Drama in the Skies

Winter's Corner

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.

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.

After the Storm

A stormy night gives way to morning. Having caressed her face, a raindrop lingers for a moment before dropping to the ground.

The visit to the leaf's surface refreshes. Reaching deep into her soil, it sustains.

I used my 60 mm macro lens to capture this drop. I didn't bother with my tripod. Instead I chose to put my camera on burst-mode. I used a faster shutter speed, hoping at least one of the shots would be sharp. As the wind moved the leaf, the speed of shooting managed to catch a few decent shots.

I'll leave you with one more picture from the same shoot.