07/04/15 4th of July Fireworks: Kewanee, IL

The 4th of July firework display began at 10:00pm on this evening in Kewanee, IL 

On July 4th, I drove to my hometown of Kewanee, IL to observe the firework show at dusk at Northeast Park. Last year, I photographed the Galva, IL firework show, but this year I thought it was time to photograph my hometown's firework display. Once again, I was able to gain up-close access to this show as well arriving fairly early during the evening. By 10:00pm, the show began and I was already set-up with my Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L lens, and tripod to photograph the event. I shot many photos on yet another successful night of photography. It was rather nice to have a front-row seat to the show! After the show, I headed back to Peoria, IL arriving back home after midnight. I've added several photos I shot on this particular evening below:

"The bombs bursting in the air"

Up, up, and away!

A simple, yet photogenic shot!

For a small town they do put on quite a show...

Neat stuff!

A "warp speed" kind of shot...

I have several favorites, but this one wins my vote on the night!

More fireworks lighting up the sky!

I thought this was a rather interesting shot!

Another neat shot!

Cool stuff!

"Hyperspace"

Our red, white, and blue!

I was able to capture some close-ups to say the least...

Yikes, some fairly low fireworks I'd say...

Quite colorful!

Another good shot!

Getting closer to the end of the show...

"Starlight"

I was very pleased with this shot!

More traditional fireworks...

Another favorite from the evening!

It was interesting being able to actually observe the fireworks being lit!

And we are coming to the close...

The Grand Finale' begins!

The Grand Finale' lights up the sky!

Not so fast, after teasing the display was over the real Grand Finale' concludes...

This was another fun night of photography. My only regret on the evening was that I wasn't more prepared for the real Grand Finale' as I would have liked to adjust some settings on my camera, but there's always next year and regardless I'm sure I'll be back to this show at some point in the coming years.

07/03/15 Wyoming, IL Fireworks

Photographing the firework display at dusk in Wyoming, IL

On July 3rd, I photographed the firework display at Gary Johnson's field in Wyoming, IL. I arrived fairly early on this evening hoping to gain close access to the firework show. I was quite happy to get a great spot to setup for the show. I usually try to attend this local event every year as in years past to get back into the swing of photographing fireworks before the larger 4th of July fireworks celebrations the very next evening. I ended up getting some great shots of this firework show as I got set up near a firetruck. The show started at 9:30pm and I was all ready to shoot by that time with my camera and tripod. Here is an article explaining the different color of fireworks we observe that light up the sky every year seen here. I've added a few photos I shot with my Canon 5D Mark III and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L lens on this evening below:

The show begins at dusk!

Smoke in the air due to fireworks and the Canadian wildfires as well...

One of my favorite shots with this firetruck!

A portrait-orientation shot!

I was quite pleased with this one...

"Bang"

Another neat shot!

Beautiful colors on this firework!

"Firefighters looking up at the show"

It's always fun to photograph fireworks when I have the opportunity!

"Raining fireworks"

Another neat explosion!

"Kaboom"

More good colors...

"Ignite the night"

"Make your colors burst"

Katy Perry would be proud since they obviously played that song...

The Grand Finale'

One more shot to end the night on...

That's all for this night of photography. I also attended and photographed the Kewanee, IL firework display as well on July 4th and I'll update with that post soon as well.

06/28/15 Ursa, IL LP Supercell

A LP supercell forms during the mid-afternoon north of Quincy, IL

On June 28th, I decided to storm chase once again after viewing the weather models for a few days and seeing a potential "sleeper" northwest-flow setup that could include a few tornadoes. By early afternoon, I began to head southwest toward the Mississippi River. I sat just east of Keokuk, IA for a brief time re-evaluating the environment. I was targeting this area and points southwest along the Mississippi River. I chose to stay on the east of the river to avoid any river crossing issues while chasing during the afternoon and evening. The environment in this area was certainly primed for possible tornadoes with a shortwave trough moving into this area which would initiate severe thunderstorms along a nearby outflow boundary that was enhancing low-level wind shear. This area was characterized by 2,000J/kg of CAPE, 0-6km shear at 40kts, a supercell composite of 18, and a moist boundary-layer with dew points near 68°F. By mid-afternoon, thunderstorms began to form in a rapidly destabilizing environment in Missouri. By this time, I headed south along IL Rt. 96 toward Quincy, IL to intercept some supercells that had already developed and pushing east. At this moment, I got a great view looking south of a supercell just outside Ursa, IL. This was a LP (low-precipitation) supercell which allowed me take several photogenic photos of this supercell's structure. Around 3:30pm, this supercell nearly dropped a tornado while I was photographing its structure along the rural west-central Illinois landscape. After this "tornado attempt" It became more of a storm structure chase for myself as this storm seemed to be struggling to continue to ingest surface-based parcels as another supercell near Quincy, IL was impeding this supercell's organization. This was quite apparent to me after viewing the flanking-line struggling to gain upward vertical motion. If this supercell had just a tad more instability and upward vertical motion I have no doubt this would have possibly produced a tornado given the environment in this area. Nevertheless, I kept up with this LP supercell tracking it farther east near Mendon, IL where eventually it would meet its demise. Regardless, I was able to grab several spectacular images of this supercell's life-cycle from start to finish. I've added photos from this chase day below:

"Convection looms in the background of this barn"

Towering cumulus about to get interesting...

"Kaboom"

LP supercell wraps up producing this funnel cloud and nearly a tornado a couple miles south of Ursa, IL

A wide-angle shot of the supercell and funnel cloud!

Tornadogenesis nearly occurred here...

Orphan anvils from severe thunderstorms in northeast Missouri!

Rotating wall cloud!

Trying once again...

A beautiful shot!

A beautiful storm to photograph I'd say...

A great example of a supercell's tilted updraft!

Notice the flanking-line lacking vertical motion...probably why this storm didn't tornado!

I move farther east and snap this image of the Illinois countryside and the wall cloud!

A textbook image of a LP supercell!

Supercell beginning to weaken while providing another photogenic shot!

I love shooting storm landscapes!

Amazing!

"Supercell shriveling up"

The supercell meets its demise!

This was yet another great chase day for myself. I was able to view another photogenic supercell that kept me quite busy throughout the afternoon and evening in terms of photography. I'll update once again when I find some more time to photograph storms or work on some more photography in the coming days and months.