Jeff Berkes Blog

Where is the Snow?

Jeff — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:00:50 +0000

Snowmageddon 2009

It’s now January 17th, 2012. My car is clean, the roads aren’t stained with salt, the grass is green and I wore a t-shirt outside last week. Is it really mid-January? The last time we had a measurable snow was in October 2011 when we received 7″ of heavy wet snow during peak foliage conditions (the 100 year storm) so rare I was so excited for this event. I wonder if I had jinxed myself somehow that day though. I remember saying to myself ”I’m so happy I had the chance to photograph snow during peak foliage conditions, I don’t care if we do not get anymore snow this year, I’m happy with this rare snowfall.” (as seen below)

Combining Seasons

Well so far, besides two other dustings of snow, we haven’t seen anything. Philadelphia has no snow this year, Boston has only have a couple inches.. What is going on? The last 2 years we have broken snowfall records time and time again.. Now it seems as the snow has run out. Some factor that play into the lack of snow are this. The jet stream is in a position which allows warmer air to flow up in front of the storm systems that ride along it and all storm are moving to our north and west, we need them to our south and east. Need a Greenland high pressure to help out.

	This Season	Average season-to-date	Last season-to-date

Boston	2.7″	17.2″	40.4″
Hartford	14.6″	15.7″	45.4″
New York	2.9″	8.6″	30.9″
Philadelphia	0.5″	6.6″	21.1″

As you can see snowfall is way below average for this time of year. In previous years I had already found myself in handfull of snowstorms, this year, I struggle to find it anywhere.

December 2010

Tree of Winter

February Nor’Easter 2010 – Snowmageddon

Snow Camping January 2010. Each winter I watch the forecasts like a Hawk wishing for a monster storm to ride up the coast. If / when it does I will be there waiting for it. I love how snow can transform any landscape urban or rural into something entirely different. Something as simple as a tree in your backyard can turn into something new and beautiful.

On the Road

White out conditions make for deadly travel during the day and at night. I have documented some of the biggest snowstorms on the east coast and if it wasn’t for reliable equipment it could have been ugly a couple times.

Driving through 15" of snow

Being able to get around in snowstorms forced me to sell my old 1999 Chevy Camaro SS a few years back (still miss her). I needed something that could handle every season and I couldn’t afford to get stuck in two inches of snow again with the SS.

Buried

With a possible snow for the I-95 corridor this weekend, I will keep by eyes on the weather and hope for a snow. Winter better get it’s act in gear soon or I will have to think about moving to Canada. The jet stream needs to change its route, or we won’t see any major snowstorms this year. So far this winter it has stayed to my north and west, We need it t dip in the central US and ride up the eastern seaboard to get some heavy snowfalls.

Super Blizzard 35" of Snow 2010

February Thundersnow

Battling the Cold

Protecting my gear/equipment is just as important as protecting my well being.

Ice Night

The track a storm takes will determine where the snow/rain line will be. When warm air overrides colder air you can get sleet and freezing rain. Freezing rain is a nightmare, I can drive in 20″ of snow, I can’t drive in freezing rain.. unless it’s a flat road then maybe. This particular night we had about one inch of freezing rain which brought down numerous trees and powerlines. It also turned the landscape into an incredible winter wonderland. As shown above.

Snow on the Coast

Hope you have a winter filled up tons of snow!

Quadrantids Meteor Shower 2012: PART II : Looking Back

Jeff — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:02:45 +0000

Most people think that being a landscape photographer is all fun and games. Well, if it were that easy everybody would be doing it, right? I can honestly say that I enjoy every second that I am outside in nature with my camera. My goal is to make you see and feel the beauty and power of mother nature is her most unguarded moment.

Key Momentum

If I am able to inspire just one person to care about our planet, oceans, rivers, weather, night skies, landscapes and national parks , than I would say I am doing my “job”. I have received an overwhelming amount of feedback from the 2012 Quadrantid’s and it’s a blessing. I wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and comment on my 2012 Quadrantid Meteor Shower post. I couldn’t have asked for a better response. I will be responding to comments and emails for the next week or two , so don’t worry I will be answer all of your questions!

I will be running a photographic workshops in April for the Lyrid Meteor Shower. If you are interested in joining this workshop, please contact me through my website at

http://jeffberkesphotography.com/2/Workshops.html

Many Thanks and Best Wishes-

Jeff Berkes

Rhythm on the River: w/ Kevin Soffera

Jeff — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:33:35 +0000

Drummer: Kevin Soffera

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with Kevin Soffera, a kick ass drummer from Pennsylvania. He asked me a few months back if I would be interested in doing some shots of his studio , live shots and some edorsement pics for Vater and Sabian. I’ve known Kevin for a few years and he’s one of the nicest people I have ever met and his skills behind the kit are out of this world. He is a man who wears and has worn many hats, currently playing in a local band STAR69, recording drum tracks, teaching the art of percussion to selective students as well as being invloved with other musical programs in his community. His resume also consists of playing and touring with rock bands such as Breaking Benjamin and Seether. His passion for the art of music is second to none, and you tell from the very first second he starts playing.

Kevin Soffera: Seether - Disclaimer Gold Album

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Behind the Helm

This set is mainly used for recording and just jamming out. Everything is connected to the control room where the recording process is closely monitored.

Recording a Track

All sounds get recorded in the control room.

These shots along with many more will be fetured on his new website which will be launching soon! Check back to for more updates and info on when the website will launch.

Rhythm on the River

Kevin had the great idea of jamming outside somewhere around his neck of the woods. We found a nice , scarey place under a random train bridges down by the river. My Vagabond Power Supply broke, so I had to bust out the SB-800 Flash and use some long exposures with multiple fash pops to achieve the results were looking for. (FYI: Vagabond is NOT fixing/selling the #2 anymore) go with a Q-flash.

Twiddle Sticks

Thanks Kevin, It’s was a pleasure to have worked with you and I look forward to seeing the new site! Hope to see you guys rockin’ out again sometime soon.

Links to Kevin Soffera:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kevinsoffera

Website: www.kevinsoffera.com “**COMING SOON!***

Cheers-

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Quadrantid Meteor Shower 2012 – Florida Keys Style

Jeff — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:40:26 +0000

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower of 2012 was incredible! For the second year in a row, I was able to catch this shower under dark skies. This year I was fortunate enough to get flight to the Florida Keys to photograph the first meteor shower of 2012. (Thanks buddy, you know who you are). We flew into Key West on Tuesday morning and scouted out possible locations to shoot the shower from over a 55 mile stretch of highway. We came up with some solid locations to shoot from and we had plenty of time to bounce to different spots before the shower really picked up in intensity.

I took this shot in the early morning hours of January 4th, 2012.

Quadrantid Meteor and the Zodiac Lights

You can even see the “Zodiac Lights” appearing as an illuminated looking triangular shape in the very early hours before sunrise (local time). You would think it was warm there… well, it was almost freezing out.

Artic Air Plunges South - Accuweather

The temp went down to 45 degrees near Big Pine Key, and with the wind chill, it felt like the 30′s. Keep in mind the all time record low for Key West, FL is 41. This was almost record cold for the southern most part in the Continental US.

Key West All Time Record Low is 41. I recorded 45 degrees near Big Pine Key, FL.

We decided to leave last minute when we saw the low temperatures where I live would be in the single digits with wind chills below zero. I did that last year and it was tough on the body and mind, not to mention the cold drained my batteries faster than ever and it was hard on the gear. It was nice to have only 4 layers of clothes on instead of 8.

3 Amigos and a Meteor Shower

I don’t go out for one or two hours during a meteor shower. I go out for the entire night. You greatly increase your chances at seeing more meteors and your chances for capturing one with your camera also increase. I don’t set up multiple cameras simple because being behind the “helm” when you capture one is the best feeling about photographing these showers, it makes the memory and photograph you just created much more personal.

2012 Quadrantid Meteor Shower - Dawn on a Meteor

This meteor shower was great to me last year and it was even better to me this year. I’m already loking forward to next years Quadrantids, but from where will I see them? Only time will tell. One thig I do know and that 2012 has started off on the right foot. Happy 2012 Everyone! I hope all of your wishes come true.

Quadrantid Meteor and the Zodiac Lights - Near Big Pine Key, FL

The “2012″ is not photoshopped in. This is the RAW file.

Fine Art Prints can be ordered through my website at www.jeffberkesphotography.com

UPDATE: 1.8.2012 - Thanks for all the comments everyone! It’s been overwhelming with the amount of emails and messages I have been receiving. Just want to let you know that I appreciate every single one of them. I will respond to all very soon. Many Thanks!

First Meteor Shower of 2012! The Quadrantids!

Jeff — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:28:02 +0000

Tuesday night into Wednesday morning marks the annaual Quadrantid Meteor Shower. Last year was a major success and with the moon setting around 3am local time, this year should be awesome as well. Expect the radiant to rise in the NE sky around midnight with the peak condiitons occuring between 2am and sunrise (local time). meteors can be seen in any section of the sky.

As an artic front pushes south the temperature will drop to around 10 degrees, the wind chills will be at or below zero degrees for much of the night. Florida is sounding really nice right about now But reguardless of where you are in the northern hemisphere this show should “WOW” skywatchers all over. Rate can exceed 100 meteor per hour. You do not want to miss this one! Enjoy, and have a happy new year with the Quadrantids!

Moving On – 2012

Jeff — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:28:45 +0000

With 2011 coming to a close, we tend to look back on the year and think about the goals we’ve accomplished, the trips we took or wanted to take, the people we meet, the people we have lost, the gifts we have received and what is in store for us, in 2012.

I’m very thankful for the opportunity to travel all over America while capturing our beautiful landscapes and the weather that forms those landscapes. Being able to travel and see these things first hand, is one of the best “gifts” I could have ever asked for. It’s very difficult both physically and mentally, but the single element that drives it all is the passion and dedication I have for extreme weather and the discovery for new things. I hope you find everything you are looking for in 2012! Remember, don’t wait or wish for something to happen, make it happen.

Happy New Year 2012!

Leonid Meteor Shower 2011 – “A Look Back”

Jeff — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:10:19 +0000

A storm system sitting over the eastern US finally started to pull out as the sun began to set. After a 2 hour drive to a darker location, we were greeted by a two rounds of light pillars! I haven’t seen them in such a long time, so it was such a blessing. We counted many Leonids, a few Orionids and some random meteors. I also saw a Leonid Fireball around 4:20am that lit up the sky creating shadows and a smoke trail which lasted close to 45 seconds. It was an incredible night!

Pillars of Light

Light Pillars can easily be confused with the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), I think we can all see why. A light pillar is an atmospheric phenomenon created by the reflection of light from fine ice crystals. The conditions on the ground and in the sky need to be in harmony for this to happen. I rarely get a opportunity to photograph these wonders and it was really neat. Light Pollution is an enemy of mine, but here it kind of did me a photographic favor.

Leonid Meteor Shower 2011

As the front cleared the temperatures dropped into the 20′s! Winds were gusting to 30mph at times creating wind chills in the teens. We were out from 6pm until 6:30am attempting to capture some Leonids on camera. We succeeded too! Everyone got meteor shots! Todd got his first meteor within the first 10 minutes! It took me a little longer to get my first meteor and I’m fine with that . We counted a decent amount of meteors Thursday into Friday morning, but it was certainly lower than I thought it would be. The place I decided on worked out perfectly, the skies were crystal clear and we captured a few meteors on with our camera. With those three things working out I would call this year’s Leonid Meteor Shower Workshop a great success!

Below: The first time I saw this meteor was when I came home and looked through my photos. Surprise!!

Leonid Meteor at 5:43am - November 18th, 2011

Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Thursday Night!

Jeff — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:12:24 +0000

The Leonids are back! Tomorrow night into Friday morning you can expect to see rates between 20-50/hr. Some experts have said there could some a couple outbursts this year to around 200/hr , but that won’t favor the United States and with the moon, even worst. We are now reaching the winter months, it can get pretty cold out and clouds can dominate the landscape. This year the moon will rise around midnight, but don’t let that keep you inside! There will be plenty of time in the evening hours with darker skies for the first half of the shower. When the moon rises it will then interfere with the meteor shower, but it won’t wash them all away. Leonid Fireballs are likely and I will be there when one falls.

Falling Star over Haleakala Crater - Maui, HI

It’s going down into the 20′s tomorrow night where I live. Remember to dress warm! Bring gloves, insulated boots, blankets, hats, fluids, camping chairs, cameras, tripods and some snacks! I would say meteor rates will be around 20 /hr with some sporadic bright fireballs. Let’s hope the weather is on my side!

“Islands in Autumn” Reaches the Hompage of National Geographic!

Jeff — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:53:09 +0000

“Islands in Autumn” has become my most popular photograph over the last two weeks. Ten of thousands of visitors have reached my website and the feedback that I have read and received, has been wonderful. I have read comments about it being a comet, asteroid or an iridium flare. I would like to tell everyone that indeed, this is a genuine Orionid Meteor. I have followed meteor showers for at least the last 10 years. I was a teenager when I saw the Leonid Storms of the 90′s from my back yard and it really sparked an interest.

One of the biggest factors that hurts your chances of viewing these showers besides the ability to stay up all night is light pollution and weather.. If it’s cloudy, you won’t see a single meteor and with light pollution, it turns night into day. I have photographed various meteor showers from many places in the US , some of those places are Mauna Kea, HI, Kauai, Maui, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Vermont, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Hampshire and St. Thomas.

Here is a photo of a Perseid Meteor exploding over the Pacific Ocean . Taken from the southern coast of Kauai, August 2010. I love the reflections in the water.

Kauai - Perseid MeteorQuadrantid Meteor 2011 Quadrantid Meteor Over Coastal Maryland.

Perseid over Utah 2011

Perseid Meteor - Utah

Quadrantids January 2011. Maryland

Quadrantid Meteor Over Coastal Maryland.

New meteor photos November 2011 will be posted the first week of December 2011. Good luck!

Photo of The Day: 11.3.2011 – Chasing Waterfalls

Jeff — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:43:13 +0000

I headed out with a friend of mine and fellow photographer to capture some scenic waterfalls among the changing colors in Autumn. We didn’t have to drive that far to find some interesting areas to photograph. We spent a solid 5hours hiking around and walked away with some neat photos. Here is one of my favorite ones of the day.