For this month’s photo tip, I’m going to turn it over to my dear friend, professional photographer Tom Bean. With decades of experience, work showcased in publications such as Arizona Highways and National Geographic, he’s truly an expert.
The clouds passing overhead are perhaps the most visually accessible but also the most overlooked of nature’s great displays. They are available to anyone, with a view of the sky.
Some tips for capturing clouds:
- Don’t forget to look up and see what’s going on, as you take a walk, or a ride or push a shopping cart in parking lot. There are beautiful things to enjoy, and photograph, if you remember to pause for a moment to look skyward.
- Clouds can show us what’s going on in the atmosphere and you will be surprised by how quickly they develop and then evolve into other clouds or disappear entirely. So the most important photography tip is to have a camera with you and take the shot when you see it.
Luckily, many of us carry a camera with us everyday. It’s our smart phone, which can take wonderful sky photos. No special camera or lenses are required.
- Sometimes I want to compose photos that include only the sky, but more often I include part of the landscape in my cloud photos. That could be trees, buildings, roads or even people. Try to only include these elements when you feel they add to your composition. Often, if you just move a short distance, across a parking lot or down the trail, before you shoot, you’ll remove distractions like power lines, light poles and signs. It’s worth doing.
- A fiery sky at sunrise and sunset is a spectacle that all of us notice. So that’s a great time to be out and alert to the clouds. Usually the most vivid red, orange and copper colors happen about 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after the sunrise or sunset.
Anytime during daylight hours is a good time to watch the spectacular cloudscapes passing overhead. We can all feel inspired by a moment of unexpected beauty. You won’t be wasting time with your head in the clouds.
Flagstaff Family Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Maternity Pregnancy Photographer • Flagstaff Newborn Photographer • Flagstaff Child Photographer • Flagstaff Senior Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Couples Photography
Kristen Dacey Iwai of KDI Photography is a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Flagstaff, Arizona with decades of experience. Making portraits of families, pregnancy, newborns, babies, children, and high school seniors in her downtown studio and on location, she serves clients from Flagstaff, Sedona, Tuba City, Winslow, Payson, Page, Williams, Prescott, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona
