Sunday, July 19th was another very successful day of high plains storm photography. It wasn’t a day with a long-lived isolated supercell, but that wasn’t needed Sunday. I came away with at least a couple of images that will certainly make a nice addition to my 2009 storm portfolio — including one special lightning shot that will be titled “Right Between the Ears” (image number 2 below) — a unique image of a tall, single, branched lightning flash in the distance amidst a narrow hail core composed perfectly between the two small isolated mounds that make up “Rabbit Ear Mountain” to the north of Clayton, NM. I actually managed to get two brilliant cloud-to-ground daytime flashes with Rabbit Ear Mountain in the frame.
After this, storms became more organized with better structure, and I drove northwest about 10 miles or so on Hwy 64 and watched some real interesting storm structure develop. I then headed south of Clayton on Hwy 402 — a highway I had now become familiar with these past couple days — as a well-rounded circular structured storm updraft developed just to my west. I needed to get east ahead of this, and I did so taking Hwy 102 which turned into Ranch 808 as it crossed into Texas west of Dalhart. I photographed some really close cloud-to-ground flashes, both of which were a bit over-exposed unfortunately, before I ended the chase. Images from this chase are below.
This is a WPSimpleViewerGallery
Woow..thats some scary clouds
Really good pictues..again 
Comment by Nicklas — July 20, 2009 @ 3:07 pm
Mike,
What beautiful photography! I live in Clayton, NM, so naturally “Between the Ears” has special significance to me…
and to everyone who lives in this area. I’m a retired high school band director and one-time freelance photographer,
now working weekends at the Clayton, Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center. I took the liberty of printing your shot
simply on regular copy paper, and have been showing it to everyone. It blows them away!
Do you ever use your shots commercially? For instance, postcards, copies, matted enlargements, etc.? If so, I would
like to offer to help you promote that shot in the Clayton area. I would love to stock the Clayton Visitors Center with
all types of copies of “Between the Ears” and send you the proceeds.
Trust me, it would be a big hit! Everyone I see wants one, but I tell them it’s impossible without permission.
Let me know if you would take orders directly, or allow the Clayton C. of C. to act as a go-between on your behalf.
Thanks very much, and again, Congratulations on a Great Shot!
Sincerely,
Jerry Phillips, Clayton C. of C. Clayton, NM 88415
jerryphillips66@yahoo.com
(575) 374-2134
(575) 447-2164 Cell
Comment by Jerry Phillips — August 3, 2009 @ 6:04 pm