Storms
Stormy weather is our passion. We photograph it because we wish to express to others what we feel standing under the storm, whipped by the wind, and drenched by the rain. Add drama to your life, bring our storms into your home as art quality prints!
Camp Crook Tornado
Artist: Bill Reid
Nighttime tornado between Camp Crook and Buffalo, South Dakota, on June 28, 2018. View to the east of the backside of the storm as it drifts off to the ENE. Our Tempest Tours chase group chased a prolific tornado-producing supercell late this afternoon through southeastern Montana, and the last tornado of about a half dozen was this one, just across the border in South Dakota. We were waiting for the storm to clear Highway 20 so we could get to Buffalo and make our way to Belle Fourche for the night. The lightning was frequent, and it revealed a good-sized tornado beneath the storm base! I suppose that I should not have been surprised given the recent history of the storm, but I was. My Canon camera had a 21mm wide-angle lens attached, so I set it on bulb and braced myself in the wind against the front of the van. The sky and landscape were pitch black except for the lightning, so I used that as my flash bulb! I held the shutter open until a flash occurred, holding the camera as steadily as I could in my hands against my face. I managed to get at least a dozen decent and sharp shots. This was one of the best ones, with the nice streaks of lightning branching out around the updraft and with the tornado backlit some. The road leading to the tornado was a bit of a bonus!
