Clouds

[azemerov]

Hi,<br>

I'm living in Dallas, TX. This area is very interesting for it's fast and

dramatic changes of cloud formations. I've never seen so many interesting and

beautiful clouds before. So I want to capture their beauty on camera. And I'm

not talking about "traditional" landscapes where clouds are just some elements

of the composition - I want to take pictures where clouds are key and central

elements.<br>

And here my two problems. The first question is artistic one - what kind of

composition should be used for such pictures (and what kind of focal length is

suitable for that)? If I take shot of cloud only without first and second plan

details the image looks too plain. If include some elements - alone tree,

electric pole, etc. - I'll distract attention from the clouds because they are

always on the back plane. Do you have any thoughts or experience? May be I can

ask differently - how to put clouds on the first plan? Remember, I'm living in

Texas and have no possibility to make picture with mountains _behind_ clouds :(<br>

Another problem is technical. All my experience with cloud shots give me

images where clouds appear dull - they miss fine details and halftones.

Polarizers help me to increase contrast, but detailization still struggle. I

shut in digital and thinking about HDR. But may be my problem can be solved in

different, more traditional way?<br>

Here is an example of picture where I struggle with both problems - clouds are not

key element and they detailization is far from the desirable/original - <a

href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/azemerov/R37c-ua3rDI/AAAAAAAAASk/kTB7gw5YeaI/imgp2538.jpg?imgmax=640">(link).</a><br>

Thank you.

[JDMvW]

Shooting (white) clouds is like shooting snow. You need to play with aperture

(or do exposure compensation, however) to prevent either burn out or, on the

other end, loss of shadow detail. Use the histogram on your preview image, if

your camera has that feature (look into the manual, many people don't know that

they have this).

 

This is one place where the digital experience and the LCD can really make it

easier-you can experiment with different apertures, etc. and get a rough idea of

what effect changes have. In film days, you just hoped for the best, and said

(like the Cubs fans) "wait til the next time!"

 

And, by the way, we who have lived in the Great Plains, "Don' need no steenking

trees!"<div></div>

[dan_hall4]

Here is one with CP and some processing in PSE 6

 

<a href=" title="IMG_5760 rd by danattherock, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/2530669932_6fe40c96fc.jpg" width="500" height="237" alt="IMG_5760 rd" /></a>

[dan_hall4]

Sorry, try this link.

 

[dhauschild]

I agree, you just have to play in manual mode. Unless you are shooting dark storm clouds, it is better to underexpose a little, try to keep your ISO as low as possible. If you are shooting a stationary or slow moving cloud formation, it may be worth your time to setup a tripod a get some long exposures. But the most important thing for me in digital photography of clouds is the post processing.

[derek_thornton1]

If you are into weather photography you are in a great spot. I lived in Rockwall Tx. for a couple years, the clouds and weather there was awesome. It is a little scary at times to see a black wall of clouds rolling towards your house. Where I am at know we are lucky to get a thunderstorm. I really miss the wild weather of Dallas.

 

What is a 'traditional" landscape? To make the clouds the key element you shoot 2/3 sky, 1/3 ground. To make the ground the key element shoot 2/3 ground, 1/3 sky. You should also try working with graduated ND filters.

 

Next time one of those black storms roll in over the grasslands and the sun is lighting up the prairie underneath, use a split nd to further darken the sky.

[kerry_grim]

Two excellent sites related to weather and cloud photography:

 

http://www.atoptics.co.uk

 

http://www.weatherscapes.com/techniques.php

 

There is also a wealth of information should you try Googling Storm Chasers. Texas should be a great place for sky/cloud photography. Living in Eastern Pennsylvania as I do poses a huge challenge finding a sky without haze or a landscape not obliterated with houses and telephone poles and wires.

[azemerov]

Thank you all for your responses. It was helpful.<br>

Here are some my pictures, while they are not exactly what I want - <a

href="http://picasaweb.google.com/azemerov/Landscape">(link)</a>. All of them

have tendency to appear as regular landscape works. I'm still working...