Nature Photography Photo Workshop

6.8. WEATHER

An otherwise drab and boring landscape can be dramatically transformed by weather. Consider the photographs you've seen of wide, sweeping plains with little variation and detail, overshadowed by huge, billowing storm clouds. In these photos, the landscape plays a diminutive role; weather and atmospheric conditions themselves become the subject matter. As you scout locations and build your personal lists of favorite shooting locations, always bear in mind the influence of weather and how it changes throughout the year. See 6-21 for an example of how dramatic weather can influence a photo.

Figure 6-20. ABOUT THIS PHOTO Image of Paradise Divide, Colorado (ISO 200, f/16, 0.4 sec. with a Canon EF 24-105mm L lens).

In most cases, a clear blue sky doesn't present a visually interesting element in a nature photograph; the same goes for a sky covered with solid gray clouds. If the sky isn't interesting, in most cases it may be best to not include it in your composition (but of course, like other rules, there are always exceptions).

Figure 6-21. ABOUT THIS PHOTO Image of Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, before a summer thunderstorm (ISO 100, f/14, 1/10 sec. with a Canon EF 28-80mm lens).

You can also manipulate how the sun appears in your photos. If you stop your ...