Keep a Camera Handy to get those Unexpected Photographs
As a fine art photographer I will often spend a great deal of time researching and planning a photograph. I often visit a location to scout it out, and then plan a visit when the lighting conditions are ideal. This approach works really well, however there are times where the lighting conditions present themselves when you aren’t on a planned outing!
Stormy Sky
The other evening on the ride home from a Sunday afternoon cook out with friends, I was once again reminded of the age old saying – always bring a camera! The afternoon was nothing special, an ordinary summer day – hot, humid, a blue sky, and some passing clouds. Certainly not a day that I was planning on doing any landscape or seascape photography, but I had my camera with me just in case.
On the ride home however, things got more then a little interesting! A thunderstorm passed through with some heavy rain, high winds, and lots of thunder and lightning! While a thunderstorm can really put a damper on a lot of events, they can create some amazing skies full of drama.
As the storm passed to the east and the sun set to the west the sky became some of the most amazing colors I have ever seen. I started to panic as I drove down the highway that I would miss this spectacular show that Mother Nature was putting on. I got off at the very next exit, pulled into the first parking lot I saw, grabbed my camera and ran for an open area away from all the stores.
While I was far from a location ideal for landscape photography, I was able to create a few photographs before the magical scene disappeared. Had I not brought my camera with me, this photograph would never have been created.
It only lasted 5 minutes at the most, but it was one of the most breathtaking scenes I have witnessed. I hope you enjoy it!