What happened to the Sky?

<p>I took this picture of my wife tonight, i am having some fun with my Nikon SB600 but i am totally baffled by those misty clouds in the sky and ideas? Yeah it is blurry i know it was only a test.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p><div></div>

<p>No ideas at all. I can't see the picture.</p>

<p>Second try, now I can see it. Sorry, don't know what happened.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, even though I can see it now, I still have no idea at all. Are you saying it didn't look like that at all?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Looks normal to me. What were you expecting? A lil more exposure for the background may have helped.</p>

<p>I didn't want anymore exposure for the background Sheldon it was pretty boring, Larry have you ever seen clouds like that? Maybe this is what flash does, news to me.</p>

<p>Are you saying expose more for the sky Sheldon or directly behind the subject?</p>

<p>Just 2 cents worth: Perhaps they are darker than usual due to the flash exposure (small f number and 1/60 or faster shutter speed). I have seen the red orange long drawn out cloud formations like that. Happens fairly often in the more northerly areas. Might have something to do with the wind blowing faster than the clouds are moving and blowing the clouds apart a little. As for the darker clouds above, that is normal, as they are shielded from the low late sunset light by the lower clouds. Fairly whispy, too, maybe also a consequence of the high wind at those heights.</p>

<p>I like early evening shots like this. A nicely balanced exposure.</p>

<p>And move that flash off the camera while you’re opening up the exposure for the

background…</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

<p>I'm really worried that you've never seen clouds like that before. Do you spend a lot of time staring at your shoes?<br>

:-P</p>

 

<p>Simon, I think that they are colloquially known as mares tails (cirrus clouds) and indicate windy conditions coming in the next 24 hours</p>

<p><strong>And move that flash off the camera while you’re opening up the exposure for the background…</strong></p>

<p>Can't do that on my camera Ben, just out of interest though what would that do?</p>

<p>Jon those clouds did not look like that, they look really flat and not real in the picture, almost painted i thought i might have made a classic mistake, seems i just might be crazy, i have never heard of Mares Tails though interesting.</p>

<p>[[Jon those clouds did not look like that, they look really flat and not real in the picture]]</p>

<p>You saw the scene one way and recorded it differently (by rendering a black background) so it's not surprising that the photo looks different than you remembered it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>If you mean the clouds shown here with the lovely (but somewhat skeptical?) woman cropped out, these are unusual in being multiple, but basically it is a cloud formation known as "mare's tail" which is a form of cirrus cloud. Wind shear at high altitudes causes the form, which my Swedish (well both of them were Swedish, but you know what I mean) Grandma used to say was a portent of rain. [sorry Jon, missed your earlier answer]</p>

<p>Then, again, it could be the dread chemtrails, killing us off to spread the New World Order. Brrr.</p><div></div>

<p>Those aren't clouds, those are Spirit Orb Creation Factories<br>

http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00UOdH</p>

<p>Simon,</p>

 

<p>Pay a visit to <a href="http://strobist.com/">strobist.com</a> and <a

href="http://planetneil.com/">planetneil.com</a> — but only if you’re prepared to feel

compelled to save up to buy a hotshoe-mounted flash.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

<p>Simon,</p>

 

<p>I just had a closer look at the clouds. I think part of your confusion is that there’s a band

of steel-gray sky — the part that JDM highlighted — that looks sorta cloud-ish. The

dark grey mare’s tails are simply shadowed by other clouds, which is why they aren’t

colorful.</p>

 

<p>Play around with the white balance, and that which is cloud and that which is sky should

become much more readily apparent.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

<p>Simon, when I shoot macros, and want my SB600 off camera, I use my Nikon Sync Cord and a Stroboframe flash bracket (which you don't really need, but I find it comes in handy)...</p>

<p>That could be the mare's tails clouds, if they were high up. The other thought is that it could be rain that evaporates before hitting the ground, but I would expect to see heavier clouds for that.<br>

There's a name for precipitation that doesn't reach the ground, but can't remember it just now.</p>

<p>7/7 Bellisimo. Wonderful capture my friend.</p>

<p>dunno, looks pretty awesome though!</p>

<p>JDM, Tak sa mycket</p>

<p><em>"... There's a name for precipitation that doesn't reach the ground, but can't remember it just now.<br /> </em> ..."</p>

<p> = Virga<br>

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_scientific_name_when_rain_evaporates_before_touching_the_ground</p>

<p>Tom M<br>

Washington, DC</p>

 

<p>Hi Simon, I think it was the guy who invented the barometer, Torricelli, who said that <em>'we live at the bottom of an ocean of air'</em>. That gives a good idea of what is going on all the time above us with air currents due to changes in pressure, thermals due to varying temperature from the sun, updrafts due to mountains and a load of other effects all combining to give the sorts of cloud patterns you photographed.<br />I have found photography has made me much more aware of cloud formations as I have time to look closely at them. Wide angle lenses seem to show clouds in a way that I was unaware of before I started shooting with a w/a lens.</p>

<p>At least your wife will pose. My better half won't sit for a portrait at all even if I think she's the best looking little blond I know!</p>

<blockquote>

<p><snip>but i am totally baffled by those misty clouds in the sky and ideas?<snip></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, I don't see the "ideas" at all ;)</p>

<p>The clouds look like..., clouds. Very interesting ones though, like them.</p>

<p><strong>At least your wife will pose.</strong></p>

<p>She does not look very happy though does she John :-)</p>

<p>I don't have a sync cord for the sb600 Jen, i am holding out for the D90 and then all will be good in the world.</p>

<p>Colin the reason i brought this up was although the clouds were stunning i don't remember them looking "quite" that way and i downloaded them onto the computer just after i took them.</p>

<p>I have checked all the pictures and they are all the same, i guess the Mares Tails look rather more graphic than i actually saw them or like i had used a tele and compressed the sky, basically i am not usually a flash user and thought it had affected my image, seems not i do agree though clouds are truly fascinating and i have added the term Mares Tails to my Knowledge Box.</p>