Drama in the Skies

Under the Cloud, it is Cloudy

Under the cloud, it is cloudy.

And real.
There will be times when all we can see are clouds.
And that is real, too.
Even when others are in the sunshine just beside you.

Sometimes it takes a kind of faith that reminds me there is more to the picture,

that it isn't cloudy everywhere,

that it won't always be cloudy.
That is also real.

Life and Loss

Happy and sad hold hands.

Askew

Sometimes something is just a little off. More and more, I like that.

Look Up

We pay nothing.
We just need to look up.
Look up.
See the beauty that is in our skies.

Sky High

The Curtain Came Down

Here is another example showing how black and white photography is great for showcasing definition and contrast, such as in a scene like this. The storm clouds were less threatening in colour than in the black and white shown here. The reality (and intensity) of the clouds' anger was best displayed void of colour.

Bumping up the contrast a little more was all that was needed to effectively show you how the storm descended on the fields. The curtain came down and brought with it the night.

I shot at f/6.3 with a shutter speed of 1/200. I kept my ISO at 100, my preferred setting for almost all conditions. My focal length was 70 mm.

Clouds

Autumn's Canvas

Winnipeg's skies and fields are painted by Autumn.

I shot at f/5 and 1/640 with a focal length of 190. Once in Lightroom I used a preset but then increased contrast in the buildings and changed the hue of the golds from there.

Presets can be a great starting point. When I use them I'll continue to play and tweak until the image looks as it does in my mind.

Reflecting

Storm Rolled In

The storm clouds literally rolled in as we drove along on the highway. Soon we found ourselves in heavy rain and high winds. The lightening brightened up the skies momentarily but mostly it was pretty dark and visibility was not good. Traffic slowed considerably; some stopped alongside the road. It didn't take long, maybe twenty minutes, until we reached the end of the storm's strength and the sun shone brightly again.

With the low light of the stormy sky ahead, I chose to use a large aperture to allow for as much light as possible at a shutter speed of 1/60. I couldn't slow my shutter speed seeing as I was in a moving vehicle while shooting.

To gain a little more brightness I bumped up my ISO to 200. I tend to shy away from increasing my ISO above the 100 standard because I am not a fan of the grainy result. In processing I reduced the noise as best I could without losing too much clarity.

The Forks

We enjoyed a break in the clouds yesterday. A perfect place to savor the sunshine in the city is The Forks, where the Assiniboine River and Red River meet. Market places, patio restaurants, buskers, outdoor festivals, boat rides are just some of the offerings found at this junction.

To get this shot (taken from the bridge), I used my 24-70mm f2.8 lens. I shot at a speed of 1/200 sec @ f/13. Using a large depth of field was important to having as much of the scene in focus as possible. For me, the sky was just as significant to the picture as The Forks, for it is both interesting and draws attention to The Forks and surrounding buildings with the clouds and the plane trails. I added layers in processing to enhance the image further.

This was just a fun picture to take! The contrasts between hard and soft and also in the colours present were irresistible. Blowing out the sky in some measure was necessary to have adequate exposure for the light standard. Even with that, I still bumped up the standard's brightness and scaled back the exposure of the sky in processing to get the end result I was after.

Where the Clouds Grow

I found the place where the clouds grow.

Shallow depth of field and beautifully soft morning light were my friends when I visited my gardens this morning. As I looked through my viewfinder with my aperture set at f2.8, the petals billowed into clouds around the base of the flower (which I tried to keep focused and sharp to give a frame of reference).

Letting my imagination go with the visuals presented to me through my lens is so much fun!

Dream

The Faces of the Clouds

Like water, the clouds have many faces. On our way out to the Whiteshell and back today, the clouds shifted and cleared to make room for the sun for a short while and then came back heavier, but in layers. Watching the trees and grasses change under the skies was exciting. I dared not take my eyes off the landscape lest I miss something along the way.

Like water, the skies too can echo our emotions. Like the shifting skies today, our emotions can also change quickly and dramatically, depending on our circumstances.

Unlike water and skies, the place where I am anchored does not change, no matter the circumstances. This place is my God. So let the skies change and the waters flow. I will remain anchored while present in today and the emotions it may bring.

Prairie's Rainbow

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky...
~William Wordsworth

Driving through the prairies over a stretch that can seem rather long, we were delighted to encounter a prairie storm. Rainbows, double rainbows, dark clouds, bright sunny pops and heavy rain were all part of this storm. This was anything but boring! I had to stop and take pictures. Fortunately, the direction of the wind worked in my favor as I was shielded from the rain by our truck for this shot (and others). How beautiful, this prairie land of of ours is!

Tree

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The next best time is now.  ~Chinese Proverb

Spotlight - Green

Spotlight - Summer on the Prairies

I've been going through my archives and have pulled out some shots to share with you. These last few Spotlight pictures I've posted say summer. They are not recent photos but somehow immediately allow me back to experience the scene with all of my senses, not sight alone. I feel the hot summer sun on my face. My nose twitches as I smell the clover in the fields. I hear the loon's call over the still water and even taste the salt air of the sea.

Though not my best work, these images engage me in ways some of my other work cannot.

Summer on the Prairies