Frequently, more so for some like me, we don’t have a clear vision of what our goals are. This storm chase was absolutely one of those moments where I had no idea what I wanted to accomplish. The summer before this shot, I rediscovered my love of chasing storms. I did so with the help of a friend of mine. He’s a pretty popular YouTube streamer in the weather world. So, I decided I wanted to start streaming as well. I spent the winter getting things put together for it. The software, the basic hardware, and how I was going to manage it while on the road. It failed spectacularly.
Sure, I had some hardware issues, but most of those had been solved during a late season chase in Mississippi. On the day of this photo though, things just were not cooperating. I was having signal issues and the software just wasn’t cooperating. Plus, I only got my camera out for a couple stills. However, when I did, I was so focused on the streaming issues that I never looked to be sure my still camera was set correctly. Hence the soft image.
Because I did not have a clear goal in mind, neither one worked. After the chase, I was so upset at myself. I was a photographer, not a streamer. I’m not suggesting that I will never stream my chases, I probably will. However, my first priority should be and is going forward, photography. That’s what I am good at. That’s my passion. I have my clear goal now. Spend time reflecting with yourself what your goals are, it makes an immense difference.