Lurid Dawn

This picture of the sky was taken at sunrise, or thereabouts, sometime early in 2012. Judging by the naked trees, I'd guess it was probably January or February, although it's hard to be sure.

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The lurid pinks and purples of this sunrise just go to show that, while Nature is always bold and original in her celestial artwork, she is not always tasteful! It's unfortunate that I didn't manage to focus more clearly on the harsh outlines of the spiky trees, but the colours were so striking that I couldn't resist posting the image even though the trees are looking a little fuzz. Ah well, better luck next time!

Ominous Clouds

"Threatening" seems to be a good word to describe this cloud formation, spotted menacing my local supermarket in mid summer 2012. Orange / yellow uplight from the late evening sun lends a downright sinister impression to the scene, such that I, for one, wouldn't have been surprised to see at least one Apocalyptic Horseman galloping down from those boiling borderlands between clear blue sky and deep, dark cloud.

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Contrasts and borderlines seem to be what this image is all about - between the clear sky and the clouds, the light and the darkness, even between the building in the bottom right, firmly rooted to the ground, and the doom-laden sky above,

Thankfully, no horsemen were in evidence, and the battle between clear sky and cloud quickly ended in favour of the cloudy side, with very heavy rain following close behind.

Cirrocumulus Stratiformis

These assorted Cirrocumulus clouds - including, I think, a field of Cirrocumulus Stratiformis - hove into view late one evening in mid-summer 2012.

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Their intricate patterns stood out nicely against the gradually darkening sky, and, although it had not yet set, the sun's low position in the sky (off beyond the bottom right of the picture) created some pleasing uplighting that helped to show off some of the clouds' more delicate features.

The formation covered much of the sky, beyond the area shown here, and changed greatly over the half hour or so that I was watching. Naturally, I took several more picture, which might find their way into future posts.

Cumulus Mediocris

This picture was taken sometime in mid-summer 2012, and shows a healthy example of Cumulus Mediocris (I think!) well on its way to becoming an equally healthy example of Cumulus Congestus (I also think - must get better at formally identifying cloud types!).

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The towering peaks stand out nicely against the otherwise clear, blue sky, catching the late afternoon sun and casting shadows on their more distant counterparts. Although Cumulus Mediocris isn't usually a bringer of rain - or other precipitation - the dark base of these clouds brings to mind torrential downpours and frantic scrambles for shelter.

I can't recall whether they did, in fact, lead to rain, either heavy or light, but I wouldn't be at all surprised - this is England, after all!

Cloud Counting

How many different kinds of cloud can you fit into one photograph, while still leaving room for a swathe of blue late summer evening sky? Probably quite a few, but the multiple varieties in this picture must go some way towards that maximum.

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The striking pink / orange colour of the sun's setting rays catching the lower level cloud makes a pleasant contrast with the bright white of the higher altitude specimens, while the deep blue of the sky is a perfect backdrop against which to show them both off.

Taken towards the end of summer 2012, and quite late in the evening, this photograph captures an impressively beautiful display of natural artwork that held me spellbound for quite some time.

Sunrise Altocumulus Floccus

Somewhere in the distance, behind the trees and dark clouds, the sun is inching its way over the horizon. Overhead, a whole bunch of cotton wool-like Altocumulus Floccus clouds fill the sky with their light, fluffy presence.

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There's something about Altocumulus Floccus (apart from having a really cool name) that somehow makes me feel cheerful and content with the world. It could could be their shape, their colour - lit from below by the rising sun in this case - or their texture. Or it could be something else entirely.

Whatever the cause, however, this batch of reassuringly fluffy cotton wool clouds was photographed very early one morning in late spring / early summer 2012.

Pink Sunrise

A cold, clear, frosty morning in early December began with this pre-sunrise image of pink clouds hanging lazily above the trees like a diaphanous veil draped across the early-morning sky.

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The colourful yet delicate patterns painted by sky, clouds and sunlight neatly offset the dark, harsh shapes of the naked trees in the foreground.

As sunrise pictures go, it may be a little insipid - although, technically, it's not a sunrise picture because the sun had not yet risen above the horizon - but I liked the contrast between the curvy, gently flowing clouds, complete with a visible structure no matter how vague, and the dark, spiky outlines of the trees that showed nothing beyond their crude shape.

Sunset Trees

In late summer / early autumn 2012, I caught sight of the stunning sunset pictured below. Partially hidden behind a screen of trees, the late evening sun is tinged with orange, casting a coppery glow over the gathering clouds.

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The contrast with the darkening blue sky is striking, too, pitting the sun's golden fire against the cold blue darkness of the oncoming night.

Within minutes, the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, leaving the world in shadow as night fell - and, with it, the rain from the thickening clouds.

Sunset Clouds

It's been a while since I've had chance to update this blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been snapping the odd picture when time - and, of course, the sky - has permitted. I've finally gotten around to transferring some of them off my camera, and will post them here over the next few days.

This dramatic, and slightly angry-looking, bunch of heavy rain clouds is backlit by the setting sun. For some reason, I could imagine them as a fitting backdrop for a climactic battle in some long-drawn-out war, or other similarly portentous event.

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The picture was taken at sunset, sometime during the summer of 2012 - unfortunately, I didn't keep sufficiently good records to know exactly when. Note to self - set the date and time correctly on camera!

Cumulus Mediocris

This cloud picture shows a bubbling heap of cauliflower-shaped Cumulus Mediocris massing in the middle distance.

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Taken around lunchtime one day in early May, the clouds are framed by a gap in some nearby trees which conceal the more distant city over which they are looming. The day was one of those changeable, sunny / rainy days that never seems to stay the same for two minutes together, as the clear blue patches of sky between the clouds show.

Sunlight bathed the trees at the moment I took the picture, but just a few minutes earlier they had been bathed in a more traditionally wet manner, and would be so again when those ominous clouds arrived to blot out the sun and begin a new downpour.

PP

Cumulus Humilis at Dawn

More early morning cloud photography for today's post. Taken before 6 AM on an early May morning, this shy picture features some low-lying fluffy white clouds tinged pinky-gold by the rising sun.

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The effect a sky full of clouds like this was incredibly beautiful, their colours and shapes contrasting nicely with the deep blue of the early-morning sky. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely certain what type of clouds they are. At first I thought they were Altocumulus Floccus, but they seem to be a little to widely distributed to fit into that category, and their flattish bases and overall "flattened" appearance suggests Cumulus Humilis instead.

I could easily be wrong about that, but, either way, the clouds in this sky picture made a pretty start to the day!

PP

Altocumulus Floccus At Dusk

This picture of Altocumulus Floccus clouds lurking just above the setting sun was taken at dusk one evening in late April.

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The sun's dying rays cast a pinkish glow on the underside of the little fluffy tufts of cloud, leaving other, even lower clouds to languish in shadowy grayness. This picture of clouds in the sky was taken after a day of rain and generally gloomy skies, and the late splash of colour was a welcome reminder that the sky is capable of delivering more than a good soaking.

PP

Sports-field Sunrise

Goodness me! It's been a month since I last had time to update this blog, but that doesn't mean there's been any lack of material to post! Far from it, in fact - I've been busy snapping pictures of the sky at every opportunity. Yesterday, I finally got around to transferring the images from my camera to my computer, and I'll be updating this blog with some of the more interesting sky photos over the next few days.

So, to start the ball rolling, I've chosen this sunrise picture taken a few days ago at my local sports field. As I've mentioned before, morning - especially very early morning - isn't my favourite time of day, but sometimes it can't be avoided. On this occasion, I was up and about at around 5 AM on a May morning, and noticed that the pre-dawn sky was taking on a most interesting reddy tinge. Before long, I found myself standing in the middle of a deserted sports field, trying to get a clear view of the horizon as the sun rose above the distant hills - much the dismay of a group of wild rabbits, who, I gather, are accustomed to having the field to themselves at that time of day!

Despite this unintended bunny-bothering, I was able to grab a few sunrise pictures as the sun crept above the horizon. I was struck by the coppery shade of the sky around the rising sun, and the almost golden tint to the strands of Cirrus fibratus clouds hovering above the trees.

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Of course, these colours don't last long, but they are one of the things that makes sunrise photos worth the effort of early-morning activity!

PP.

Altocumulus Floccus

At least, I think the clouds in today's sky picture are Altocumulus floccus - they look to be of the same general shape and structure as the other examples I've been able to find.

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But whatever type of cloud they may be, this pretty white cloud formation was spotted drifting lazily though the warm, clear spring sky yesterday afternoon. Substantial thought it appears, there was never any risk that it would obscure the welcome sunshine, serving instead to add just a little interest to an otherwise uninterestingly clear sky.

And to garner me some slightly baffled looks as paused to take the cloud's pic amid a busy garage forecourt. Ah well, not everyone's a cloud lover:)

PP

Dark Rain Clouds

The sinister-looking collection of nimbostratus clouds in this picture promised an imminent torrential downpour, and it wasn't long before that promise was fulfilled.

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Stretching all the way to the horizon, these rain clouds have an air of impending doom about them that is usually only found in expensive special effects budgets and seaside towns on a bank holiday weekend. I find it quite easy to imagine their swirling masses being torn apart to reveal some rampaging bogeyman or other, be it man-made, alien, supernatural or whatever else you may choose to imaging lying concealed within their ominous depths.

Fortunately, this cloud photo features water vapour of a singularly undramatic bent, and all that emerged was rain - and lots of it!

PP

Dusk Contrails

I snapped this picture of the sky a couple of days ago, some time after sunset. I was on my way to the local supermarket when the striking combination of high altitude clouds, contrails and deep blue evening sky caught my eye.

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Naturally, I had to pull over and dig out the camera - trying to take photographs of clouds while driving is probably even more frowned upon than using the phone, and the resulting cloud images probably wouldn't be all that good, either.

This, then, together with my haste to capture the upper right contrail before the aircraft sped out of sight, is my excuse for the slightly skewed angle at which this photo appears to have been taken - must try harder next time I thrust my camera out of the car window!

PP

Lonely Cloud

Taken at lunchtime just a few days ago, this cloud photo captures what was, for quite a while, the only cloud visible in an otherwise clear, blue, late March sky.

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While clear skies are, no doubt, good news for those of us with pressing outdoor chores to attend to, acres and acres of uninterrupted blue celestial real estate don't, as a rule, make for interesting sky pictures. In fact, they're almost as unphotogenic as the wall-to-wall dull grey rain clouds that have been so common here lately.

This solitary specimen stood out against the empty sky, a vaguely symmetrical illustration of delicate-looking water vapour, adrift in a sea of blue, and was quickly earmarked as potential cloud picture material. And here it is!

PP

Fluffy Clouds

This cloud image was taken yesterday lunchtime, as great wads of white clouds drifted around the mid-day sun and filled a sizeable part of the deep blue sky with intricate structures.

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I was struck by the way the light fell upon the large mass of clouds at the bottom of the picture, clearly highlighting the contours of its surface and the delicate patterns around the perimeter. The towering peaks and deep valleys of the cloud's surface are shown to have a surface as insubstantial as the outer edges - hardly surprising as, from another perspective, they are the outer edges, and, in any event, the cloud is nothing more than drifting, billowing water vapour. Even so, it remains a thing of (natural) beauty!

PP

Cloudy Sky

One more shot from the batch of cloud pictures I've been posting for the past couple of days, this time showing a wider view of the sky - doesn't it look busy, packed with swirling, disintegrating rain clouds as far as the eye can see?

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As the clouds scuttled across the sky, driven by a strong, cold wind, they inevitably began to form seemingly-recognisable shapes. A quick glance at this photo shows a dog, something that might become a stegosaurus and the wraith-like, ghostly image of a pale face peering down from the dark clouds. If pictures in the clouds are your thing, maybe you can spot some more!

PP

Breaking Clouds

This cloud pic was taken a few minutes after the photo in yesterday's post, showing a clear patch of blue sky surrounded by angry-looking rain clouds.

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The "silver lining" around dark cloud towards the bottom of the image, and the light, high altitude clouds visible high above the stormy formations, hint at fine weather to come after the stiff breeze has blown these rain clouds away. This sky picture just goes to show that there's a lot more going on in the sky than is necessarily visible above our heads - layers of complex natural beauty reach all the way to the edge of space, and beyond!

PP