Project 24: clouds and sky.

I feel that a good sky can make or break an image.  The maxim 'good light is everything' often holds true in my experience and this usually includes a dramatic sky.  A white or grey sky of unremitting stratus clouds is very difficult to deal with.  Sometimes, however, so can a bright sky as it brings with it harsh, contrasty light especially in the middle of the day.  The object of this project was to compile a portfolio of images showing different cloud types and therefore gain experience of the required shooting settings under different skies.  We are required to make the sky the dominant part of the image but not shoot the sky alone.  As well as keeping my open for the opportunity of capturing different cloud types over the preceding months I specifically went out this last weekend looking for some.

Clouds can be classified as High, Middle and Low clouds and within each band are different cloud types.

High Clouds comprise cirrus and cirro cumulus clouds.  Mid-Level Clouds comprise alto-stratus and alto-cumulus clouds.  Low Level Clouds have among them stratus or layer clouds, nimbo-stratus which bring us our dreer wet days and cumulus clouds.  Cumulo-nimbus clouds or thunderheads are huge towering clouds which stretch through all three layers.  I have tried in my images to illustrate as many types as I can.

Low Level Clouds

Although this image doesn't quite fit the brief as the sky only occupies a small part of the image, I have included it as it illustrates low level stratus or nimbo-stratus cloud bringing persisitent rain in the Cairngorm Mountains this summer. 

I think here we have strato-cumulus, cumulus clouds gathering together to form a layer.

The sun shining on low level starto-cumulus (I think) during a heavy rain shower, producing a super double rainbow, the outside one of which spotlights Flamborough Lighthouse.

Low level fair weather cumulus clouds herald a fine day.

Middle Level Clouds

Large cumulus storm clouds over the North Yorkshire Moors taken from the Howardian Hills.

Higher level cumulus and cirrus clouds over Tetney Marshes.

Mid level cumulus clouds (I think!)

High Level Clouds

High level cirrus clouds over the Howardian Hills of North Yorkshire

Cirrus clouds over the Linconshire Wolds.

Cumulo Nimbus Clouds

The setting sun catches a large cumulo-nimbus cloud over the Yorkshire Moors.

Towering cumulo-nimbus over Tetney Marshes.

What have I learned.
One of the main things I have learned is that clouds and the sky are absolutely fascinating.  I have always loved clouds and, like many people, enjoy finding all sorts of shapes in them.  I am a big believer in the maxim 'great light is everything'.  There is nothing like a dramatic sky.  The light can sometimes be difficult to balance, especially with plain, grey skies, and here an ND grad can help.  I prefer to use the ND grad in Lightroom, then I know I am not going to have any colour casts associated with filters.  Occasionally bright skies can often produce very contratsy lighting, especially during the middle of the day.  At these times it may be better to have the soft, even light of an overcast sky.  At the beginning and end of the day it is usually easier to balance the light values between the sky and the ground.