I chase and photograph thunderstorms. Every thunderstorm that I can chase, I chase. July 28, 2014 was a day off from work as a Boston Herald news photographer, which afforded me the opportunity to storm chase. The storm cells that the weather radar showed just after 9am that morning, looked like a good possibility for me. I drove to Bayswater St. in East Boston thinking I could shoot the Boston skyline with any lightning that might be occur. It did not occur. The storm’s energy seemed to shift quickly toward the northeast, over what appeared to be the Revere, Saugus, Everett area. I then drove to Morton St. in Winthrop, which gives a nice view of Revere. Photos of daytime lightning are very difficult to achieve, especially during haze and heavy rain, so this was not turning out too well for me. I did, however, notice the very turbulent sky above Revere. I snapped a few photos. Shortly thereafter I got a tip that Revere had a lot of damage near the lower Broadway area, near city hall. I called the Herald photo desk and then arrived at Broadway and Tafts St. in approximately 10 minutes. The extent of the damage was shocking. I started taking photos and then moved toward Revere Beach Parkway. There I saw several homes with rooftops blown off. It was then, after seeing the angle of the fallen trees and calling up a high school weather class memory, that I guessed it might have been a tornado that socked this area. If fallen trees are angled in several different angles, then most likely it was a tornado. If the trees are lined up in the same way, then it was straight line winds that tore through the area. Here are some of the cloud formations just prior to, and after the tornado, and also the damage caused by it. Please check out the Boston Herald for continuing coverage.
Archive for July, 2015
One year ago, the Revere tornado. Early moments of my photo coverage.
by markadmin Posted: Tuesday, 7/28/2015On the occasion of Gisele Bundchen’s birthday, a Gisele flashback, in photos.
by markadmin Posted: Monday, 7/20/2015Happy 35th birthday to Gisele. On July 20, 1980 Gisele Caroline Bundchen was born. She has been the world’s most successful fashion model, an influential businesswoman, a champion of the environment, and more recently, a Bostonian. But on September 21, 2009 I witnessed, and photographed, a more daring side to her, when Gisele, more than 6 months pregnant, took helicopter flying lessons in Marshfield,MA. Her helicopter pilot/instructor is Stuart Matsumoto. Below are my exclusive photos.
Copyright PictureBoston, Copyright Mark Garfinkel
Three weeks since girl’s body, now known as #BabyDoe, found on Deer Island.
by markadmin Posted: Thursday, 7/2/2015I pass this memorial frequently, on sunset bike rides, and have been moved to see the growth and the caring of the memorial at the area on Deer Island where the young girl’s body was found three weeks ago. Boston area residents have showed their true colors in stepping up to create this. Massachusetts State Police have set up an anonymous tip line. Tips can be called in to the 24-hour phone line at (617) 396-5655.