Clouds, again.

[Spam]

I don't give much feedback or advice in this forum, mainly because I don't really feel qualified to do so, and I'm starting to feel really guilty about asking for way more than I give. However, I do find the comments and criticism on both my own and other people's pics very useful, and am constantly amazed by the generosity of spirit.

That said, here are some pics I took before, during and after a recent storm that swept over my little town. C&C much appreciated.

1. South-West


2. West


3. West


4. North-west


5. North

[mknittle]

#s 1 and 4 work best for me Simon.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, #2 works for me.

[bitrunner]

3 would be better without the street in the foeground. Interesting cloud formation in #1.

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[Wavelength]

What a beautiful set of skyscapes.....In#3, crop just below the house abandoning the road; while i looked it that was by scrolling down until that part is hidden, it looks more fascinating

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Simon,

4 and 5 work best for me, but #4 needs a bit of clockwise rotation I think.

Cloud shots without a ground reference (e.g. #2) don't usually work for me, but occasionally there is an exception. I think this is because they are usually too 'flat' (i.e. all in one focal plane) and lack depth and while #2 has elements that give depth, for me they're not quite strong enough.

Dave

PS

I don't give much feedback or advice in this forum, mainly because I don't really feel qualified to do so, and I'm starting to feel really guilty about asking for way more than I give.

I'd urge you to try to critique other's shots, by all means post them here with caveats that explain your lack of experience. I find that really analysing images and putting it in to words, as I have done for #2 above, helps me understand my own work and future shooting situations, far better.

Or start with your own - what do you think of say, the composition, of each of these?

That said, whether clouds and landscape are in harmony enough for a good composition is largely far beyond our control, all we can hope to do (at a given location) is wait and watch until the moment is right, then depress the shutter and capture it with a good/correct exposure (as I think you have here) for our vision of the finished image.

[Werner]

#1 and #5. I just like them.

[madcrow]

1and 5 for me but lovely series.

[bje07]

My preferred 1,2,3, same remark regarding road in 3 (too present)
# 2 can be used for another picture where sky is boring

[GowthamK]

1,3 and 5 for me. Great work.
But in pic 1 there is more clouds/sky, some cropping of sky would be preferred.
For 3, crop of the road. The trees in the two sides and at the bottom forms a nice frame around the land and sky.

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[bnnrcn]

I like 1,3 and 5 Simon I find the sky overcooked in all images (IMO too much sharpening and/or structure) . So, I would step back a bit. I would crop abot 1/3 of the sky in #1 to reduce its portion in the frame and I would crop most of the road in #3 for a better composition.

[Geoff F]

My favourite is #4.

#1 is good but you have a little patch of over exposed highlights in the clouds.

[Spam]

4 and 5 work best for me, but #4 needs a bit of clockwise rotation I think.

Cloud shots without a ground reference (e.g. #2) don't usually work for me, but occasionally there is an exception. I think this is because they are usually too 'flat' (i.e. all in one focal plane) and lack depth and while #2 has elements that give depth, for me they're not quite strong enough.


I'd urge you to try to critique other's shots, by all means post them here with caveats that explain your lack of experience. I find that really analysing images and putting it in to words, as I have done for #2 above, helps me understand my own work and future shooting situations, far better.

Or start with your own - what do you think of say, the composition, of each of these?

Thanks for the useful comments, Dave. As for my own thoughts, well, I'm not wild about the composition of any of these. I agree about the reference points - ground or trees or something that provides depth or framing - but I was limited in what I could do here. Ideally I should have got to a better vantage point, but the first four were taken at work shortly before a massive downpour, and the last one just after I'd got a lift home with a colleague.

I think photography is a bit like bass fishing. It's all about finding structure ...