southern Nebraska on May 30, 2011. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
Let’s start with the literary fun – please stop by the fabulous Coco’s in Cocoa Village on Saturday during the gallery walk. The whole event is fun and free, and at Coco’s (in the Threadneedle Mall next to Ossorio’s), I’ll be signing copies of my novel “Funnel Vision.” Ready for a little storm-chasing adventure? I’ll be there from about 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, I’ve been playing with photos and have created a new gallery/slide show of my lightning photography. Click to check it out!
It’s so nice to get back into nature and do a little shooting for pleasure. At Viera Wetlands on Thursday, I used my still camera as well as a new video camera I’m trying out to capture a few images of the birds and alligators that flock to this area in our Florida “winter.” I was especially amused by a cranky great blue heron who wouldn’t let another heron anywhere near a nest, from which babies occasionally poked their fuzzy heads.
See the photo gallery, or check out a short video, below. Make sure you choose 720HD from the settings menu on the video (the gear- or flower-shaped symbol) to get the best quality.
Chocolates from Caffe Chocolat in Titusville make popular gifts. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
Here are a couple of holiday shopping features (warning: link may have short shelf life) I wrote; I also took the photos. (The chocolates, from Caffe Chocolat, are an outtake.) They’re being presented by American Express in support of Small Business Saturday. I had a great time writing these articles, because I got to browse such unique and beautiful items. Santa, take note: Small businesses have the STUFF!
Sunrise and convection as seen from Viera, Florida, on Sept. 22, 2011. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
Who knew drainage ponds could be so beautiful? This one by Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, reflected a gorgeous sunrise this morning. Those clouds were just the beginning, as rain showers and thunder roamed through the Space Coast today.
Playing makes portraits better. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
Dad and nephew in an August portrait shoot in Pennsylvania. Click through to see the whole photo. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
“Casual portrait” sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? “Portrait” makes one think of posing in front of a mottled blue cloth, perhaps at a department store, and gazing into the flat, bright lights of the studio. And the blue cloth certainly has its place, sometimes – I was window-shopping for one recently myself.
My brother's family, caught during a blossoming twilight in Pennsylvania. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
But I much prefer to take photos of people outdoors, when the light is good, and when the setting has a chance to become part of the photos. The beach has endless appeal in this area, but recently, I visited Pennsylvania and had the opportunity to do portrait shoots in park settings. The flowers were gorgeous, and the grass and trees were lush and green. With the sun low in the sky, the light was divine.
A setting rampant with wildflowers and garden plants gives this portrait more life and light. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
One of the shoots was with members of my family, and as they started to relax and have fun, the pictures reflected their mood. I especially like the shots of my dad playing with my nephew; it was so nice to see such rare happiness. Little kids have a lot to do with that! The pictures of my brother’s family came out well, too. It was as if summer added its glow to the scene.
Are you getting portraits taken of your family for a special occasion, or maybe for holiday cards? Or maybe you’re just overdue. I recommend having a photographer do a portrait session in a beautiful place, or a place with texture and interest, or a place that means something to you. Prepare to spend some time. Coordinate your clothes, but you don’t all have to wear the same thing. (Though jeans and white or pastel shirts can be very effective!) Avoid brand names and logos on the kids’ shirts, for a more timeless look. And play. A good photographer will play with you, and you’ll get joyous, spontaneous and even some “formal” informal portraits to treasure.
See more photos from these sessions and others in my photo galleries.
This subject was a pro by the time our session was done. Result: beautiful portrait. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
Lightning fires beyond the S.R. 520 causeway as seen from Cocoa, Florida. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
It was a long day Saturday of gardening, puttering and a most pleasant party. So when we got home and the sky started sparking around 11 p.m. or so, I was not particularly motivated to chase the lightning. The storms were moving offshore, and the best view would have been from Cape Canaveral or maybe Cocoa Beach. After several minutes of agonizing, I instead drove just down the road to Cocoa’s Riverfront Park and took some shots pointing east toward the storms. The lightning was really far away, but the lights on the water and the S.R. 520 causeway bridge made for an interesting setting. Here’s the best of the bolts, partially obscured by clouds. I cropped this shot to get the framing I wanted.
Lightning flashes over the Atlantic Ocean, as seen looking east toward Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, Florida, from across the Banana River. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
A lightning crawler and CGs on August 17, 2011, as seen looking east toward Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com
I love to see an isolated cell light up right at sunset, and over water, it’s even better. This was more of a cluster of cells, and they produced a few nice bolts before they croaked. I’m sure I missed a few as I drove over Merritt Island and got into position on the Banana River to take photos (and donate a quart of blood to the mosquitoes).
The lightning may have been sparse, but it was pretty. I’ve found sometimes the best crawlers happen in the dying phases of the storm, and sometimes you have to wait several minutes between flashes to nab them. But this storm hovering off Cape Canaveral really stopped when it stopped producing, allowing me to get several more mosquito bites as I painstakingly held the shutter open for 20 or 30 seconds at a time, hoping against hope. Oh, well. Comes with the territory.
Nice cloud-to-ground bolts on August 17, as seen looking east toward Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo by Chris Kridler, chriskridler.com