Kansas thunderhead

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted April 8, 20131,382 views8 comments

Believe it or not, I almost didn't see this cloud formation. I was focused on the west, but for some reason I finally turned around and was amazed by the thunderhead to the east. I quickly changed lenses, and started photographing the thunderhead. I kept changing lenses and flip flopping from east and west depending on the second :). This is a prime example of why you should always look behind you, even if the scene in front is great :). This is a 2 exposure blend, taken about 5 minutes before sunset, and cropped to format.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on April 9, 2013 at 3:26 PM

Crikey! Plenty of drama in this Rob. Amazing cloud forms.

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Fricke on April 9, 2013 at 7:38 PM

Very impactful, the inclusion of buildings in the sliver at the bottom gives a great sense of scale to the cloud. The colors in the lower part of the cloud on the right are also pretty cool. My only suggestion might be to add a little contrast as the image looks a little flat overall.

Registered on January 19, 2007, 133 Posts, 1448 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on April 10, 2013 at 1:05 PM

Can't say it better than Gary -- "Crikey!"
I think my eyes would be a big as saucers if I turned around and got surprised by this. Your focal length, comp and exposure captured the awesomeness (that was a much more descriptive term thirty years ago) of this scene. I was thinking that a little more detail on the bottom might be in order, but looking at the larger version, I like the way the darkness conveys the foreboding shadow of this monster cloud. (So if you decide to play with this, be gentle.)

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Graham on April 10, 2013 at 11:37 PM

Thanks for the comments. I did adjust the contrast a bit before I ordered the print last night. I purposely darkened the ground objects to further bring out the sky. It was quite the experience.

Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on April 12, 2013 at 10:29 PM

Wow! You definitely were on the right side of this beast. Great capture with all of the details and color variations in the clouds. After 40 years, I still miss the spine tingling drama of prairie thunderstorms.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 13, 2013 at 10:13 AM

A really explosive cloud there - I love the subtle undertones and the expanding (mushrooming) head on this.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Smorra on April 13, 2013 at 7:56 PM

Now that is an impressive cloud formation Rob! Great textures and colors (especially in the lower clouds).

Registered on November 2, 2009, 161 Posts, 2143 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on April 14, 2013 at 12:06 PM

Wow! That is impressive!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments