Cloud Shot - Composition and Settings

[KevinCollins]

I took this tonight about 30 minutes before sunset. There's a cold front moving out and the clouds over the last couple of days have just been stunning.



EXIF Data:
Taken on July 12, 2010 at 8.03pm EDT
Camera Canon EOS 20D w/18-55mm kit lens
Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/9.0
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire


The problem that I've always had when taking pictures of clouds is: "How do I frame them?" In this shot I had to deal with the powerlines in the lower right and the unkept treeline on the left. I captured as much of the scene as I could (hence the 18mm) and then cropped it down to the composition you see here.

I had the camera set to aperture control and I actually under-exposed the shot. I used Zoner Photo Studio's "Quick Fix" feature to brighten it in post. Other than the crop and the "fix", I did nothing else to it in post.

So does this work for you guys? If not, what might I have done differently?

[navcom]

Clouds alone are tough. There are very few situations where a cloud-only shot will blow the viewer away. That's because we see millions of clouds and most of the time a cloud is just a cloud...even a pretty dramatic one. Even a shot of a tornado these days isn't as big of a deal as it was 30 years ago.

The best way to work with clouds is to let them support something else in the photograph. You need something in the foreground to be the subject and let the clouds support that subject. This goes pretty much the same for sunrises and sunsets.

As an example, if you have long wispy clouds, they act as horizontal lines and can dramatically effect a foreground that also has horizontal lines giving continuity. Angled wispy clouds can point towards something on the ground or towards the horizon or sunrise, drawing the viewer in, etc.

Another example is the tornado shot I mentioned. A funnel cloud coming out of the sky is impressive but it's really just a cone-shaped cloud and most of them become a documentary shot. A tornado that is ripping apart a barn or has motion by seeing the trees actually ripped out of the ground is much more impressive as it demonstrates and implies the tornado's destructiveness. A tornado back-lit by a pretty sunset sky breaking through the back of the storm or surrounded by unique cloud formations is frosting on the cake and turns a fascinating shot into something spectacular. The clouds and/or the sun support the subject.

Hope that helps!

[KevinCollins]

Now you've done it....now you've gone and made me think!

Thanks for the information. I've been trying for weeks to get a stunning sunset and now I know why I've not been getting it. Today's gonna be a crappy day for clouds or sunsets, but I'll be looking for new spots and subjects to try your recommendations out.

I'm glad these forums and people like you exist. I needed an explination and help to get better and you've provided me with both. Thank you!

[KevinCollins]

Oh and one other thing: Your Eaglevista photos are absolutely unbelieveable!!!

[Michael_2010]

That was a good summation of clouds and other features of a beautiful sky. I love cloud pictures of all sizes, shapes and colors, but I do understand the need to anchor them to something else. That ain't always easy.....

[navcom]

Originally Posted by KevinCollins

Oh and one other thing: Your Eaglevista photos are absolutely unbelieveable!!!

Thanks for the compliment! I love Minnesota and have been blessed to live here most of my life. It yields some great photo opportunities! Of course, there are very few places that don't...but I'm biased.

[Michael_2010]

Those do make a stunning set. How long you been at this navcom?

What do y'all think of this cloud picture? I was waiting for the sun to rise over my left shoulder and this was moving across a barrier island over my right shoulder.



What is going on with this one in the upper right of the frame? Is that digital noise causing the odd coloration, etc.?

[navcom]

I've been doing this photography thing for over 20 years now. It's always been a passion of mine. My wife calls it an obsession at times. But then again, she is an oil painter in her "other life" and has the same obsessions with her art, so I always throw that back at her.

Not quite sure what you are referring to. I don't see any real discoloration per se other than the pink hue from the rising sun. I think what is really happening is just a bit of focusing or depth of field issue going on. Did you use auto focus or manual?

I saw your other thread about sharpness. I don't think your shots are that bad. They look pretty normal straight out of the camera. If you are using auto focus and you still think you should be able to do better with your equipment, I wonder if you might have a back focus issue with your lens. Every individual lens is different. Some come from the factory just slightly off. This is not an issue if you are using manual focus but it can really screw with your mind in auto focus mode.

Check your camera manual. You might have options to over ride your camera body and fine tune the back focus on individual lenses. Otherwise do a web or forum search for back focusing to get a better idea about the subject.

Also, be careful not to get too "pixel peepy". If you are a perfectionist like me, you will suffer from the same ailment...pixel peeping. Don't get too caught up in looking for every pixel to be perfect. It's the image as a whole that really counts.

If, in a couple days, you are still really frustrated, let me know. I can pick one of my images that has sold prints (so you know it's not just an illusion) and show you the out-of-the-camera shot and the post-processed shot for comparison. That might put some of your fears to rest.

[Michael_2010]

Yeah, that one was full auto on all levels. I was setting up the tripod and getting ready for the sun to rise in the opposite direction of these storm clouds. So, I just put it on auto and took a couple of hand-held shots as the storm quickly moved across the island.

I sent this one to a local news channel and I saw it pop up on the flat screen the next morning while the weather guy discussed the storms of the previous day. I could see every pixle in the blasted thing and I kind of cringed, wishing I had done a much better job. lol I do study my own pictures way too much and when I look at the work of others I mainly just see the whole. Funny how that works out....

[Michael_2010]

I really didn't intend to hijack this thread. Please forgive me. It just hit on a topic of broader interest to me.