Friday, September 7, 2012

From Storm Clouds To Fire Clouds


The evening started off like this with a big storm front that whipped the birds into a frenzy and brought some rain.





And it ended up like this. A world of difference. The sun was below the horizon, but still throwing light.



When shooting the sky, I always shoot in manual and usually underexpose my shots by 2/3 to 1 2/3 stops depending on the light. I find it brings out deeper color in my sky photos. If you shoot in RAW, this can be done in post processing, but I like to get the look I want in-camera as opposed to having to fool with it later. While all the exposures may not be technically correct, I'm going for what I see with my eyes and a certain feel, not necessarily what the camera thinks is right.

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29 comments:

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Wow, those clouds are spectacular!
You have a great eye and feel so don't let the camera tell you what it thinks is right!

Rajesh said...

Spectacular, what a remarkable change.

Carole M. said...

you sure got it right Brian; fantastic shots!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

What a dramatic shift in sky color!

Anonymous said...

Wow - I love the drama and the mood of these stunning shots.

renae said...

Awh - maze - eeeng!!!!!

Tombstone Livestock said...

Beautiful shots.

eileeninmd said...

Amazing sky captures, Brian! What a beautiful sight to see! Have a great weekend!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Very dramatic Brian- nice shots!

Andy said...

Under exposing has given you some specular photos.

Lindsjö taxar said...

Awsome pictures!! Great colours, very spectacular....top job Brian!!!!

Linda said...

I love the transition! Amazing colors...now I just have to figure out exactly what you meant by underexposing the shots by stops. Did you mean the f-stops? I usually have not changed the f-stop, but shoot in shutter priority, changing the shutter speed. Oh, there is SO much I have to still learn!

Kerri Farley said...

WOW!! Those are super!!

Anonymous said...

Great shots! Here in Florida it can look like your top shot across the street and in your own backyard the sun is setting in a clear sky. I like what you said about how you shoot and why. Great words.

Roan said...

Amazing and appreciate the technical info.

Sharon M said...

Wow! Fiery is right! Nice.

joanca bs said...

Woow amazing shots

Anonymous said...

Now, that's one of those 'Mercy Sakes Alive" sunsets, isn't it! WoW! Awesome color & whatever you're doing, I believe you're doing right, cuz these are beautiful =)

Samantha said...

Photos:
Technically wrong is usually emotionally correct!

Gorgeous!

TexWisGirl said...

those fire-in-the-sky shots are beautiful, but i especially love the 2nd shot of the swirling birds against the clouds. really brings a great feel of the storm. :)

Rohrerbot said...

Incredible shots but even more amazing are the birds swirling around....really cool.

Pamela Gordon said...

Fantastic photos. What a contrast in the clouds.

Gail Dixon said...

Very smart to shoot in manual for these shots. Look how marvelous these are. The sky is on fire! I also underexpose for skies so that I don't have to fiddle with it too much later. These are fantastic!

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

Thanks for the tips on stopping down when shooting the skies, brilliant images !

Dan said...

You are the Crimson King!

Hypnotizing sky.

barbara l. hale said...

Fantastic sky photos! Glad the day ended up the way it did. Glad to see your photo taking processes for sky pics, too.

Mary said...

Wow again...I love the way you captured the clouds and sky. Whooppp.

Ida said...

Whatever you do it's brilliant. These skies are amazing. Loved the B/W with all those birds and the last show with that glorious color.

Liz said...

Simply divine!! Spectacular clouds for a wonderful sunset.