Award-winning cinematographer & time lapse specialist Ron Risman has created this special tour exclusive for photographers & cinematographers who are looking to learn how to best capture mother nature (Lightning, rotating super cells, etc.) at her finest.  Ron's work has been licensed and commission by HBO, The Discovery Channel, Land Rover, and many others. 

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What makes this time lapse storm chasing trip
different than one of Tempest Tours regular trips?

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Storm chasing is exciting, and when you're chasing storms everything happens quickly.   The time you have outside the van when the chase is on is usually very minimal, making it nearly impossible to compose your shot well, capture professional quality (stable) video, or time lapse. 

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On a standard storm chasing tour the vans try to stay just ahead of the rain line, which is why you only have a minute or two to get out and capture something.   When you join this exclusive Timelapse & Photography workshop tour our goal will be to get us into position to give us more time to capture the beauty of the developing super cells - with their incredible cloud formations, lightning, updrafts and downdrafts, and spawning tornado's - all helping to create stunning images, video and time-lapses.   Having a bit more time will also allow you to think about composition, getting sharp focus, and actually capturing something worth sharing.  

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Before the tour even begins we'll have a photography prep class to get you comfortable with the proper settings, getting your gear in order, and making sure you're ready to go when the storms are upon us.   You'll learn about camera intervals, best settings to eliminate time lapse flicker, and when to shoot video footage instead of time lapse.     We'll also have at least one more classroom session on post processing, workflow, and advanced editing techniques such as stacking, and likely two more based on the events of the day.

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Daily weather briefings 

Each morning we will get together before we hit the road to get an educational weather briefing, where the storm chasing meteorologist on our trip will analyze and forecast a target for the day and will present a forecast package to the group prior to each day's chase. You will definitely leave with a better understanding and appreciation for our dynamic atmosphere.

 

Hands-on instruction

Once the weather briefings are over we'll load up into the van and be on our way to intercept that day's storm or storms. During our travels we'll discuss time lapse and post-processing techniques, and you will get to apply what you've learned during our daily shoots.   If there's a day without a storm, then we'll head out to capture the night skies if the location and weather allows or we'll hold a post-processing session to get a jump start on transferring and processing our captures from the trip.

 

Exploration days. 

If Mother Nature takes a breather, so do we.  If this happens, we'll stop at sites like Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Devils Tower, Pyramid Rocks, Palo Duro Canyon, the Cadillac Ranch, The Big Texan, Chimney Rock, local National Weather Service offices, or take a personal guided tour of the Lisius Farm in Nebraska.  And on these days, we eat delicious local Tornado Alley delicacies like chicken fried steak, some of the world's best BBQ and our legendary Tex-Mex cuisine. We make sure every day is a day of wonder!

Lighting, Mesa Cyclones & More! 

Lots of storms. That's what we do best. 

 

Safety

The safety of the participants and staff is our number one concern.  We do not "drive into" dangerous weather and do everything possible to avoid these hazards.  In fact, it is common to see other motorists driving into large hail, etc. when we are safely out of the way.     The best way to view storm development and tornado's is from a safe distant.  There is still some risk with any outdoor activities, and storm chasing brings it's own inherent risks when lightning and wind gusts are prevalent. 

 

Tempest Tours has established a safe record and has maintained a commercial grade insurance policy since we began operating in 2000.  All driving records are checked and cleared each year by their underwriter.  And, their staff receives a thorough and updated safety orientation annually.  In addition, all participants are presented with an in-depth safety class prior to each tour. Tempest Tour's president, Martin Lisius, is also our risk manager. He is known throughout the storm chasing community for being tough on safe and responsible conduct. Martin is the author of "The Ultimate Severe Weather Safety Guide," a book he wrote to mitigate the risks of potentially dangerous weather.