Bad Weather Can Make Great Photo Ops

View of downtown Toronto during a storm on Wednesday June 8, 2011.
Nikon D7000 with 18-200mm VR. ISO 800 1/200 at f3.5 Aperture Priority.
(Click on the photo for a larger version)

I met some friends down at the Keating Pub to try out a new location for our weekly Wednesday night bike meet. Sadly after a couple years of bike nights at St. Louis' on King St., they closed their doors in February.

As I pulled up in the parking lot, the sky was dark and the wind was whipping up. The staff were frantically taking down the patio umbrellas so they wouldn't set sail. Dirt, leaves, paper and everything else that wasn't tied down was flying around so I kept my helmet helmet on. Thoughts of Dorothy and Kansas came to mind with these strong winds and ominous skies. I snapped a few quick photos before heading inside.

The dark clouds sure made for some dramatic photos. Sometimes when you think it's time to put away the camera, it's the best time to capture some great images! Mathematically speaking, 95% of people will bag their cameras so you're already in the top 5 percentile :) My photographer friend Neil Cameron from Competition Images captured some fantastic motorcycle racing photos during the pouring rain with rooster tails, reflections off the water on the track, and a motorcycle almost axle-deep in water as if he was fording a river. I wasn't brave enough to stand out in the rain all day, but Neil got the money shots (well I hope he got some money for his trouble!).

(more photos after the jump)

The storm looked like serious business to the north!
ISO 800 1/160 at f3.5 Aperture Priority

Greg received a text that the group from the North that got caught in a major downpour and pulled under an overpass at Sheppard and 404.

Well, the storm was all bark and no bite. At least where we were. There were a few rain drops, but nothing serious. However, looking north, the skies pretty dark with electrical activity. Later in the evening, a guy pulled in with his car and we got to chatting. He drove down from North York and he said he pulled over under a tree because he was scared the hail balls would break his windshield! According to the news, golf ball-sized hail was reported in Thornhill (just north of Toronto) and at the height of the storm, about 5,000 homes were without power! (Source: CP24)


Sadly, after a couple hours, the northern group headed home after almost drowning in the rain.

I think we all agreed the Keating Pub would be a great place for our weekly meets, if not for the great view, but for the bubble of protection against inclement weather.

My peeps.
ISO 3200 1/60 at f4.5 Aperture Priority