Only Sky and Clouds

Another wonderful image, this time an image that is spectacular and attention grabbing rather than soft and soothing like our winning image. The photographer once again has skilfully used the composition to focus the viewers eye on what they want us to see and place the main subject in the centre of the frame. This would have been a very difficult scene to expose perfectly with the brightness of the sun contrasting against the dark areas of the cloud but the photographer has waited for the perfect moment to make their exposure.

The dramatic contrast of light and dark in the clouds, the rays of sunlight breaking through gaps in the clouds all combine to provide us with a spectacular image.

This image has just sneaked in to the Top 10 but it could have been placed much higher. It is a beautiful capture by the photographer of the suns rays shining through gaps in the cloud throwing rays of light across the sky.

I have mentioned a few times in other Reviews of the importance of composition, taking this image as an example and how composition/cropping can make our images stronger. We can split the image into 1/3's - a top 1/3 a middle 1/3 and a bottom 1/3, the top and bottom 1/3's contain mostly flat, grey cloud whilst all the interest is in the middle 1/3. So why not crop some of the top and bottom off the image and focus the viewers attention on the middle 1/3.

We still need a little bit of cloud at the bottom to act as a base for our image and a little bit at the top to act as a frame but by using what we call a 'letter box' crop I am sure this image would be a lot stronger.

That notwithstanding it still is beautiful image and well deserving of a place in the Top 10.

Our 3rd place image is totally different in nature to our first two images, this image is almost abstract in nature. There is no defined subject for the viewer to rest their eyes on, it is just a blend of harmonious and pleasing colours. It could have been created by an artist in a studio with brushes and paint rather than by a photographer with a camera.

This elevates the image from a photograph to a work of art. Although I would argue that all photographs are in themselves works of art, this is an abstract work of art and I could happily see this on my wall and enjoy looking at it each and every day.

Photographing the sky and clouds well is extremely difficult, it isn't just a case of pointing your camera at an interesting cloud formation and pressing the shutter. We need to give consideration to our composition, to try and bring some sense of order or pattern to the myriads of clouds above our heads.

Some photographers may seek to bring interest to their images by increasing the saturation to extreme intensities and while these images catch the eye they do look very unnatural.

Others may try to over sharpen their images in an attempt to create drama, once again this renders an unnatural look to the image as clouds are soft and fluffy not hard and sharp edged.

I have selected this image as the winner of the competition for a number of reasons.

Composition - at the bottom of the image there is a band of patchy, fluffy cloud which provides a base on which the rest of the image sits, these fluffy clouds then wind their way through the image culminating in a peak of cloud in the top right 1/3 of the frame. At the top of the frame we have a band of smooth cloud which acts almost like a ceiling for the image, enclosing all the interest below it. Finally the colours in the image are believable, the soft mauves of the clouds contrast beautifully agains the yellow of either the setting or rising sun.

There really is so much interest in this image all made possible by the photographers wonderful composition and restrained use of saturation. Really well done!