Sunset: Sunsets often fit my definition of 'skycapes'. We had stopped for the night near Douglas, Wyo. As the sky lit up at sunset giving us a beautiful and colorful show. The colors of the sun reflecting from the clouds even reflected the golden hues in the open field next to our campsite. Photo by Gary Warren/Ladailypost.com
Cumulus: Cumulus clouds are the beautiful white, puffy clouds that float silently through the sky above. These clouds add depth and interest to an otherwise clear empty sky. This photo shows several cumulus clouds as they fill the sky over 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 places as we wander around the country, giving me more photo opportunities than I can handle. Landscape photography has always been a passion and traveling allows me to photograph countless landscapes.
Lighting, time of day and atmospheric conditions and photo composition are among the main factors that can make or break a landscape photo. 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 “cloudscapes.” As we travel across the wide open spaces of the desert or grassland, the sky opens up and creates a magnificent
Scene. Weather conditions can have a big impact on travel, but I try to focus on the possibilities of spectacular atmosphere that a photo op can sometimes create when there wasn't much to see.
For this post I have selected some of the cloudscapes that filled the sky during our travels. These photos were taken at different times and locations.
When I'm out and about, I encourage you to pay attention to what's happening above you and what's in front of you. There may be a photo op.
Editor's Note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn travel the country sharing his photos, which will be published in the “Posts From the Road” series in Sunday's edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Big Timber, Montana: One of the areas we have visited often is in south central Montana. We attend an annual RV rally in Big Timber, Mont. and enjoy day trips in the area when time permits. We were exploring the countryside a few miles north of Big Timber a few years ago when a summer thunderstorm began to build in the distance. I looked at it for a while but eventually had to stop for photos. You might 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 picture. Photo by Gary Warren/Ladailypost.com
Arizona: We were traveling through northern Arizona when these clouds formed to our west. We kept an eye on the storm for a while but finally stopped for the evening when I took these pictures. Luckily we only got a short shower and camped there. Photo by Gary Warren/Ladailypost.com
Wyoming: Storm clouds are fascinating to watch unless you're directly beneath them. If this is the case, be prepared to get wet, or hopefully safely indoors! We were traveling through Wyoming when this summer's thunderstorm formed west of our route. We enjoyed watching for quite a while, but we never saw a drop of moisture. These storms, particularly in the western US, can be very isolated. 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