When I was young, my favorite summer days were those when cloudless Southern California skies promised idle afternoons baking my body at our local beaches. It wasn’t until I was older—after inflicting untold damage to my skin—that I started to truly appreciate clouds. Not only do they provide a respite from the heat and help block harmful UV rays, but they can make the sky so much more interesting to photograph.
Although one of my favorite things to photograph is the contrast of colors and shapes against a bright blue – and cloudless – sky…
… I am more often drawn to the interesting shapes and colors that clouds add to the image. Below is the same image with clouds (the original) and without (edited). I think the clouds add interest to the image, but you may prefer a clear sky. Many photo editing tools allow the original sky to be swapped for another so, even if Mother Nature offers one sky, you can choose something else.
Sometimes cloud formations are so beautiful, they are the focus and there is little need to include much else in the image.
Have you ever seen clouds that are so perfectly situated in the sky, it’s almost if they were painted in that way?
Clouds can also add interest to black and white landscape photographs. Without the puffy white clouds, the sky in both of these photos would have been dark gray and black and, I think, less interesting.
And, as any connoisseur of sunsets will agree, clouds – or the lack thereof – can make or break a spectacular display. After some practice, you can start to guess whether you should have your camera ready or not before the sun drops below the horizon.
This week’s theme for Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills photo challenge is Clouds and Fog. See Terri’s photographs on her blog, Second Wind Leisure.
Weird. I can’t “like” your post. But at least it was emailed to me so that function works. Your photos are fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed scrolling through the images.
Sent from my iPhone
Hi Shelley! I know that I sometimes have problems liking a post when I’m no my phone, but not when I’m on my desktop. But, no worries, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. This particular theme spoke to me.
Beautiful response to the challenge!! The WordPress tech on the botanical gardens is impressive. I need to study up!
Isn’t that a nifty way to display photos? I saw another blogger do it a while ago and have been waiting for a chance to use the tool. If you need help finding it, let me know.
Yes, thanks!
In the Block Editor, first click on the plus sign to add a block, then click on Browse All, then go down to the Media area and find Image Compare. WordPress makes it easy to upload the two photos you want to put on top of each other. Hope that helps!
Got it! Thanks!
What a lovely post, both verbally and visually! Because I grew up in the middle of the Midwest, where it’s flat, flat, flat, cloud formations were something we really noticed. And when I was out in California for grad school, I really missed them when we had day after day of sunshine.
San Miguel is on my list of places to travel, once this dratted pandemic is over. I can tell by your photos that I’m going to love it!
I remember being so impressed with the clouds – both the puffy ones and the more ominous ones – on our Midwest road trip. Since we have so many clear blue skies here, I always get excited when interesting clouds start to form.
You will love San Miguel. We spent about seven weeks there and I’d love to go back.
Living in a desert, clouds provide hope for rain, so I love clouds, and I love your photos of clouds here!
After so much dry weather here, we are always happy to see rain clouds… which, fortunately, we’ve had lately. Just so we have a few dry days in between, I love, love rain.
Uh oh, that rain in California seems to be stuck. I’m hoping for some dry days for all of you out there.
Bright blue skies today! What a difference a day makes!
These are so so pretty! I just love the sky!
Thank you! It was fun putting my cloud photos together.
I had fog this morning. I couldn’t see past my back fence it was so thick!
I love your skies! I prefer clouds to cloudless for most photography the exception being night sky photography.
I LOVE those red hot pokers against the blue sky. Great contrast and colors.
Yes! Clouds make for much better, evenly lit pictures. I haven’t done much night sky photography but I’d like to try.
Do it! But, be forewarned…it’s addicting! 😀
Amazing captures of clouds and their multiple formations, Janis. I do love your black and white images for the stark contrast it provides. Your sunset photos are spectacular. So glad you could share with Sunday Stills this week.
Great theme this week, Terri! I knew that I had a ton of cloud pics in my library so it was just a matter of pulling them out and writing around them.
I’m so glad to see them, Janis. I love being inspired by the images I’ve created over the years and there is always a story or some fact to share. Just makes blogging easier.
For some reason, I have a Joni Mitchell song stuck in my head.
Haha, me too! I guess there are worse earworms.
Definitely more interesting with the clouds. Beautiful selection.
Thanks, Anabel. I’m not surprised that, considering where you live, you are fond of clouds. Sparkly blue days are lovely, but clouds make it interesting.
Clouds bring character to the sky. Love the photos. 🙂
Thank you, Judy. Right now, we are enjoying our rain clouds.
I grew up in Oklahoma, and the sky is about the only scenery you have there. Clouds make all the difference, and your photos are gorgeous.
I loved taking pictures of the flat landscape and big, big sky (with clouds) when visiting the Midwest. I guess every area has its own kind of beauty.
Those pictures were spectacular, Janis. Clouds are so varied. Endlessly interesting.
Thank you! I used to know the names of various cloud formations and what they meant, but I have forgotten. Now I just enjoy the show.
Stunning photos, Janis. You have an artistic eye for creative shapes in your photography. The contrast against a canvas of bright blue….I had not thought about it this way until now. Really cool, interesting effect at the botanical gardens. For a second, I thought I could see Bernie Sanders.🙂 Thank you for sharing your exceptional photos!
Haha, no Bernie in that one! Bright blue skies always have me looking up so I can find interesting colors and shapes to contrast them against.
Hi, Janis.
1) Hooray to you for rejoining in on #SundayStills. I love your photography and always learn so much from it.
2) Speaking of learning, how did you do that slidey thing with the botanical gardens. I seriously want to try that myself!
Awesome post!
Thank you! That slidey thing is actually easy to use. In the Block Editor, click on Browse All, then go down to the Media area and find Image Compare. WordPress makes it easy to upload the two photos you want to put on top of each other. Good luck!
Beautiful photos and there is reason why each one appeals to me. I am always looking up and studying the sky. I think my interest in clouds is somewhat influenced by living in Southern California. Our weather shifts are so subtle and I look for ways to appreciate even the merest change. Often the only hint I get is in the clouds! Lovely post.
We are living under the same sky, Debra. Interesting clouds are a rarity and a treat!
Very beautiful photos. I never focus on clouds and I don’t know why. Sometimes they are more beautiful than anything else in the photograph.
Clouds in a photo sometimes act as a background that you don’t notice… except if they weren’t there, the photo would be completely different… and often not as interesting.
So many stunning images. Thanks for sharing them.
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad you liked my images.
wow – all photos show nature’s beauty and i know what you mean about liking your and seeing in the sky what feels like a painting or it was painted there
😉
the circle in the sky was my fav of this post
I really love that ring around the sun. I feel so lucky to have been at the right place at the right time (and noticing that a few people were looking up at the sky 🙂 ).
ahhhh – timing is key
have a great day
Janis, I love your presentation for Terri’s challenge and am a big fan of clouds in general. Nice job.
I’m glad you liked this post. I’m not surprised that you are a big fan of clouds too.
Now that’s a beautiful collection of “sky photos,” Janis. While I adore blue skies, especially when taking photos of places we visit, I agree that clouds are a necessity for magical sunsets. I had no idea that you could actually edit a photo by deleting the clouds.
These days, you can pretty much edit a photo any way you want. It is sort of sad, but I guess it also opens up possibilities. We can’t always be at the right place at the right time. I also think it’s important to acknowledge when a photograph has been edited to that extent.
I am so glad that you discovered the beauty of clouds in their infinitely many variations, Janis! What a joy to see all these clouds!
Thank you, Peter! I’m glad you enjoyed my clouds.
Those sunset ones at the end are spectacular! Did you use any filters or was that the way it was naturally?
No filters at all… they were actually that gorgeous. The one in Key West was especially magnificent.
Gorgeous photos, Janis! Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad you liked my photos, Jill.
Absolutely beautiful pics! While I like days with a mix of clouds and blue sky, I also love spectacular mid-winter cloudless skies like today in Minneapolis. 25 degrees, no wind, and 3 inches of fresh white powder on the ground. It was the perfect day for a couple miles of snowshoeing at the Minnesota Arboretum. Check it out. Great, great place to shoe, walk, cross-country ski, and in growing season, take in the seasons.
While I’m not a fan of snow (except in pictures), what you describe sounds beautiful. I have friends that live in colder climates who snowshoe and they love it! It sounds much safer than strapping your feet to two thin rails and hurling yourself down a hill.
Such gorgeous photography! Thanks for sharing, Janis.
Deb
I’m glad you liked them, Deb.
What a fabulous set of photos Janis!! I love the cloud formations and the Florida skies, so beautiful! A great response to the challenge!!
Thanks, Debbie. I really liked Terri’s theme this week and was happy to have a lot of favorite images to share.
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos, Janis! Clouds are one of my favorite features of nature. They intrigue me because their appearance is constantly changing due to the winds or the light. When I see a particularly amazing formation, I feel blessed because they last for only a moment in time and it was my good fortune to notice it.
I’m not surprised at all that you are a big fan of clouds. Isn’t it interesting how different they appear all around the country. We seldom – if ever -get those big thunder clouds seen in the Midwest, for instance. I find myself looking upwards a lot to see what the sky is doing.
When seasons are in transition, I find the skies are usually grey, so I welcome the clear, cloudless days. That said, I do appreciate a towering thunderhead!
Very cool tech-y bit, there, of the San Miguel de Allende with and without clouds!
Completely gray skies – especially over days and days – can be dismal, for sure. I appreciate the variety and love a mix of bright blue and puffy white clouds. That slider tool was fun to use… it makes me wonder what else the block editor has to play with.
Beautiful
Thank you!
Although I do love a blue sky day, cloud formations can be so interesting. Such beautiful photos Janis.
Thank you, Lynn. I’m glad you enjoyed my photos.
What a refreshing post, Janis. The spilling out of your pent up creativity…perhaps released by the easing up of current events?
Happy to see your muse in action, lady!
Haha, maybe so. More time to create because of fewer opportunities to worry. I’m also itching to travel again so I can take more photos of the places I visit.
I think everyone is itching to get traveling again…at least hubby & I and our kids are for sure!
🙂
Beautiful photos. I love the colors in all of them, including the black and white ones. Have you always lived in Southern California?
Thank you, Ally. Other than going away to school, SoCal has been my home.
Absolutely beautiful photos, Janis. Especially that one in Key West! – Marty
Thanks, Marty. That Key West sunset was amazing… it just kept getting better and better. Funny thing, most people turned away from the sunset once the sun dipped below the horizon and went about their business. Little did they know that the best part was yet to come.
Janis, great pics. What are those orange spike flowers? It looks like they are on some form of Spanish Bayonet flora. Keith
Aren’t those gorgeous?! They are at peak bloom in January here. It is a succulent named Aloe Arborescens, but it is often called “torch plant,” which makes perfect sense.
That makes sense. They are stunning.
I wish one could remove the clouds in real life! They are ok in moderation but I love bright blue skies and sunshine. Rain or snow clouds are ok in small quantities but sometimes here in the winter the cloud cover is endless. Love that you know all these cool tricks!
I think bright blue all the time would get boring, wouldn’t it? Plus, with no clouds we wouldn’t have rain and, with no rain, no green. I do agree about the snow, though. That’s why I live in Southern California 🙂
I feel the way you do now about the sun’s rays, so clouds offer that much needed respite. Your photos are stunning, Janis, and I’ve always been fond of clouds and their artwork in the big blue. Like sunrises and sunsets, I can’t take enough photos of them. Lovely post!
I must have hundreds of sunset photos… not so many sunrises because I’m a lazy bones. After two days of high winds here, calm is back and I’m enjoying a sky full of art – beautiful, puffy white clouds.
Beautiful collection, Janis. The sunset in Key West is stunning.
Thank you, Natalie. I think that Key West sunset was just about the best I’ve ever experienced.
You have captured some beautiful skies Janis – I can’t remember the last sunset I have seen – it has to be decades and likewise for a beautiful sunrise. In the City, you can’t enjoy them to the full extent due to rooftops and wires and I don’t like to be out in the dark due to crime. I will just enjoy yours vicariously. 🙂
I’m happy to have you enjoy my sunsets. I’m very lucky to have a view that allows me to see sunsets without having to look through building… at least until the sun starts setting further to the north in the summer.
I did Janis and you are blessed to have such a great view. I have tried to capture sunrise, but electrical wires, roofs and trees all spoil the view and the photo.
Wow, wow and WOW. Loved your story and the clouds. So many variations here and everywhere. I wish I knew more about certain cloud formations and the ways in which they are weather forecasters. I know here in Australia I am glad for, now anyway, to have cloudy skies bringing some rain after a weekend of heatwave temperatures.
Denyse #sundaystills
Thank you for checking out my blog and commenting! We live in a dry climate too so I understand your desire for clouds and rain. I found cloud formations endlessly interesting but, like you, I don’t know much about what they mean.
I can remember slathering ourselves with baby oil and baking in the sun with my friends to get a tan. Ugh! What were we thinking? I think clouds add an interesting element to the photo too. And I can’t wait until we can go back to San Miguel de Allende!
I just got my first vaccine yesterday, which makes me feel like I’m a little bit closer to being able to travel again. San Miguel is so beautiful and a photographer’s dream. I hope you get to travel there again soon too.
Those are gorgeous photos of the sky and clouds! Whenever I’m feeling a little low, looking up seems to help. It’s usually beautiful up there, and it’s always interesting!
Yes! I remember those early Peanuts comics where Charlie Brown, or one of the other characters, would lay on his back and find shapes in the clouds. I wonder if kids do that these days, or are they always looking at there phones?
Ah … thank you for sharing the views of your side of the world. I’m with you on clouds – they add an interesting dimension to the scenes. I also enjoy the contrast of a clear blue sky against brightly colored objects. I could sit for hours and watch clouds float by. Especially on a beach!
Oh yes, beach, wispy clouds and a cool adult beverage. Can’t wait until summer!
I’ve been dreaming of days like that a lot this past month, with temps dipping to -36 we’re feeling like we have a heat wave coming when it’ll be 20 above! LOL!
Ice cream castles in the air over San Miguel, Big Island and Key West. Cirrus-ly celestial!
Haha! Good one! Great to see you back in the blogosphere!
Gorgeous cloud photos, Janis. I lived on the Canadian prairies for a number of years, where the sky is big and the cloud formations can be spectacular. On the west coast where I am now, we have plenty of clouds and fog — different, but also visually interesting.
Jude
Isn’t it interesting how cloud formations change so much depending on the location. I remember the spectacular clouds when we traveled through the Midwest… so different from what we have here (and potentially more dangerous).
Janis I guess we are in the cloud tribe, as lovers of cloudy skies. Your photos at the end of cloud formations are wonderful. Love the photo of yours that is predominantly clouds. I don’t need any thing else.
Here on the coast of Oaxaca we have noticed the difference in the skies from the winter months (now) to the summer ones upcoming when the skies are completely blue. For sure the different cloud formations give tremendous character to the horizon and the variety is just astounding.
Great post. Thank you for calling our attention to our appreciation of clouds all around. Will think of you as we go for our beach walk tonight.
Peta (& Ben)
I love that I get to go with you on your beach walk! Do you get a lot of summer rain on the coast? I remember the cloud cover and rain (and heat and humidity) when we were in Oaxaca City in May/June 2017.
Wonderful photos! You make me long for spring and blue skies. I also love clouds, they are so fleeting though, it’s hard to get a picture of them. You’ve got some great ones here.
Thank you! Spring is “only” about 40 days away. Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate 🙂
Gosh–gorgeous pics!
Thank you!
Excellent photos and illustrations with and without clouds. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for visiting! I imagine that you have some spectacular clouds where you live.
Your clouds are spectacular! Yes, clouds add drama to a scene, particularly the kind you show here. I also love to look at the sky and make up stories with the cloud formations. 💙
Yes! I remember doing that as a kid. Now, I just marvel at their beauty.
Janis, these are stunning photos. I was impressed with how much you could change your sky. Leya was doing something like that on her post about going from forgotten to favorites. Did you do that in Photoshop? That brings up another question I am going to ask Lisa Coleman tomorrow. How do you determine which photos to keep and which to throw away? Are there criteria you uses for culling your photos?
Are you referring to that slider that shows the sky with and without clouds? The original had clouds and I substituted a cloudless sky from another image… I think I did it in PicMonkey, but you can do that in most more advanced photo editing programs (and, by advanced, I mean not the freebee ones that come on your phone or computer). The slider is a great new option in the new Block Editor… neat, huh? I am looking forward to reading your interview with Lisa.
I’ve seen the slider in Photoshop Elements, but I didn’t know it was on WordPress. How cool, Janis.