clouds

All posts tagged clouds

Sculpted vapor

Posted by Photonstopper on October 6, 2013
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Photo: Thunderhead forming. Photo by James Guilford.

Sculpted Vapor

I’ve not been able to get out with the camera for a while and I missed my “photo Friday” entirely this week due to miserable rain. This evening, however, a break in the clouds and precipitation gave a glimpse of what was responsible: a towering cloud was building above scudding dark remnants, set against a sharp blue sky. I found an open spot and, with my little PowerShot G11, captured what I could of the scene. In the space of about 10 minutes, the boiling dome of cloud billowed upwards. As it exploded upward, the white cloud was sculpted by high winds cutting grooves in the tower and rolling filaments into streamers off to the north. It wasn’t long before the building storm cloud was hidden by much lower, less interesting layers. It was a fine few minutes spent watching nature sculpt water vapor.

The Day Began That Way

Posted by Photonstopper on August 11, 2013
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Photo: Waves roll ashore highlighted by beaming sun. Photo by James Guilford.

The Day Began This Way

I stopped by the Lake Erie shoreline again Saturday morning. The sun was breaking through some high clouds and I wanted to see the interplay of morning sunlight and lake waters; It was exciting! The waves, while not large, constantly smashed against break walls and crawled up the sandy beach. The sky, to the east and south, was mostly clear but clouds were moving in from the northwest. I had a wonderful time, shooting more than 200 exposures of waves, water, sun, clouds, and more. A couple of my favorite “sun” photos are shown here. Maybe, one day, I will post more here or on my gallery site. For now, these will have to do.

Photo: Sun over Lake Erie with Cleveland Skyline in distance. Photo by James Guilford.

Dark Sunburst

Stormy weather

Posted by Photonstopper on June 25, 2013
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Photo: Hailstone from Thunderstorm, June 25, 2013. Photo by James Guilford.

Hailstone from Thunderstorm, June 25, 2013

The weather outside is frightful! Hot and humid days, lately, have been punctuated by strong thunderstorms. Tonight’s blew in with rushing winds, hail, rain, hail, lightning, rain, hail… you get the idea. We’re to expect more storms over the next few hours as well. What most impressed me with this evening’s first storm was the hail, the likes of which I’ve not seen in a long time, if ever. I ventured out to collect one of the stones from our patio and popped it into the freezer. A little later I shot the photo shown here with a ruler; that stone was not the exception tonight! We can use the rain but, goodness, such stormy weather!

Photo: Storm Clouds Overhead. Photo by James Guilford.

The Storm Arrives – iPod Photo

Above it all

Posted by Photonstopper on June 18, 2013
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Photo: Cumulus cloud developing. Photo by James Guilford.

A Cauldron of Light at the Center

I love watching cumulus clouds billow and tower against a deep blue sky. Lately we have seen some of that with the scattered rain and thunderstorms that are a part of spring. In the early evening Sunday, the sky was changing from mostly cloudy or overcast to partly cloudy, allowing views of the cloudy blooms. I shot a good number of photos and it was difficult to choose what to show here. My shoot ended as the puffy towers passed overhead and no longer showed their profiles. A high-flying aircraft left a thin contrail, seemingly ejected from the clouds, high above it all.

Photo: Aircraft contrail appears ejected from clouds. Photo by James Guilford.

Above It All

Heading in

Posted by Photonstopper on May 31, 2013
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Photo: Clouds building over Lake Erie. Photo by James Guilford.

Clouds Building over Lake Erie

This was the scene midday over Lake Erie off Bay Village, Ohio: clouds building over the water and a tiny boat heading in to dock. A few hours later the sky became overcast and a compact thunderstorm drenched the area. It looks like it will be a stormy and wet weekend. We shall see what the next couple of days bring but we hope to get out and enjoy.

Clouds, sun, and a bit of air

Posted by Photonstopper on May 19, 2013
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Photo: Crepuscular rays. Photo by James Guilford.

Early-evening Sun Shines Through Floating Islands

In the early evening the sun shined bright through scattered, billowing clouds. Cloud edges glowed bright white while the bodies appeared dark with lighter areas betraying layers.

Photo: Pillar of Cloud in Late-Evening Sunlight. Photo by James Guilford.

Pillar of Cloud in Late-Evening Sunlight

As light flowed through the hazy atmosphere shadows and streams, rivers of light and shadow, formed rays* high above our heads. It was a fine show for anyone willing to look up, made by clouds, and sun, and a bit of air.

Photo: Mounds of Clouds Rising Above Trees. Photo by James Guilford.

Mounds of Clouds Rising Above Trees

*This is the very definition of “crepuscular rays.” Go ahead, use the term, impress your friends!

A change in the weather

Posted by Photonstopper on November 30, 2012
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Photo: Sun and dramatic clouds. Photo by James Guilford.

Sunlit streaks in the clouds over Portage County countryside.

I was driving through the Portage County (Ohio) countryside this afternoon enjoying the late-autumn scenery. The muted tones of black and brown remind me of the art of watercolorists as I gaze at woodlands and fields. The sun broke through nondescript clouds during the day but, as the afternoon progressed, heavier, more dramatic clouds rapidly moved in; their ragged edges surrounding and tearing at the blue openings to a deeper sky. Some of that change in the weather took place as I watched and photographed from the side of a country road and the final stages took place as I drove westward on the Ohio Turnpike at 70 MPH — camera protruding from an open window!

Photo: Dramatic clouds and sun. Photo by James Guilford.

A dark shield of clouds moves to obscure the sun.

A much-needed respite

Posted by Photonstopper on November 28, 2012
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Photo: Cold water moves around rocks. Photo by James Guilford.

Cold water moves as though thick around rocks in this stream.

After painting the kitchen moulding I took off on a round of errands: Post Office, Cardboard Recycling, Office (to water plant). Then respite: a nice, unhurried visit to David Fortier River Park in Olmsted Falls followed by a quick stop at the Strongsville Wildlife Area. It was a cold, gray afternoon, well-suited to the time of year. Still, there was plenty to photograph especially in Olmsted Falls where I spotted many pictures. Even armed only with my little PowerShot G11 I was able to bring home a nice set of images; it was hard to choose which of them to show here. Suddenly things are happening with the kitchen as tomorrow marks arrival and installation of the sink. On Monday and Tuesday of next week, the plumbing gets connected (wish it was earlier!) and the moulding goes up. That should be the completion of our “kitchen project.” Yes, today’s respite was much-needed.

Photo: Thin ice forming on pond. Photo by James Guilford.

Thin ice is forming on the pond in the Strongsville Wildlife Area.