Sky Drama

We had some rare dramatic skies a couple of weeks ago and we headed for the foothills of western Tehama County to witness the spectacle. It did not disappoint! Distant showers, “god rays”, shadows and light were all in play in the late afternoon.

You’ll notice the dust trail from the vehicle near the bottom. This country is not wilderness - there are ranches covering most of the land, dirt roads, fences, tanks, and all of the other associated stuff you’ll find at a ranch. So, it’s not easy to make a nature-only photo.

Specific Feedback Requested

Any comments welcome. There were OOF elements at the bottom of the frame, as I shot this with the telephoto and there were interfering trees I couldn’t eliminate. I figured going for a strong vignette along the bottom would be appropriate. Are they a distraction anyway?

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
a7r3, 105mm, f/16, 1/320s, ISO 400.

Oh my, Bonnie, that is stunning. Love the B&W treatment too. Awesome.

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Dramatic indeed. I don’t notice OOF elements on my screen. I’m not sure about the line of trees along the bottom–I go back and forth between them providing a nice frame and feeling cut off–but overall it doesn’t distract from the drama going on in the sky and the lovely light on the hills.

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Yes, very dramatic scene. It must have been wonderful to have witnessed it. There appear to be some dust spots in the upper left area near the bird. I also like that you presented it in B/W.

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Thanks, @David_Bostock, @DeanRoyer, and @Jim_Gavin.

Yes, they are a bit annoying, but I couldn’t do anything about that when I framed this up.

:roll_eyes: Indeed there are. Thanks for noticing them.

Wonderfully dramatic, Bonnie. I was so caught up in looking at the clouds and the rays I hadn’t noticed the dust created the cars. So, no it was not distracting at least for me. Perhaps, just a thought, you could either crop to the car or burn the car dust down a bit?? At any rate, love the capture.

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Excellent one, Bonnie. I actually like the truck and the dust cloud. It adds to the rural scene for me. Good job on the processing too. Beautifully dramatic. On my laptop, the OOF is not the slightest issue. Looks great.

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Excellent spot light in this image Bonnie. Add in very dramatic clouds, God rays, rain and sunlight painting the hills and you have a winner. The OOF foreground is not a bother to me but the URC seems a little out of place in that there is not much going compared to the rest of the scene. I actually love the truck and the dirt road and wouldn’t change a thing about that. Would love to have seen this in person.

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Thanks, @linda_mellor, @Harley_Goldman, and @David_Haynes. I, too, like the truck and dust cloud and I never considered cloning them out. The open area in the URC is different, but it’s where the light is coming in, so it made sense to me.

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Bonnie, this is wonderful. The drama in the sky is amazing. The dust trail adds well, indication how small we humans are in the grand scheme of nature. The darkness along the bottom blends in very well.

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