Clear Blue Skies?
In Florida we have a lot of clear blue skies. Especially in the winter (dry) months. In the summer maybe in the morning (afternoons are often filled with storm clouds).
Clear skies are great for the beach or maybe getting a tan. From a photography standpoint they are dull and boring. Unless you are doing a postcard.
Clouds add character to a landscape. A dull listless day becomes filled with beauty, excitement and maybe even a little danger. Trees reach up to the life-giving clouds. A church steeple stands as good against an evil sky. Thunderheads turn a lovely day at the beach into a nightmare of swirling winds. A mood created or changed by clouds.
Clouds add a level of interest to a typical Florida landscape.
Clouds offer texture. Feathery streaks become magical fairy wings. Puffs are cotton balls adding fun thoughts of cotton candy. Dark clouds filled with swirls, shades and levels that nothing else can match.
At the very least clouds fill negative space. They fill a void with interest. Sometimes so much so that they become the focus.
Nothing wrong with that. Clouds can be amazing by themselves. The varying textures and shades portraying a story all their own.
Anyone familiar with my work knows I prefer monochrome photos. I feel they tell a story rather than just capturing a moment. Clouds are an important element in my vision. In monochrome every swirl, feather and wisp becomes a part of the story I am trying to convey. I will sometimes enhance the clouds to bring out their true nature, at least as I see it.
Without clouds the sky is just a blank canvas. Unfinished art. Still, I will not add clouds. Not sure why. It has been a common practice for longer than I have lived (looking at you, Ansel Adams). I guess I just feel that is too much, to create a mood where none existed. Or maybe I am just too lazy to create all those layers.
