Photographic adventures across the Great Plains. Spring 2019.
Photographic adventures across the Great Plains. Spring 2019.
No place on Earth sees more supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes than a swath of the U.S. commonly known as "Tornado Alley."
Traverse the Great Plains of the United States with photographer Jason Weingart on the hunt for monster supercells, brilliant lightning, and powerful tornadoes during the most atmospherically volatile time of the year.
The cost of lodging and transportation throughout the duration of your adventure is included in the total cost.
Personal portfolio review from Jason Weingart.
Anything else you need, just ask. If it's within reason, we will do everything we can to make it happen.
Bonus! Jason Weingart's Landscape Photography Editing Tutorial.
There is nothing quite like storm chasing across the Great Plains of the United States. A simple google search will bring endless pages of storm chase tour companies for you to choose from. When choosing a tour company, you have to ask yourself what is most important to you. If you want to go with a more established tour company that has been around for decades, that's understandable. Don't be surprised if you are stuck in a fleet of vans, with some guide you've never even heard of. Many of these companies have grown so large that the owners make brief appearances, or you never even see them at all! There are also a number of cheaper options out there, but this isn't something you want to try to save a few dollars on. You get what you pay for, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Why choose Jason over the rest? Because storm chasing still gets him really excited! You won't be packed into a large fleet of vans with 30 other guests. Our tours are limited to 6 guests each. You will be riding along with Jason, hanging out at the hotels discussing the forecast for the severe weather setups, and learning the best techniques for capturing stunning images. On these Supercell Adventures, you are more than a tour guest, you're a part of the team.
Jason has been taking guests storm chasing for five years. He has an unblemished safety record. Guest safety is our top priority. Jason and his team go above and beyond to make sure that you not only have an incredible experience, you go home safe.
Some tours are pure thrill. Others tend to need some longer lenses as they hang way back. Jason is somewhere in the middle of these two. While you will get close to the action, having a few minutes to shoot at each location is taken into consideration.
“Jason is the real deal. His years of experience give him a depth of understanding that was amazing. Safety was always a priority. He answered all my questions with the clarity of someone who REALLY knows his stuff. We saw five tornadoes in three days! I highly recommend Jason Weingart”
-Adrian Reeder - 2017 Supercell Adventure Participant
"The workshop was fantastic! I went in not knowing how to use my camera outside of auto mode. By the time the tour was over I understood how to use the features of my camera just fine, and got some amazing pictures to show for it - with minimal editing no less - and now that I know how to work it I use the manual settings and have taken some outstanding pictures since then with what I learned! I enjoyed it so much I'll be doing it again this year!"
-Tom Yount Jr. - 2017 & 2018 Supercell Adventure Participant
"My lifelong dream was to witness a tornado, so I signed up for Jason Weingart's Supercell Adventure. We saw 13 tornadoes in 3 days! It far exceeded my expectations. I didn't just get to witness supercells and tornadoes, I also got incredible pictures and videos of them to take home to show my family and friends.
Thank you Jason!"
-Christopher Estep - 2016 Supercell Adventure Participant
*If you would like to speak with other guests, please email Jason@JasonRWeingart.com for a contact list.
Have you seen the movie Twister? Great! It's hardly ever anything like that. Storm chasing can be a grind. We will drive you to the best severe weather setups in the country on the day of your tour. Sometimes this means long drives. A typical day can easily see two to six hours driving.
All that said, the driving is worth it. Every single mile. You will see things most people will never see in their lifetime. Storm chasing is an adventure like nothing else in the world. Most guests take home pictures better than anything they have ever shot. We have a lot of fun. The vehicles are very comfortable. We run two full size SUV's to assure plenty of room for guests and luggage. We make restroom and snack stops as needed. We try to eat at good places when time allows. Often it's breakfast at the hotel, a quick lunch, and a good dinner at a local restaurant. We only stay in clean hotels, rated 3.5 stars or higher on Trip Advisor when possible. Our team stays at the same hotel as our guests.
What if we don't see storms? Every Supercell Adventure has been in a tornado warning or severe thunderstorm warning. It's Spring in Tornado alley, we will be chasing supercells, likely daily. In the event there are absolutely no storms to chase, we will still make the most of our time by visiting a photogenic location for sunrise, sunset, or even astrophotography.
You will leave your storm chase with a thorough understanding of how to forecast severe weather, position yourself to document it, properly take the images/footage, bring it all to life with post processing software, and sell your work to make some money and obtain more exposure.
We will also touch on some other genres of photography throughout the course of the trip, including astrophotography, sunsets, and more. If there happens to be a day of inactive weather, we will still make the most of our time by shooting scenic images and improving your techniques.
Please do your best to pack lightly. Ideally each person will have no more than a small to medium sized suitcase, camera bag, and tripod. Do take into account we will be likely be traveling and staying in different cities each night, so you will plan to take your gear to your room each night.
Some guests choose to focus on the thrill of the chase and bring a small camera to shoot with, which is absolutely fine. If you want to take full advantage of the photographic and learning aspects of the adventure the list below will cover all of your bases.
Comfortable clothes for the day and warm clothes for the night are recommended. Equipment is not provided by the workshop. If you have any questions about equipment, use the form at the bottom of the page, and Jason will answer your questions as soon as possible.
HERE IS A LIST OF RECOMMENDED ITEMS