Clouds

Clouds are one of my favorite parts of a landscape to isolate, next to flowing and moving water. The way light dances around the sky at sunset, or the bold and moody blues and grays of an impending storm. There is something untouched about clouds, the pristine quality can't be ruptured unlike land habitats. You will likely not see perfectly white clouds in this gallery but instead ones bursting with color and shapes. "Cloudscapes" are a definitive niche that I will likely explore in the future.

Sunset Rainbow
Beavercreek, Ohio Normally a landscape photographer is prepared long ahead of a sunrise or sunset. In my early days before having a drivers license I had to make do with the cards I was dealt. In this case, the view from my bedroom window. Simply put, the sunset was bright compared to the dreary, wet day. I remember sharing this shot for an assignment and my NYIP instructor was enamored with the colors. Fleeting moments like this keep me going. When they come around, it is my goal to capture them. With more experience now I've learned to get up early and stay out late no matter what. "Behind all the gray and obscurity from the clouds. Here comes the color." © 2017 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Rimlighting // Backlighting // Clouds
Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds." - Mike Tyson A peaceful romp through a small community park had me searching out landscape photographs. The previous day storms made for an impressive display of clouds and colors the next morning. Ellis Park gives some wide views of the expansive rural Ohio landscape. Farm fields surround the nearby pond and park, while the skies can be seen all around with the lack of many trees. This was a split second choice to photograph the skies. A small telephoto lens made quick work to isolate the subject from any horizon or ground level surface. The entire exposure was severly underexposed when the sun was completely hidden from view, however I set my camera up on a tripod and waited a few seconds. I knew that once the sun peeked through the clouds would be the moment of shutter release. The combined effort of rimlighting and backlighting on this massive cloud structure made for a powerful study on light. The clouds being the perfect subject to exercise this technique. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Golden Hour Clouds
Dominick Lofino Park, Beavercreek, Ohio "Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water." - Christopher Morley One can almost predict the colors and shapes of clouds by the impending weather. On this intensely muggy but sunny day, rain and sun showers kept pouring in on and off for half of my visit. Fortunately the small community pond I was at has several roofed shelters on all sides for me to hide under, as I did not have waterproofing gear on my person. I was there to photograph the resident ducks, geese and herons in flight yet a rainbow broke through the showers and my attention shifted for a moment (and photo.) Of all the things bright and beautiful, clouds hold such a might and strength to their design, yet are delicate and captivating. Compositionally this image is a simple texture-based shot with the entire subject filling the frame. However the warm glow of the golden hour really helped in providing more visual interest. It is always nice to stop whatever I am photographing and look to the skies for potential photos like this. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Sunset Cloudscape
Dominick Lofino Park, Beavercreek, Ohio "Swim with the clouds to find me." - Debasish Mridha These altocumulus clouds painted the sky red after the sun had set. The angle of the sunlight managed to create the striking colors underlit by the sky. Overall this particular day was varied in its' weather. A bright and sunny blue sky day gave way to several clouds with sunshowers. This kept up for a couple hours before a double rainbow formed over the horizon. Keeping in tradition with these weather patterns, the sunset was intense and brimming with light. I acted fast to make this capture as the red light faded away in minutes from this scene. These "Cloudscapes" are fun to try out as an afterthought. Certain types of images I do when I have extra time, the same with creative blurs. In this case, I had no real sunset shot planned from my position. I was at the local pond practicing ducks in flight, not really fixated on any landscapes. However I had a small telephoto with me so made this quick image at about the 75mm zoom range. A polarizer filter helped saturate the colors a bit and I later upped the reds in post processing. These are neat to do and I'll no doubt make more in the future. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.