Skies: Show your most impressive skies!

[Tom Robbins]

There are some incredible skies here. One aspect of most of these is that the sky itself is a worthwhile subject, as is the land toward the bottom of the frame. What seems to make the photographs impressive is the way the two harmonize and compliment each other. This is probably obvious to everyone, but the series serves well to illustrate the idea.

Morning Shower​

This photo was taken shortly after a doozy of a thunderstorm rolled through during the night several weeks ago. The sky overwhelms the ground in this case, but it is evident that the farmer's early corn and bean fields weren't able to absorb the heavy rain.

 

[Mark Hampton]

man there are som many images that I like on this thread - keep them coming - ther sky is such a dynamic system - got to love it

Sky.Exposure.Clipped - Mark Hampton​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Fahim,

I really like the tree added to the sky. This is a classic! Consider cropping 1" below the tree.

Asher

 

[Brandon Cade]

​

 

[Mark Hampton]

leter to S - Mark Hampton​

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

Today

Today in littlehampton (UK) not impressive but quite nice...

 

[Mark Hampton]

Decoupling - M Hampton​

 

[Mark Hampton]

Decoupling 2 - M Hampton​

[/QUOTE]

 

[Asher Kelman]

Decoupling 2 - M Hampton​

[/QUOTE]

What is doing the decoupling? Are the windows at an angle or reflecting a different part of the sky?

Asher

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

Northern Sky:

 

[Mark Hampton]

Decoupling 2 - M Hampton​

What is doing the decoupling? Are the windows at an angle or reflecting a different part of the sky?

Asher[/QUOTE]

in this case most things are decoupling - there are no windows other than my imposition - this is not real but a fiction - the only refection is the one recorded...

 

[Asher Kelman]

What is doing the decoupling? Are the windows at an angle or reflecting a different part of the sky?

Asher

in this case most things are decoupling - there are no windows other than my imposition - this is not real but a fiction - the only refection is the one recorded...[/QUOTE]

Mark,

I'm lost, LOL! Is this a composite?

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Today in littlehampton (UK) not impressive but quite nice...

Sandrine,


I commend you to look at two versions of you wonderful picture. first cropped ~ 2.5 cm above the man and a second version cropped ~ 2.5 cm below him! Try it you might b pleasantly surprised! I'd love to know how you respond to these versions and do they in any way carry you feelings of the original?

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Northern Sky:

Jarmo,

We don't see many views of Northern skies. Sometimes it's good to describe in words to oneself what it is one is going to get into the camera. In that case, more of each side might be nice. I hope you have more and perhaps in horizontal format too!

Asher

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

do you mean that:

​

and that:

Of course if make pictures quite different...I have a preference for the "sand" one, but in this case nothing to do with a "most impressive sky" thread...

I am not a science person but I'd like to know what makes the color of the clouds so different (so maybe I can use it in conjunction with accurate weather forecast (sic) to prepare shootings in advance)
Cheers Asher!!!!

 

[Mark Hampton]

in this case most things are decoupling - there are no windows other than my imposition - this is not real but a fiction - the only refection is the one recorded...

Mark,

I'm lost, LOL! Is this a composite?

Asher[/QUOTE]

Asher,

So am I !! its a composite of the same image - if that makes any sense. Sometimes i think I write like a bad criptic cross word !

Decoupling 3 - M Hampton​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Mark,

I now understand better. I have done such work years ago with faces. So it makes sense to me. I will look at them again with that in mind. Thanks for sharing the route you travelled here!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Mark,

I'm lost, LOL! Is this a composite?

Asher

Asher,

So am I !! its a composite of the same image - if that makes any sense. Sometimes i think I write like a bad criptic cross word !

Decoupling 3 - M Hampton​

Mark,

Armed with your explanation that we're seeing an iteration of the same photograph, your picture is more understandable and better appreciated. Within one set of existence you have found another. The sky on the top is no longer water vapor but is on fire.

Asher

 

[Mark Hampton]

Decoupling 4 - M Hampton

Decoupling 5 - M Hampton​

there are more - but i need to work on them.

 

[Werner Gansz]

Reworked Vermont Sky

This picture is discussed in its post production work here. Separating that discussion to its own well deserved thread allows this Thematic thread to be viewed fast. ADK

Asher, Bart; Thank you for your comments. This was indeed taken in raw with 3 exposures with a Nikon D90. You are both correct that I favored the sky and allowed the ground and barn to go dark. I purposely put the barn in a far corner and left it dark because I didn't want this to be a picture of a barn. I simply wanted the barn to provide a sense of place. However, what I realize now is that processing it as I did made it look like a poorly exposed photograph and that was not the intent either.

My D90 gets about 8 EV of dynamic range at base ISO. The +/- 2 EV raw files show about an additional 1 EV on either side of the middle exposure so the total range is approximately 10 EV or a bit more. The blended exposure has no blown highlights in any color so I had the full range to work with. In this reworked version I think I extracted additional detail in the darker clouds and the tree line without resorting to tonemapping (although one could argue that masking is just another form of tonemapping).

I agree with both of you that the very dark trees and barn were not useful. Looking at this version I think the barn still stays in the background. I tried cropping the RV out of the lower right but then the ramp runs right into the border. I didn't think that looked right but I'd like your opinions on that. Also, I suppose I could clone it out.

regards, and thank you again,
Werner

 

[Asher Kelman]

Werner,

Thanks for allowing your pictures-in-progress to be moved here that led to you last picture which is impressive indeed deserving of it's own space.[/SIZE]

I do like the complex drama in the skies and yet we know it overlooks a vast pastoral place where man works humbly with nature to give us food. It might be considered a comment on our struggle for sustenance, or just dramatic clouds over a New England Landscape.

Thanks for sharing!

Asher

 

[StuartRae]

After the rain

The rain exits stage left, leaving behind clearer skies and the vestiges of a rainbow.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Winston Mitchell]

Copyright 2010 Winston C. Mitchell​

Winston,

I am stuck for words - this is Stunning. I will keep coming back to look at this work you made.

thanks

Hi Winston,

That is absolutely magnificent.

Regards,

Stuart

Winston: As others have mentioned...Stunning. I am drawn to it, into it. Ominous and beautiful at the same time. The colors! The Columns leading to the epicenter ( ? ) beckon me.

Love it.

As others have said, this is a fantastic image. So much detail and interest in the sky. Must look stunning as a large print.

Thank you all for your too kind remarks.
After posting the image I was sucked into an abyss and haven't had much time on-line.

The image ia a pano made in the Okavango Deltta (Botswana) last February. Most of the image is from one frame with a little cotribution from two others at the sides.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The rain exits stage left, leaving behind clearer skies and the vestiges of a rainbow.

Stuart,

I'm not sure I've seen the moon and a rainbow together before. This is a beautiful experience. Did you take others. I'm interested in what else is below the lower border and to the right.

Asher

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Asher,

Did you take others. I'm interested in what else is below the lower border and to the right.

I did take more, but by then the rainbow had gone.

The view from my back door is very limited because of houses, trees and power lines, so below this image is the neighbour's garage, and to the right the rest of the tree and then another house.

I did manage to get the other end of the rainbow however. I believe the pot of gold is somewhere in the neighbour's garden.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Asher,



I did take more, but by then the rainbow had gone.

The view from my back door is very limited because of houses, trees and power lines, so below this image is the neighbour's garage, and to the right the rest of the tree and then another house.

I did manage to get the other end of the rainbow however. I believe the pot of gold is somewhere in the neighbour's garden.Regards,

Stuart

Stuart,

Below that rainbow, hiding, guarding that gold, is the leprechaun! Still with this good rainbow, being as it is magic beyond even the little fellow's powers, he'll be bowled over and you might have a fighting chance of escaping. For sure, he'll never figure on you living next door!

So go for it when you next get the chance!

Asher

 

[Ian Houston]

Kauai Sky

On the road back for breakfast

Sunrise along the west side of the island

 

[Asher Kelman]

Brandon,

It's interesting that you didn't introduce these pictures just put them out there to make it on there own. Let me give my reactions, albeit a month late!

This is impressive immediately, seeming to belong to a French Impressionist school. The atmosphere is that of the countryside and it's presented in a relaxed and painterly style. We took a train, perhaps had a picnic and this is where we were under this sky.

The next picture surprised me by the bright red car. That's so hard to give anything but star status to and the sky is a lesser component. So I wondered how does it fit in to the theme!

Now the last picture, shows us, in disciplined B&W, the first scene again. We recognize the same magnificent tree on the right in the first picture.

So it appears you present 3 styles. Each picture has the sky as the major co-star, making the picture work. In preference, the first is my favorite. How is it made? Nevertheless, had you only shared the last picture, you would have already contributed splendidly. Even though the tree is centered, that, in itself, going against the expected "rule" of "not centering" sets up the lone tree to hold back in balance the entire sky. The texture of the earth provides additional balance and satisfaction. In a print, doubtless, the sky would be perfect.

Asher

 

[Brandon Cade]

Asher,

I'm a firm believer that a sky can make or break a photo.



For an experiment, take a photo with a mediocre sky, delete it. Paste a gorgeous sky with some content and good texture to it. You have just improved the overall appearance to the photo.

The tree, I most always follow the rule of not centering, but this tree... It had an audience. It was a very large tree out in the middle of a pasture, while the treeline had a line of trees that were short but plenty.

The car, the car maybe the star, but the sky is what sets this picture at a higher level than just a snapshot, in my opinion. And the sky is a good 60% of this photo, also.

-Brandon

 

[Asher Kelman]

Brandon,

Tell us about the first picture!How did you gwt to the end result and what's your thoughts on it.

Asher