"Mother Nature's Rapture"

and of mine as well....I just said "never underestimate"! The shot is great susan, I too like that most all of the frame is filled with the subject right down to the beautiful horizon.j

Susan dear...although I went out once to photograph the bombers scooping water from the lake....this image I posted is of the same clouds you were shooting on the same night ...only from an RV resort a couple of hours south in Billings...I'll post a few from the fire soon... Last night we got some much needed rain! we also had some not needed lightening..! For the moment we are all safe and intact! (Thanks Leslie).......Juan

 

Don't worry Janis! My girls are everything to me!

...Juan

Juan, you and your family stay safe.

J

Well doggone, that's where all those twisters have been comin' from... Nice capture Susan.

 

These are so common down here we hardly pay attention to 'em, unless of course they're green - then we get ready for a hailstorm. Actually, we hadn't had that many of them this season even with all the rain. Nary a tornado one this year either; guess everything went North to ya'll. Watch that lighting. Been hearing folks wearing ipods are attractin' lightin' so I've been wonderin' about shootin' digital around an electrical storm. Hadn't heard any bad stories yet but seems like there might be some connections. I love a good storm though. Take care. ~Sky

A striking photograph with such an unusual cloud formation. Nice composition. Kind regards, Neil

Janis, I think the "never underestimate" part of Mother Nature is one of the best parts, she's so awesome when she's having a temper tantrum.

 

Your clouds Juan were so reddish that I just assumed they were lit by fire....

 

And Sky Blue says these are "common" in Texas, now I want to know why he hasn't photograped them 'cause they look pretty spectacular to me.

 

We're all glad Juan and his "ladies" are OK, for the time being.

Awesome sky, Susan and the perspective is great.

I may have a photo, Susan. I'll have to plow through some and see. I always end up photographing wall clouds or thunderheads. I guess I've always taken cover from the impending hailstones with these. I know the last extreme looking batch like this was a couple of years ago when a tornado was down about six-miles away. (Funny, I never made the corrolation between the two.) Anyway, I know I've contemplated getting the camera if I never did. They move by pretty quick. Most of them aren't quite as dramatic as this one and the one's Kim and Juan posted but some are. I'm glad you put this one up cause it makes me want to grab the camera now. Ya'll have definately had our weather up North this Summer we still haven't hit a hundred yet... (maybe today) It's been a great Spring and Summer, minus the occasional flood. Take care and keep those braggin' rights cause you deserve 'em for this photo. (You too, Kim and Juan.)

 

It did make me curious reading that so many folks hadn't seen them before. Reminded me of when I lived in Alaska. No one where I was at had seen lightnin' or heard thunder there. That first Summer it thundered and I believed them, that they were tellin' the truth, because they didn't know what it was at first. Some decided it was a nearby volcano but for some reason it thundered and lightninged several more times that year... They blamed me for bringin' it up with me. Anyway, we know about strange weather down here. Congrats on the great photo and If I find one in my files I'll be sure and put it up. Sorry, to get all wordy again. Have a good one and I'll catch you later. ~Sky

 

P.S. We always called 'em ball clouds, guess it was after makin' a bunch of steers...

The sky flowing over me Paula was so awesome I could barely keep from pointing the camera straight up, well actually I did.

 

I love photographing storms Sky but when I'm out there running around with a METAL tripod and the lightning is really flashing I head for the house.

I was here a few days ago, got lost in my thoughts about the first time I saw clouds like this in the 50's. From that experience, I've always looked for cover when they start forming.

Super job with the DOF in this photo along with your exposure.

Remarkable shot.

I've got a whole folder full of these dramatic clouds, some are of just the clouds but one is of the clouds forming, think I'll go give editing it a try. I'm just tickled pink everyone found this so fascinating. I had never seen any thing like them before and stayed out in the open watching them roil overhead long after I should have gone in.

This is an incredible photo. It seems so different from the horizontal presentation. Simply stunning.

Greetings Andrew, this storm just kept building and building until I finally went in 'cause the lightning was really cracking.

Beautiful image and amazing clouds. I have never seen clouds even remotely like these ones. You mentioned that they produced quite a bit of lightning. Did you capture any of it in your shots before you had to take cover ?

Oh how I wish I'd gotten a shot of the lightning Gordon, 'cause when it came out of the clouds it was in multiple streaks and the thunder was deafening.

Hi Susan, thanks for the response. When you have such a spectacular sky already and have then have rendered it into this wonderful photo, you are not in need of any extra fireworks. I was just curious.

Susan - This is really spectacular image.

You're welcome Gordon.

 

Thanks Mark, it was an awesome sight.

Back on Utah Highway 12...

Oh John, I'm just dying to see your image you attached but the file is so large that after five minutes of waiting for it to download I gave up, I have an old and very slow dial up connection to the internet, very frustrating, but I'm so remote that short of buying my own satelitte I'm stuck with dial up. I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's photos of this type of cloud formation and then some.....

Susan:

 

I've added smaller versions to my portfolio. When I saw the clouds that day in Utah I could only think of your image.

We get this kind of cloud several times every summer. I'm glad to find out what they're called...and to see them top such a beautiful picture.