Watch the weather

04/11/06

The other day I was sitting in my office working through the backlog of images awaiting processing. The sky was blue, the air crisp. The clocks had just gone back, and I knew that the sun would set, giving a short but clear sunset. The trouble with sunsets like this however, is that they can lack impact.

I then saw the wispy high cirrus clouds approaching from the west. These clouds, often in a pattern similar to the stripes on a mackerel, usually indicate that a depression will arrive soon. What's all this got to do with photography you may ask. Well, the clouds add impact to a sky when the sun is setting and create greater diffusion of the light giving a larger variance in colour.

Fortunately I was able take advantage of this light, change my schedule and headed for Mudeford Harbour to shoot a few frames. The light was fantastic.

So, if you learn about the weather, you can anticipate the light to your advantage. Why not give it a try.