Sky Photography
How many beautiful nature pictures have we all seen with little or none of the sky-scape? You may think of the sky as only some unavoidable background for most of your nature photo subject matter, and the more blue it is, the better. Well guess what? Mother Nature has a treasure trove of eye catching possibilities up, overhead if you only take the time to have a look and know what to look for.
Lets start with the basics. Obviously, a beautiful clear, deep blue sky makes for a good backdrop for many subjects but can be rather dull by itself, as can a completely gray overcast sky. Now start adding fluffy white cumulus clouds and it starts getting more interesting, but it is only the beginning of the many opportunities the sky can provide for unique and pleasing photos.
Take fair weather cirrus and stratus clouds for instance. Their thinner and more spread out nature can provide a completely different look for your photo. Even at mid-day the sky can be gorgeous. For example an approaching thundershower can be striking with the billowing and ever changing shapes and textures, and bright white color as it approaches. It is like a mountain-canyon vista in the sky, and is easily captured compared to other faster moving, unpredictable subject matter. And you will have no problem capturing multiple, unique shots of the storm before it moves off or overhead because of its continual morphing of shapes and colors. Also some clear skies around the storm can add to its magnificence and enhance your image.
