The Sky in Landscape Photography

Introduction

“if the sky adds nothing to the landscape don't include it” J Rock

Cloud as a leading line

This month’s theme emphasises the desirability of using the sky as an essential element of the image either in establishing a mood or enhancing the composition of the image. Clouds whilst dramatic in themselves also affect the mood of the image by filtering the sun, softening contrast and enhancing shadow detail. Clouds and contrails can often be used as leading lines within the image.

Cloud as an aid to perspective

Our familiarity with cloud types whether conscious or unconscious triggers an emotional response depending on what they presage. Some knowledge of cloud types is a useful tool in the landscape photographer’s armoury. Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s “The Cloud Collectors Handbook” is a useful, pocketable, guide to cloud identification. Associating a particular cloud to a given emotion is somewhat more problematical.

Sunrise and sunset are popular times for landscape photography. In these circumstances the sky itself often becomes the central element in the photograph and colour images are favoured. Some landscape photographers have a somewhat sniffy reaction to sunrise and sunset and tend to avoid both periods as being too gaudy or too easy an option in achieving a dramatic effect. I don't count myself as one of these!

Storms

Storms present an excellent opportunity to obtain some dramatic skyscapes. So what are the best conditions for photographing storms?

Cromer pier after the storm

In the northern hemisphere the Jetstream moving from west to east tends to bring us our biggest storms. So in order to get the best light on the foreground and to achieve drama in the skies, approaching storms are best photographed around sunrise and, conversely ,receding storms nearer sunset. However, one of the biggest problems of photographing storms in monochrome is the need to avoid what is often referred to as ’ hurricane skies’.

Hurricane or light shower?

A ‘hurricane sky’ is where the sky is over darkened to made it dramatic with very high contrast and a wide dynamic range. (I have to count myself as guilty here.) However, done with finesse, a storm presents an image with drama and foreboding.

Technical Issues

The sky being such a bright part of the image presents a particular problem to the photographer as real life demands a dynamic range which exceeds that of our sensors. Technical devices for minimising the impact include various neutral density and circular polarising filters. Modern editing software renders neutral density filters unnecessary. Unfortunately there is no really satisfactory way of simulating a circular polariser and this is the one that I carry with me.

Many landscape photographers add a vignette to the images in post. This tends to draw the eye into the essential elements of the photograph. However, just using the vignette filter within the editing software can adversely affect the sky as the result tends to be more obvious in the brightest parts of the image. To gain more control over the effect it's possible to offset the vignette. An even better result can be obtained by using a brush in order to gain full control of the position and extent of the darkening.

Grainy vignette to create mood

Remember the print? An image reproduced on paper? I know it sounds archaic.

Clouds when printed are often rendered in paper-white or close to paper-white. When white clouds are extensive, as in high-key work, this can result in a rather boring expanse of whiteish paper and in these circumstances it's often useful to employ textured paper in order to give more life to the image. Counter-intuitively a slightly coloured paper often seems to work best, at least to my eyes. By coloured I mean a creamy paper devoid of artificial brighteners which create the illusion of whiteness by fluorescing - but not forever!

All the best with your photography.

Basil

Further Examples

Polariser just useful at this angle to the sun

Blustery wind and sky

Negative sky