You may have noticed how much we like to show your beautiful pictures during our weather forecasts. We’re suckers for a gorgeous sunrise or sunset. And when severe weather strikes, we count on you to be our eyes on the ground and (safely) share what’s happening. So how do you make sure your picture gets on the air — or at least increase your chances? Here are five few simple things you can do.
TAKE A GOOD PICTURE: As simple as that sounds, beautiful scenery doesn’t guarantee a beautiful weather picture. There are a few simple tricks for taking pretty pictures, involving framing and exposure. This site includes some great advice: http://www.rmets.org/weather-and-climate/image-gallery/photographing-weather
HORIZONTAL GOOD, VERTICAL BAD: One of the main reasons I don’t use an otherwise beautiful weather picture is that it won’t fit on the TV screen! Look at your TV. It’s wider than it is tall. If you send us a picture that’s taller than it is wide, we’ll have to severely crop it to make it fill the screen.
BE TIMELY: There’s nothing more disappointing than receiving a gorgeous sunset picture and finding out it was taken last week or last month. It’s still a great picture, but we are telling today’s weather story. So if you take a great shot, get it to us ASAP so we can get it on the air. You can get your picture to us several ways. You can post it on my Facebook page HERE or the VIPIR Weather Watchers page HERE. You can also upload your photo HERE at WTKR.com or download our mobile app HERE.
AVOID UTILITY LINES: Utility lines can ruin a great weather picture. Can you move somewhere to get them out of your shot? If not, your photo probably won’t make it on air.
GO OUTSIDE: As obvious as this may sound, you’d probably be surprised how many pictures we get that show a little bit of weather and a whole lot of window screen. If you’re trying to shoot a picture of what’s happening outside, go outside. If it’s not safe to photograph whatever is out there, it is probably not safe to be at the window, either.
There you have it… some simple ways to get your weather pic on TV. Go get shooting!
Patrick Rockey
NewsChannel 3 Chief Meteorologist
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