2016 Year in Review
Me setting up my camera as two tornadoes touch down outside of Dodge City, Ks. Image credit Brendon Lindsey.
2016 was an exceptional year for my career and photographic work. For the first time, I focused my entire year on creating timelapses (see video below).
My first book, The Anatomy of Severe Weather was released in February. After spending much of 2015 working on the book, it was nice to get out and shoot more often.
We saw tornadoes in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas and Kansas. I caught upward triggered lightning for the first time, and finally got to photograph the Milky Way as it was rising from the horizon. We witnessed 13 tornadoes during my supercell workshop,
Attendance at the workshops greatly exceeded expectations. I got to make a lot of new friends while teaching photography, presenting to photo clubs, shooting bluebonnets, stars and chasing supercells and monsoon storms.
2016 videos and timelapses in chronological order.
January
Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs, Tx on a mild January day. I need to get permission to shoot here at night someday.
February
The Anatomy of Severe Weather Arrives!
Not much time for shooting in the month of February as The Anatomy of Severe Weather finally arrived.
My beautiful Savannah with her copy in front of a supercell near Stratford, Tx.
March
First storm of 2016 produced an incredibly photogenic, glowing green shelf cloud over Evant, Tx.
April
Big Bend Astrophotography Workshop
Astrophotography workshop participants at Prada Marfa (left) and the Santa Elena Canyon / Rio Grande River (right).
Milky Way rising over Big Bend National Park.
We were treated to a photogenic thunderstorm under the dark skies outside of Alpine, Tx.
Milky Way rising over a tent we setup in Study Butte, Tx.
Texas Bluebonnet Photography Workshop
Bluebonnets overtake decommissioned railroad tracks in Kingsland, Tx.
Thunderstorm over a field of indian paintbrush in Georgetown, Tx.
Sunset over a patch of bluebonnets on a hill in Kingsland, Tx.
Participants of three separate Texas Bluebonnet Photography Workshops throughout the month.
This is a shot I tried to get for several years. After chasing a disappointing supercell in SW Oklahoma, we were treated to an incredible lightning display on the way home. As we rolled into Bruceville-Eddy, Tx very late that night, the communication towers were initiating "upward triggered lightning" every few minutes.
May
supercell photography workshop
We got cutoff by hail in Wallace, Ks. A poor road network made getting to the SE side of the storm to see a tornado impossible.
This was a nice consolation.
Tornado near Groom, Tx. Image by Savannah Williams. I sat back and enjoyed the moment.
West of the Leoti, Ks mesocyclone. After getting stuck in the mud and negotiating a road that was basically a field (complete with livestock), this was the best we could do on a tough chase day.
Rapidly developing supercell near Follett, Tx. This storm would become tornado warned, but did not produce a tornado.
EF-3 stove pipe tornado. The first of several tornadoes we would witness on the final day of my Supercell Photography Workshop. Image credit : Savannah Williams.
Triplets. Tornadoes two, three and four on May 24, south of Dodge City, Ks.
Two supercells south of Dodge CIty, Ks.
Chase seeing his first big tornado (left). My 2016 Supercell Adventure Group (center). Rope tornado north of Minneola (right).
June
Lightning bugs near a lake in Smithville, Mo. as a weak supercell structure moved through.
Jaewoo and I on day 2 of our 3 day adventure.
Supercell entering the town of McNabb, Il.
July
Monsoon Thunderstorm Photography Workshop
Same location as image to the right. Precipitation core has totally obscured mountain. CG barrage ensues.
Lightning over Helvetia, Az.
Severe warned supercell eats mountain.
Benson, Az.
Saguaros and a monsoon thunderstorm near Christmas, Az.
The Watchtower. South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
2016 Desert Monsoon Workshop participants photograph a dust storm in Picachio Peak, Az.
August
Perseid meteor shower workshop
Boothill Cemetery. Terlingua, Tx.
Ruins in Terlingua, Tx.
Stacked image of peak night of the Perseid Meteor Shower. Study Butte, Tx.
Our daughter, Emerald's first birthday.
September
Presidio de San Saba est. 1757. Menard, Tx.
The Commanding Officer's Quarters. Fort McKavett, Tx.
The Commanding Officer's Quarters. Fort McKavett, Tx.
Looking up from the basement.
October
Ghost Town Photography Workshop
The Milky Way and sun setting over a cotton field outside of Colorado City, Tx.
Stars over abandoned Fort Griffin, Tx.
Ruins at Fort Griffin, Tx.
Waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Such a beautiful place and was deeply saddened by the fires there.
Autumn tunnel.
Gatlinburg, Tn.
November
Mammatus clouds over Georgetown, Tx. from a departing storm at sunset.
December
Christmas lights and traffic in Georgetown, Tx.