Best Laid Plans, Part 2...
I was supposed to be chasing tornadoes in the upper Great Plains the last week of June.
My son-in-law, Blake Weis, joined me on the chase. For years he had yearned to chase tornadoes, but a wedding, a new job, and a baby took priority. After enduring a long wait, this was finally the summer to realize his dream.
But a cold front parked over the Plains eliminated any chance of severe weather for almost two weeks. No tornadoes in sight!
Enjoying landscape photography (and travel) means abandoning your expectations, looking for other opportunities, and enjoying just being there. So, our tour group headed to New Mexico and Arizona to photograph monsoon storms in some of the most scenic areas of the Southwest.
Making the Best of It
Blake and I were able to visit some beautiful locations including Canyon Du Chelly and the Grand Canyon. Please note his allegiance to the St. Louis Cardinals in all four pictures!
Spider Rock, Canyon Du Chelly
Grand Canyon
And we were able to see some famous locations (Blake’s Lottaburger from TV’s Breaking Bad and that famous corner in Winslow, Arizona).
The Shot
Sometimes you find a photogenic subject when you least expect it. After a somewhat disappointing day for storms, we noticed a rainbow on our way to Shiprock, New Mexico.
I had hoped for a better foreground, but there just wasn’t one and the rainbow was quickly fading. I set up my camera with a lightning trigger attached and crossed my fingers.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus