Photo Shoot: The weather gods are angry

Steve Heaslip, Cape Cod Times

The weather gods are angry.

Three storms in one week and temperatures whirling from 50 degrees to upper 20s. “Bad weather makes for good photography” was Ansel Adams' motto. I am not sure I could have made that pronouncement if I had to lug a heavy tripod out to Surf Drive in Falmouth and then lash down a view camera atop it standing in 12 inches of water as sections of asphalt caved into the sea.

Today’s storm-chasing photographers have it easy in comparison. Highly weatherproof lightweight cameras and waterproof action cameras that can mount to just about anything and provide high-definition imagery. Need an aerial view, no problem, mini drones weighing less than 250 grams are at the ready, not at all water resistant, but can manage to fly into about 25 mph winds when the rain stops.

A gull has a front row seat for a dock succumbing to the incoming surf at high tide along Surf Drive in Falmouth on Wednesday.
A gull has a front row seat for a dock succumbing to the incoming surf at high tide along Surf Drive in Falmouth on Wednesday.

Backing up all this camera gear is on demand weather information. Phone apps always at the ready to provide high tide times, wind speed and direction and even live radar. Heading out into the rain, sleet, snow and gale force winds has never been easier, but there is one caveat. The photographer must still pull on their boots, Velcro on the rain gear and go outside.

Bearing witness to the worst Mother Nature throws at us is not for the faint of heart. There are not many things more exhilarating than watching the full force of the sea come ashore. But common sense must prevail. The best advice for not becoming news during a storm? Situational awareness. Storm after storm, intrepid drivers drive past barricades and speed through salt water like entering a free car wash. Some get an instant surprise − the engine dies. Others get time delayed feedback − rusted out brakes and exhaust systems. Storm surges and high winds make for dramatic photographs, but don’t become a headline. Simply put, if it looks too dangerous, it is.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: How Cape Cod photographers make pictures and video during storms

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