Sunset: Sunsets often fit into my definition of ‘skycapes’. We had stopped for the night near Douglas, Wyo. when the skies lit up at sunset and gave us a beautiful and colorful show. The sun’s colors reflecting from the clouds even reflected the golden hues onto the open field next to our campsite. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Cumulus: Cumulus clouds are the beautiful white puffy clouds that silently float through the sky above. These clouds give depth and interest to an otherwise clear blank sky. This photo shows several cumulus clouds as they fill the sky above the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Our travels take us to some fabulous locations as we wander about the country which gives me more photo opportunities than I can handle. Landscape photography has always been a passion and travels allow me to photograph myriad of landscapes.
Lighting, time of day, and atmospheric conditions and photo composition are among the major factors that can make or break a landscape photograph. When these conditions are present my eyes are wide as I look for the next photo op.
Sometimes the star of the show is not the landscape but the sky and atmospheric conditions within the scene. I like to call these images “skyscapes”. When we are traveling across the wide open spaces of the desert or grasslands the sky will open up and create a magnificent
scene. Weather conditions can have a big impact on travels but I try to focus on the possibilities of a spectacular atmospherics which can sometimes create a photo op when there was not much to see otherwise.
For this post I have chosen a few of the skyscapes that have filled the sky during our travels. These photos were taken at different times and at various locations.
When out and about I challenge you to pay attention to what is happening above you as well as what is in front of you. There may be a photo op in the making.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Big Timber, Montana: One of the areas that we have visited many times is in south central Montana. We attend an annual RV Rally in Big Timber, Mont. and enjoy day trips in the area as time permits. We were exploring the countryside a few miles north of Big Timber a couple of years ago when a summer thunderstorm began to build in the distance. I watched it for awhile but finally had to stop for photos. You could call this photo a landscape but it’s really the dramatic thunderstorm and the streaks of sunlight and shadow across the rolling hills that make the image. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Arizona: We were traveling across northern Arizona when these clouds formed to the west of us. We kept an eye on the storm for awhile but eventually stopped for the evening, which is when I made these images. Luckily, we received only a brief shower where we were camped. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Wyoming: Storm clouds are fascinating to watch unless you happen to be right below them. If that is the case be prepared to get wet or hopefully get safely indoors! We were traveling through Wyoming when this summer thunderstorm formed to the west of our route. We enjoyed watching for quite a while but we never saw a drop of moisture. These storms, especially in the western U.S. can be very isolated in location. I like the way the sunlight covers the hill and surrounding land with the dark thunderstorm in the distance. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
