"For Thy Mercy is great above the heavens: and Thy Truth Reacheth unto the clouds."
Psalm 108:4
Hi there! After some prayer and reflection on times past I decided to share some experiences and observations from my journey through photography over the years, and thought to publish this series of articles the next several weeks that take little - but important - tips that I have learned, (many times from mistakes with pictures I took,) and put them in short - to the point - bite size (ha ha byte size?) bits of discussion that will contrast comparison pictures (taken on different days, and the compositions may be slightly different) to illustrate what and why I am talking about these things.
So for this one, this is going to be specifically for landscape photos but, can actually improve other shots as well, even outdoor portraits - more on that in a bit. It's really simple. When we want to get an attractive landscape, one of the most important things that helps is a... very dynamic sky. And the best way to do that? Hope for a cloudy day! I don't mean like totally overcast - no, but rather, take advantage of opportunities where you have a smattering of various puffy (or wispy) clouds. It makes such a difference in the overall look.
Not only is the image filled with more to catch your eye, it also helps diffuse harsh lighting so that you have more balanced tones and contrast ends up more gentle, and highlights don't blow out as much and shadows aren't as harsh. This is what I referred to earlier about outdoor shots other than landscapes including portraits. There's simply a better visual environment when you have some clouds around to diffuse the light and fill the sky with dynamic action.
Obviously, we can't custom order a cloud filled day - it is what it is, and sometimes we travel out of necessity, but with that said... I have found that if you are planning a scenic trip to take pictures, and you have a few days ahead to plan for it - take a quick look and see what the weather is forcasted to be. What I specifically look for is partly cloudy or, if there's rain, what's the first day they expect it to stop. I can't tell you what a difference it makes when you can catch a scene after a rainstorm. Not only is the ground more saturated with color, but the ionized air is cleaner from the storm and comes with all the benefits mentioned prior that, because of the high dew-point remaining, typically guarantees there will still be attractive clouds to fill your sky, as they slowly dissipate away over the next several hours.
Reflecting on the Psalm above that started this article, I realize how much more of an impact clouds can have - a depth and expanse visually that gives glory to God, and can be emotionally uplifting as well!
That wraps up that one, I hope that helps and please feel free to leave comments and questions; we love to hear from you!
Until next time...
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