best tornado "money shot"

[Kem Poyner]

If you had to pick the most famous single tornado picture of all time, what do you think it would be? These would be my top three.

[Dick McGowan]

The late Eric Nguyen had many...many I'm sure none of us will ever even get a chance to take one of his! But I think most remember this one, with the hail, rainbow and damage all with the Mulvane, KS tornado on June 12, 2004:

http://www.mesoscale.ws/pic2004/040612-10.jpg

I liked this one better and still have it on my wall:
http://www.mesoscale.ws/pic2004/040612-13.jpg

Another would be Jim Reed's tornado (http://www.jimreedphoto.com/portfolio.html) in the early 90's IIRC with the Highway Patrolman in front of him.

[Shane Adams]

You could ask every member of ST this question and you'd get the same amount of different answers. For example, none of Kem's three choices would even be in my top ten. "Best" is relative.

[Kem Poyner]

I guess I should have clarifyed what I meant. I was thinking from the general population standpoint. Not from a stormchasers view. "Money shot" was referring to the most printed, downloaded, lucerative and recognizable.

[Eric Flescher]

It is very much subjective. The wide angle one is much nicer with the background.

Eric's view, the colors, background, rainbow etc etc- that photo had it all. While many had somewhat the same photo this one had the angle and everything. It is my top pick.

One of my favorite is the photo posted on the front of the Wichita Eagle special section of the Hesston tornado crossing I-35 (photo by Dave Williams).

There are many for my #3 . That one with tornado with the lightning stroke to the right is probably my #3. It is awesome.

[Laura Duchesne]

Ditto on the Mulvane tornado and rainbow shot. A perfect Kansas scene! Lots of color, contrast and beauty/mystery all in one.

[Damon Scott Hynes]

I agree w/ Shane but I immediately thought of this:

http://www.wpotd.com/album/07-18-01.jpg

[Ryan McGinnis]

The Mulvane shot (landscape orientation) is definately one of my favorites as well. I also love that shot out there (I forget who by -- please post and claim it!) of a tornadic supercell at night near Red Cloud, Nebraska. Basically, he used a fisheye lens to get an entire storm in the shot, from the ground to the anvil top, backlit by lightning. At the very bottom is a tornado. Probably my favorite storm photo of all time -- one of those moments when serendipity intersects with technical know-how to create something great.

[Susan Strom]

Al Moller & I traded prints one time. I gave him some lightning and he gave me a couple 8x10s of his notorious Pampa TX twister from several years back. I can't post them because they are copyrighted, but they are incredible and they would be my choice. One of them looked a bit like the cover of the Twister movie but was close-in, with debris swirling around the vortex over a railyard. Just fantastic.

I agree with Kem's choice of the Cordell picture too. It has always been a favorite of mine.

Seems to me Graham Butler emailed me a link to his Mulvane shot one time; that was a winner too.

And I recall one, I believe it was out of Manitoba, that was just perfection. I don't remember who shot it but it was one of the most photogenic tornadoes I have seen. Perhaps someone knows more.

[David Drummond]

I think this is the one of Graham's you were talking about Susan. I have an 18x12 of it framed on my wall.

http://darkskyproductions.com/component/option,com_gallery2/Itemid,26/?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=708&g2_serialNumber=3&g2_GALLERYSID=a9070a8f1f09adb3d833b0f9571d9f47

[Susan Strom]

Yes that is it! That is awesome; a shot of the season right there.

[Eric Flescher]

I am pretty sure the one you are talking about is the awesome shot by Doug Raflik.


::
The Mulvane shot (landscape orientation) is definately one of my favorites as well. I also love that shot out there (I forget who by -- please post and claim it!) of a tornadic supercell at night near Red Cloud, Nebraska. Basically, he used a fisheye lens to get an entire storm in the shot, from the ground to the anvil top, backlit by lightning. At the very bottom is a tornado. Probably my favorite storm photo of all time -- one of those moments when serendipity intersects with technical know-how to create something great.

[Andrew Stoller]

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/gid/Web_Stories/2004/weather/06-10/redcloudtornado.jpg

[Ryan McGinnis]

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/gid/Web_Stories/2004/weather/06-10/redcloudtornado.jpg

Yes! That, to me, is the penultimate storm photograph. If I took a picture like that, I'd be tempted to put my camera down and never pick it up again because, damn -- how could I ever top that?

[Bob Hartig]

Going back further in time, two of the most famous B&Ws are
* the twin-funnel straddling US 33 south of Dunlap, IN, on Palm Sunday, 1965. This is arguably the most widely published tornado photo of all time.
* the shot of the Xenia, OH, tornado taken from Greene Memorial Hospital during the 1974 Super Outbreak.

[JWallentine]

Yes! That, to me, is the penultimate storm photograph. If I took a picture like that, I'd be tempted to put my camera down and never pick it up again because, damn -- how could I ever top that?

Yup...this is an unbelieveable picture. I actually bought a picture of this from Doug. Good stuff.

[Doug Raflik]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. It was a lucky shot. :)

Doug Raflik

[Robert Rohloff]

I have to agree with Bob H on this, the twin tornadoes of the Palm Sunday outbreak were incredible. This was the defining shot of the outbreak.

[Danny Neal]

Dimmitt, TX (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/images/tornado112907.jpg)
Cordell, Oklahoma (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/newsletter/spring2006/cordellphoto.jpg)
Xenia, OH (http://www.idreamof.com/disaster/xenia/images/xenia_tornado.jpg)
Moore, OK (http://www.met.utah.edu/jimsteen/ams/quiz/quizpics/q2.jpg)


Favorite money shot VIA radar - Bridge Creek (http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/divisions/warning/swat/Cases/990503/A_images/tlx-53_ref31.gif)

[Kenny Drake]

Most published? It will probably be an older shot from the 60s or 70s when the number of chasers was much smaller not to mention far fewer people had cameras. Hence, less media to play with so 1 picture or video could have made every news media tv station and newspaper. I would guess a video or camera shot from the Palm Sunday outbreak in 1965.

EDIT: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Palmsundaytwintornadoes.jpg That is the shot I was thinking of.

[Darrin Rasberry]

"Money shot" was referring to the most printed, downloaded, lucerative and recognizable.

If you don't mean strictly photos, then the answer to this (speaking from a recognition of what the majority of the populace knows and talks about by sight) is the McConnell AFB footage, hands down. There isn't another twister shot I've seen on TV more, and there isn't one I've talked to friends and family about that they recognize even close to as often as "that one on that air force base in Kansas." In my mom's mind it's what chasing and filming every single tornado is like, even though the guy who filmed it was just an Airman in the right place at the right time.

[Christopher E. Kincaid]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. It was a lucky shot. :)

Doug Raflik

I have to that is is the most beautiful picture I have ever seen! What is the story behind the picture? Where was it taken and when? What kind of camera did you use and what lens? How can I buy a print? I want to frame it. Feel free to PM me if you want.

Simply Awesome!!!

[Chris Gullikson]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. It was a lucky shot. :)

Doug Raflik

No Doug, I think they were talking about this lucky shot. LOL :)

http://www.f5hunter.com/6-10-04/redcloud.jpg