“I’ve Never Seen a Sky Quite Like This”

Larry has a land surveying business operating out of Jefferson. On Tuesday of this week, about 4:30 in the afternoon, he left his office to be greeted with a very dramatic sky. Since such a scene is rapidly evolving, he grabbed his Kokak digital, framed the shot and snapped the shutter. As a photographer faced with this opportunity, what approach would you have taken? You would probably want a wide angle to capture the sweep of the sky since that’s what makes the scene special. How important is the foreground? How much foreground to you want to include? Does the car add interest or is it a distraction? Would you have crossed the street, approached the church and eliminated the street entirely? How much time might you have had to try different angles before the magic of the moment disappeared? Does the image shown here take advantage of the opportunity offered? Does the sky make this photograph memorable? Could it be cropped to advantage, creating a panorama look? These and other questions are part of the process which makes us all better at what we’re trying to do. A photographer should probably ask similar questions about every shot he takes. Critical evaluation of one’s own work is part of the process of becoming a better photographer.

For a look at one possible edit, click here. Much of the foreground has been cropped away and the car has been moved to a different location plus a few other minor edits. See how many changes you can spot.
Kodak Easyshare Z1485 IS, Focal Length 7.54mm, 1/500 sec at f/4.8. ISO 100.