MovingPictures

Artsy, Fartsy, Friday...

A shot of my son, Noah's tuba sitting in our living room...

The Real Tragedy Behind Tornadoes...

Of all the damage I see during the tornado season, it is photos like this, of a little girl, from Dexter, MI, clinging what little bit of the normalcy she is use to, after the damage is done. Having kids of my own, I get teared-up when I see scenes like this and is maybe I am compelled to shoot photos like this.

Mother Nature Makes Beauty out of Pollution...

Photo shot in the Key Bank parking lot in Fremont, Ohio.

64 Gig Verizon Black iPad 2, Canon XH-A1s for Sale...

64 Gig Verizon Black iPad 2 for Sale...comes with a Gumdrop iPad cover, box and original charger. Bought for $829, plus $70 for the case, looking to get $775 obo - E-mail me at [email protected] if interested. Also selling a Canon XH-A1s on ebay, check out the sale HERE.

Happy New Year!!

The last photo I shot of 2011, welcome 2012...

Jim Ellis for Mayor Audio Ad put to Pictures

Some Nice Shots from the Cleveland Indians Game...

A young boy waves his Rally Cap as the Indians come to bat in the bottom of the 9th, down 2-1, they rallied to win 1-5 over Kansas City...

The Tribe celebrates a victory...

Hate Having My Photo Taken, BUT, Here I Am...

I have been a photographer for all of my life, I have taken easily MILLIONS of photos over my career, but my one pet peeve is having a photo taken of me. I might chalk this up to being a big guy all of my life and an even bigger guy in the past few years. Fifteen years ago or so I was big like I was last year and lost a great deal of weight and got down to 250 pounds, yes down to 250.

Over the last fifteen years I have crept back up to my BIG self again. I have always been called "Big Guy", or "Big Al, or Big A" or whatever. To go way back, I weighed 80 pounds in kintergarden, and was hauled into the principals office when in first grade for taking on a sixth grader who called me fatty, I had him on the ground and was sitting on him ready to strike when Mr. Schneider pulled me off and directed me to the office. I got off without too much punisment since it was in "Self Defence".

As I grew up my size became an advantage, I was much taller than most of the kids in my class, bigger and pretty smart. I became sought after for the football team and on the track team, I threw shot-put and discus and was the anchor on the tug-of-war team, (we never lost). I blew a knee while screwing around jumping hurdles my Junior year in High School and had to sit out my senior year of football, pretty much forefiting any scholarship possibilities I had for after I graduated. I decided to wrestle my senior year and in the heavyweight class I weighed between 300-20, I won 40 matches by pins and lost just two.

I credit my love of photography to come out of the loss of a football career in college, so I decided to do something I love instead of playing sports.

Throughout my photography career, my size has been an advantage and a curse. I have used my size to stand my ground in many hairy situations and it has helped me survive many riot-type situations while shooting. But, the weight has held me back and made it hard for me to have the stamina to keep up a 100% pace while shooting something that required alot of physical activity and walking. I sometimes had to give up on shooting some things just because I was physically too big, or it would really hurt my knee. I has an operation in 1996 that removed all of the cartlidge in my right knee.

So since then, I have been less active, gained weight, and the weight gain, made my knee hurt worse, it was a vicious cycle. That kinda brings me to the beginning of this year. What made it click in my brain that I had to loose weight, I have no idea. I was out of breath all of the time, had sleep apnea, would sit on the couch and make my son go get things for me because it was so dificult for me to get up. My vicious cycle was coming to an end quickly if I did not do something, and fast. One night I was on the computer chatting with my friend Chris Howell, who told me he had been dieting and had lost 10 pounds, he was doing great. I told him I would like to join him and began my diet the first of the year (2011). I found an app for my iPhone 4 called Lose It! I started using the app on January 5th, 2011, and have not missed loggong my food one day since then. That was 105 pounds ago! This app has a support website at www.loseit.com and it is free, (the app and website), you can use both or either the app, or the website. 

So as I go into my weigh-in tomorrow, I present you and the world with a photo of me, taken by my lovely wife Mary Bower. I am holding two 50 pound bags of dog food. Their weight just shy of my total weight loss since Jan. 5th. I will be honest with you, I just don't know how I did it. I carried just one bag in and had trouble getting up the back steps, let alone two. Let alone carrying these two bags on our nightly, mile walk. The last few times, I have been jogging the first 1/4 mile of our walk. I am amazed at the energy and stamina I now have just compared to the first of the year. I have lost over 10 inches off my waist and all of my shirts are baggy on me now. With the Lose It! app, I am simply logging all the calories I eat, and the exercise I do. When I first began this process I could not believe the number of calories I WAS eating. This app makes you take a good hard look at the reality of food and how to get the most bang for your buck. You can eat anything you want, but just a certain amount.

My app says I will reach my goal of loosing 125 more pounds next October, so until then, he is to eating healthy...

Me and two 50 Pound bags of dog food, equaling my weight loss total...

Hot Time in the Old Town (Fremont, Ohio) Today...

It was a scorcher here in Fremont, Ohio today and this week in general. It topped out at 100 today and felt like 110. We spent most of the day at the pool today and then I took my son Noah to the local ice cream shop for a cool treat but the heat had something to say about that for sure...

A New Slideshow Trial...

I am experimenting with the program called SoundSlides, hope you like it...

MESO Storm Chase 2011 - Multi-Media Piece...

A very cool multi-media piece my brother Matt Detrich of the Indianapolis Star shot of our storm chase group MESO this spring on his first ever storm chase, although we did not score a tornado this year he, and we, got some amazing photos. Also a side note, my blog has gone over the 100,000 unique clicks in the past week, thanks to all of you that have visited in the past and keep coming back...

John Pinette - The Buffet, Funniest Comedy Ever...

Spirit is Alive and Well in Joplin, Missouri...

Caught this photo of a teen helping re-raise the flag at a demolished home in Joplin, Mo. after a brisk wind caused the flag to fall. The spirit of the people in Joplin is pretty high and all seem to be coping well after the EF 5 tornado tore through their town leveling a great deal of the city. Click HERE to see my Flickr photos of the devastation. 

Quick Photo from Joplin, Mo. Before Bed...

A quick shot as I rolled into Joplin tonight before I hit the hotel. This is a wind tattered flag flying along US Route 44. Drove 660 miles on the way here today.

Some Images from Fremont, OH Memorial Day Parade...

Photo of Wood Through Concrete from Joplin, MO...

This photo from @mdrache on Twitter from a friend of his from Joplin, MO. It is AMAZING the power of an EF 5 tornado...

Joplin Death Toll up to 125 People, 1000 Injured...

Most of Joplin had been searched by noon today for survivors, according to the State Emergency Management Agency. Three of the search teams have been dismissed, and a team from St. Louis team will be working with the cadaver dogs which are specially trained to sniff for bodies. The death toll is at least 125, making it the deadliest single twister since the weather service began keeping official records in 1950. St. John’s plans to build a mobile hospital by Sunday at or near the Joplin hospital that was hit by the tornado, officials announced this morning. The mobile hospital will have 60 beds, an emergency room area and will be able to withstand 100 mph winds, said St. John’s spokeswoman Cora Scott. Medical staff will be able to do surgery there and perform imaging tests. The hospital is currently providing some medical services at the nearby Memorial Hall, but the mobile hospital will allow staff to provide more care for the people in Joplin. More than 1,000 people have been treated for injuries stemming from the tornado that struck Joplin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Freeman Health System in Joplin treated 467 people in the hours immediately after the tornado struck. More than 396 people sought treatment for injuries Sunday night at hospitals outside of Joplin. That was continuing on Monday.

Some Crazy Cloud Structure Yesterday...

I chased into Indiana and Western Ohio yesterday and got some crazy cloud structure near Greenville, Indiana and near my favorite, Van Wert, Ohio. I was on several tornado warned storms and you can see my whole shoot HERE.

Tornado Caught Close to Home Today...

I caught a tornado tonight just South of Van Wert, Ohio looking south on SR 127. The leading edge of the tornado is visible, but the back end was rain wrapped. The death toll for the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri yesterday is up to 116, with search and rescue still continuing.

At Least 89 Dead in Joplin, Missouri Monster Tornado...

A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned that the death toll could climb Monday as search and rescuers continued their work at sunrise.

City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sunday's storm. Rohr said the twister cut a path nearly six miles long and more than a half-mile wide through the center of town.

Much of the city's south side was leveled, with churches, schools, businesses and homes reduced to ruins.

Fire chief Mitch Randles estimated that 25 to 30 percent of the city was damaged, and said his own home was among the buildings destroyed as the twister swept through this city of about 50,000 people some 160 miles south of Kansas City.

"It cut the city in half," Randles said.

Audio From Rescue Efforts in Joplin, Missouri...

 

JoplinAftermath

I searched on my iPhone and found the Jasper County Missouri Law Enforcement audio feed and recorded just over 30 minutes of their rescue efforts tonight in Joplin, MO. It is a haunting, interesting look at what these people have to deal with in the wake of a disaster like tonight's tornado. Click the above bar for audio clip.

Joplin, Missouri Hit Hard by Huge Tornado...

The Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management has said at least 24 people are dead after a tornado tore through Joplin, MO. around 6 p.m. Saturday. National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Griffin has said that Joplin was directly hit by a tornado that touched down in the center of the town. Jasper County Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer said the St. John's Regional Medical Center on the city's south side took a "direct hit." Witnesses said windows were blown out on the top floors of the hospital. Cora Scott, a spokeswoman at the hospital's sister facility said patients were being evacuated to other area hospitals. Missouri National Guard Maj. Tammy Spicer said more than 100 members of the 35th Engineer Brigade, which has a battalion based in Joplin, were expected to immediately report for duty to aid in search and rescue efforts, clear roads, provide security and help with radio communications. The guard's armory in Joplin suffered only minor damage but was without electricity Sunday night, Spicer said. One of the challenges facing the guard was simply getting in touch with all of its members in the area, she said.

A Down Day BBQ, Recharged for Tomorrow's Chase...

Niccolo Ubalducci from the Italian Storm Chasers enjoys his steak.

We drove South from our overnight stay in Valentine, Nebraska to the small Kansas town of Colby. We found a cheap but nice motel and executed our BBQ plan flawlessly. My brother Matt manned the grills along with the help of Chris Howell and Niccolo Ubalducci from Italy. The beef was quickly consumed and some adult beverages consumed. As of right now the SPC day 1 outlook shows a 10% hatched chance for tornadoes and a whole lot of chase fun...

Chris Howell and Matt Kassawara look at forecast pages for the chase.

Nicollo Ubalducci looks at the forecast.

Bust Day in South Dakota, now on to Kansas Toto...

Jim Leonard in his chase van.

We had a long day of playing hurry-up and wait with almost every major name in storm chasing in the country. Reed Timmer, Joel Taylor, Tony Laubach, Tim Samaras, Jim Leonard, Roger Hill, Verene Carlson, Mike Umschied, Adam Lucio and many more were there waiting with no less than 100 other storm chasers from all over the world. The day did not produce what was expected, but it was a nice social day for all of the chasers. I met one of my FaceBook friends from England, Vicki Redwood, and many others for the first time. We caught some night time structure, lightning and a wall cloud north of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. We will be taking tomorrow to drive to Kansas after overnighting in Valentine, Nebraska to set up for Wednesday and a already forecast moderate risk.

North of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Some Photos of the St. Louis Tornado Damage...

Members of Disaster Relief Service International clean up the property of the Temple Christian Fellowship Church in Bridgeton, MO.

Today my chase partner Chris Howell and my brother Matt Detrich traveled through the damage path of the 04/22/11 tornado that did significant damage to the town of Bridgeton, MO and the St. Louis Lambert Field airport. Click HERE to see a slideshow of the photos. We are overnighting in Kansas City, MO and will meet up with the rest of the MESO group tomorrow and then head out to Kansas to get into position for some possible weather on Sunday. We are also joined by three Italian storm chasers, (yes from Italy), and will once again enjoy the company of Niccolo Ubalducci and Valentina Abinanti and their friend Michael. We will be picking up Nancy Bose and Joe Falci at the KC airport tomorrow and Matt Kassawara will be driving in from Lawrence, KS.

Chris Howell looks at a twisted I-beam in the damage path of the EF-4 tornado in Bridgeton, MO.

MovingPictures Blog just hit 95,000 Views - THANKS!!!

Thanks to all that have been checking in on my blog for the last few years, I just hit 95,000 views, and hope to hit the 100,000 mark during this years storm chase, keep checking in, THANKS to you all...

Jim Ellis was Victorious for Fremont's Future...

L-R, Jim Ellis celebrates with his wife Marlene Ellis, Michelle Cummings, Jim Sherck, and Kellie Sears after results of the election are announced at the victory party in the Ellis Law Offices.

For the last several months I have had the privilege of working on the election campaign of Jim Ellis for Mayor of Fremont in the Democratic primary. With alot of hard work and miles put on his feet going door to door, Jim was victorious over his opponent Jim Nalley by a 65% to 35% margin. Tis is an amazing feat, considering this is the first office Jim has ever run for, and the fact that Jim Nalley is a siting Fremont city councilman and a lifetime politician. Maybe the last reason I sited was part of the downfall of Jim's opponent. Jim Ellis stands for change in Fremont and is not afraid to take a stand for the right side of an issue, even if it might be an unpopular one with the good old boy network. Fremont is on its way to change, now we are onward and upward to the race for Mayor in the general election in November.

Jim Ellis thanks his campaign workers with his wife Marlene and Jim Sherck

 

Jim Ellis is the ONLY Choice for Fremont Mayor...

Jim Ellis out meeting with the people, getting and sharing ideas for the future of Fremont, Ohio.

I have had the pleasure to work on the election campaign of Jim Ellis. I have know Jim for years, Our sons are best friends, our wives and kids go skiing in the winter. I find Jim a honest, and trustworthy man (who I do trust with the life of my child, ha) on those nights Noah sleeps over with Oliver. Jim Ellis has a B.I.G plan for the revitalization of Fremont, don't just take my word for it, take a look at all the Letters to the Editor from the people of Fremont who share my feelings about Jim. Jim Ellis has sought to bring the workings of our City Council out from back-room politics into the open. When he asked to get the agendas and minutes posted online, he was told, "It would be too expensive", and was brushed off by the current administration. Being Jim Ellis, he took the matter into his own hands and did it himself, for little or no money. This is why Fremont, Ohio needs Jim Ellis. He is not a part of the "Good Old Boys Club" and not a self-proclaimed "Full-time Politician" like his opponent. Why elect the the "Same Old, Same Old"? It is time for a change, and that means electing Jim Ellis on May 3rd in the Democratic Primary election for Mayor of Fremont, Ohio.

I am primarily a Republican voter and I am going to ask for a Democratic ticket on Tuesday so I can cast a vote for Jim Ellis and the future of Fremont. I encourage others to do the same! - Allan Detrich

From my Wife...

Accountability is a key factor for economic growth. It is not a coincidence that the population of Fremont as fallen by 3.7%. Our complacency with the status quo is to blame. It is because of Jim Ellis’ responsible citizenship that we are now aware of the culture of disrespect on city council for its citizens. A vote for Jim Ellis in the democratic primary election for is a vote for accountability. - Mary Bower

Jim Ellis working tirelessly on his campaign in hopes he can serve the city of Fremont as Mayor.

Want more of the same? Vote for Jim Ellis' opponent, it's YOUR choice!

A Night to Remember, Osama Bin Laden is Dead...

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

Tomorrow morning most of the population of the United States will wake up to the news that Bin Laden has been killed. If you were like me, you went to bed and might not have know about the new until tomorrow. But, I listen to my iPhone through the night and all of a sudden the news alerts started dinging like a winning pull on a slot machine. I checked the messages and saw the news. I was not able to go back to sleep and can down when I saw that President Obama was going to speak soon about the kill. A history buff, I snapped a few photos of my high-def TV as Obama spoke with my iPhone, sounds silly, but hey...

Finally after over ten years the US has tracked down the mastermind of the 911 terrorist attack and served justice on a silver platter. Details are sketchy, but reports say he was shot in the head during a raid on a compound in Pakistan, which also killed his oldest son. My hat is off to the soldiers that choppered in and made the successful raid on the complex and brought justice to the victims of 911 and the military personnel that gave their lives in pursuit of justice. 

The shot of President Obama as he gives some details on the death of Osama Bin Laden today in Pakistan.

Can't Believe how Soon News Organizations Forget...

MSNBC Website

It has just been a few day since the 04/27/11 tornado outbreak in the South and already the story has rolled off the main page of most news organization webpages. Pope John Paul, Gahadfi, Obama joking on Trump at the White House Correspondents dinner; they are all more important than the continued pain that the people in the South are going through as they prepare to bury some of the 347 killed in the rogue storms. It is unfortunate that we forget so quickly, hell, how much do we hear about Japan anymore, 13,000 dead and 14,000 still missing and their whole country is royally screwed for a long time. As a photojournalist, I have found that some of the long term follow-up stories I have done are the most compelling stories you can come up with. Lets not forget the people in Alabama and neighboring states, even if the news outlets have. They deserve better.

Associated Press news Website

Death Toll From 04/27/11 Outbreak up to 347...

The death toll from Wednesday's storms keeps rising. At least 347 people were killed across seven states, including at least 248 in Alabama, as the storm system spawned tornadoes through several states. There were 34 deaths in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 15 in Georgia, five in Virginia, two in Louisiana and one in Kentucky. the 04/27/11 outbreak had largest death toll since March 18, 1925, when 747 people were killed in storms that raged through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

04/27/11 Tornado Outbreak Captured from Space...

A Nice Little Bit of Coverage Last Night...

Fremont photographer turns stormchaser: foxtoledo.com

Sad, Amazing, Devastating, How to Describe Yesterday?

I have seen four major tornado outbreaks that stand out in my mind, 1974 Super Outbreak, where I saw my first tornado, May 3rd 1999, November 10, 2002, and yesterday, April 27th, 2011.

The 1974 Super Outbreak, raised my awareness of tornadoes as I got my first glimpse of the power of Mother Nature as I watched my first tornado. May 3rd, 1999 I drove overnight to Oklahoma City, OK to cover the aftermath of the outbreak for the news agency I was working for at the time. I was one of the first photojournalists let into the Moore and Midwest City area, and the city of Bridge Creek, OK, as I entered with the Pegasus Project, an animal search and rescue team. The F-5 tornado wiped most of those cities off the map, literally. I spent several days shooting the totally destructive force of the twisters that hit the area.

On November 10, 2002, I had the day off from my job, and was celebrating my 40th birthday by watching the weather during the outbreak, we were under a tornado watch here in Ohio. I saw a huge cell heading NE towards Findlay, Ohio. I knew it would track towards, Tiffin, Ohio and I live just 15 miles from Tiffin. I jumped in my truck, and drove through the most intense thunderstorm I have ever witnessed. The rain stopped as I entered Tiffin, but was running into some quarter sized hail, I turned West down Second Street and then South on Nelson St., that is when I saw a white funnel cloud drop from the clouds and immediately turn black, I stopped in the middle of the street and threw my truck into park, threw open the door and fired off several shots with my 20-35mm lens. Little did I know that my photo would be named one of Time/Life Picture of the Year for 2002.

Yesterday I sat at my desk, glued to the TV watching the Weather Channel live coverage as the tornado worked its way from Tuscaloosa through Birmingham LIVE on TV, had Radar Scope running on my iPad, live streaming of chasers on my laptop, and streaming radio from Birmingham on my iPhone. I don't see how people can claim they had "No Warning" of the impending disaster. I could see it in 1974 maybe, but today with 24/7 coverage on TV, FaceBook, Twitter, e-mail, cell phones, iPads, I just can't understand. 

Today reality sets in, the Associated Press reports that at least 307 people are dead, 210 in Alabama. This will no doubt go down in history as one of the largest, if not the largest outbreak in history. There were 32 deaths in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 14 in Georgia, 12 in Arkansas, five in Virginia and one in Kentucky. Hundreds if not thousands of people were injured - 600 in Tuscaloosa alone. All I can say is that people need to be more aware of weather forecasts and maybe sign up for mobile alerts to their cell phones. A simple move like this may save your life.

The storm prediction center received 164 tornado reports around the region, but some tornadoes were probably reported multiple times and it could take days to get a final count.

As I watched the monster tornado move from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, just a small parcel of it almost 300 mile track, I could not help but to be reminded of the day I watched 911. I had a deep down feeling of dread in my gut knowing hundreds of people might be getting killed, as I watched live on TV. Through all my years of storm chasing, I have seen many bad tornadoes and deaths, but it sure does not get any easier to see things like this happen.

 

1974 Super Outbreak - Xenia, Ohio

The 1974 Xenia tornado that wiped out half of the town in Greene, Co Ohio.

 

May 3rd, 1999 Outbreak - Oklahoma F-5

Sylvia Andrews, a resident of Mulhall, OK, begs a rescue worker to help find her dog which had wandered off. Later the rescuers found her dog and she finished her trip to the post office. Behind her is the water tower which was knocked over by the tornado and washed her home off its base with her inside.

Paula Sanders sifts through the rubble of what used to be her home in Del City, OK. This is the area President Clinton toured on Saturday.

A 2 x 4 is stuck in the windsheild of a truck in Midwest City, OK.

 

November 10th, 2002 Outbreak - Tiffin, Ohio

View of the Tiffin, Ohio tornado looking South down Nelson Street.

A resident of Port Clinton, Ohio in front of whats left of his home.

An inspector for the gas company in Port Clinton looks at a destroyed home.

 

April 27th, 2011 Outbreak - Alabama

SPC Tornado report graphic.

Amazing Photo from Twitter

Yesterday's SPC Tornado Watch graphic.

Photo of the Tuscaloosa tornado by the Dusty Compton via AP.

...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ONGOING...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
636 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IS CURRENTLY UNFOLDING ACROSS CENTRAL
ALABAMA...AND SUPERCELLS HAVE ERUPTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND
WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW TORNADOES HAVE
ALREADY TOUCHED DOWN...AND REPORTS OF MAJOR DAMAGE ARE STARTING TO
COME IN. THE 18Z SPECIAL SOUNDING THAT WAS PERFORMED PRESENTS A
DESTRUCTIVE SETUP...WITH 2700J/KG OF CAPE...EXTREMELY STEEP LAPSE
RATES...AND DRY AIR ALOFT. 0-3 KM HELICITY VALUES ARE ALMOST 700.
THE PARAMETERS WILL ONLY WORSEN AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE REST OF
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE TIME FRAME FOR THE WORST SEVERE
WEATHER WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS FOR
NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE STATE...ROUGHLY FROM 2PM TO
8PM...CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE...INCLUDING THE BIRMINGHAM
METRO AREA...FROM 4PM TO 10PM...AND THE SOUTHEAST SECTIONS FROM
6PM TO 2AM. I CANNOT STRESS HOW SERIOUS THIS SITUATION IS. DO
WHATEVER YOU CAN TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE AND PROPERTY NOW...YOUR LIFE
MAY DEPEND ON IT! ALL WEATHER WILL CLEAR THE AREA AFTER 6Z
TONIGHT...SO THE CLEANUP PROCESS CAN BEGIN.

 

4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

May everyone's thoughts and prayers be with the victims of yesterdays tornado outbreak in the South...

Girard, Illinois Tornado - 04/19/11 - Just Rated EF-3...

Here is a video from a chase with Dave Marshall and I. We bagged this monster around 4:50 p.m. as it crossed SR 4, just outside Girard, Illinois. Not bad for the first chase of the year, as I prepare to leave for chasing in the plains in two weeks. Here is a link to my Flickr site where I will be parking my stills from the day's shoot. It was quite a day!! I made many friends this day also, at the pre-chase convergence at the McDonalds in Effingham, Il.

Photo of tornado as it crosses SR 4, just North of Girard, Illinois.

 

Girard, Illinois tornado - 04/19/11 from Allan Detrich on Vimeo.

 

This is an image from GRL 2 from the time of the tornado.

 

Here is a photo of me (bottom right by the truck) taken by Milwaukee photographer Jennifer Brindley as I am out shooting the tornado and trying to keep people from driving into the tornado at the same time...

Extreme Protection for Your iPad...

First "Digital Diana" photos out of the iPhone...

Around six months ago I released an iPhone app called "The Diana". It chronicled the history of the 1950's plastic camera made in Hong Kong. The app also contained a photo of every Diana camera and clone known to exist to date. The app has sold well in the Apple iTunes store. In the next week or so, version 1.2 will be released with the first "Digital Diana" function. Below is one of the first test photos out of the iPhonesphere. This app will allow all of the people that have bought the app in the past to upgrade their app and the new version will have the new features.

A Few New Things in the Works for "The Diana" app...

I have a few new tweaks to my Diana Camera app. that is on sale in the iTunes store HERE. The app. icon that will be on your phone will have a new look, see the above photo. Plus the app will have updated photos, and a new "Digital Diana" photo feature. I am hoping to get the new version released in a few weeks, but is still under construction. With the release of this app, I will also release a "Lite" version of the original app. which will be free. Everyone that has already purchased my Diana app. will get the new features of the "Full" app. since they have already purchased the app for .99 cents. I will keep you informed on the firm release date.

Photo of the Day - Hurricane Rita Aftermath...

 

Weather ABC's Word of the Day - Advisory...

Word of the Day - Aerosol - Particles of matter, solid or liquid, larger than a molecule but small enough to remain suspended in the atmosphere (up to 100 m diameter). Natural origins include salt particles from sea spray and clay particles as a result of weathering of rocks. Aerosols can also originate as a result of man's activities and in this case are often considered pollutants.

Photo of the Day - Dinosaur Grafitti on Train...

Saw this at a local manufacturing plant here in Fremont, Ohio, pretty cool... 

Friday the 13th a Hard Day for Noah...

 

Noah holds his pet rat Nibbles in her final hours

I shot a photo today that was one of my hardest assignments in a long, long time. 

It started around 1:00 p.m. with a scream from the office off our living room, "DAD, DAD, Nibbles isn't moving". I went in to see what was happening and Nibbles one of our two pet rats was laying on the bottom of its cage, curled up in a ball, not moving. Nibbles usually greets visitors to the office in the top of the cage, looking for a petting or food, but not this time. I opened the cage and picked up nibbles and she was still alive, but did not have much time left. We have had Nibbles and her sister Sandy for over two years, which is a typical lifetime for rats.

In the mean time I had Noah hold Nibbles as she passed on to the big cheese in the sky, tears flowed like a river. Every once and a while, she would open her eyes and look at him as he held her like a little baby. Noah out of the blue asked me to take his photo with Nibbles before she was gone and I was amazed at the way he was handling the whole thing. He brought Nibbles over to my desk and held her for me to snap a shot with my iPhone, and at that time she opened her eyes, as Noah did his best not to cry. I snapped a few photos as tears came to my eyes watching this whole scene unfold. 

After about another hour, we found a proper box for burial and filled it with cedar wood chips, like in Nibbles cage, laid her in and closed it for good. Emotions finally calmed down, I took Noah to Sandusky, got him some school clothes and some soccer cleats, and sushi. As of the posting of this blog, all is calm, and Noah is doing fine. Sandy our other rat seems a little depressed, but I am sure she will be getting plenty of attention in the near future.

Photo of the Day - Cartwheel into Second Base...

Michael Contreras watches in dismay as Brendan Leibold, who's primary love is gymnastics, combines the sport with t-ball as he does a cartwheel safely into second base during a t-ball game in Fremont, Ohio.

Photo of the Day - Graduation Day...

 

Photo of the Day - Give Peace a Chance...

Photo of the Day - Very Big Hail...

This is some of the biggest hail I have seen, see the new National record hailstone.

Photo of the Day - Knee High by the 4th...

My son Noah walks past a corn field near Attica, Ohio where the corn has been much more than knee high by the 4th of July...

Photo of the Day - Hay Fever...

Matt Damschroder sits on a  wagon loaded with hay as he waits for his partner Mike Wagner to fix a mechanical problem with the bailer. The hay will then to be hauled to a barn This was taken Just two miles west of Fremont. Most of the wheat crop is harvested and the bailing of straw is in full swing.

Photo of the Day - Plenty of Prescriptions...

Larry Nieset holds most of his 17 prescriptions he takes to stay alive. Nieset, who lives in Helena, Ohio has resorted to going to Canada to get his prescriptions filled to save money. Read his story HERE.

Photo of the Day - Flag Day...

Cyndi Caron gets a big kiss from her son Tristin, 3, at they listen to the Toledo Interfaith Mass singers at the rally for the troops at the Lucas County Rec Center, as they bring the crowd to their feet with patriotic songs.