Tuesday, May 09, 2023

Cloud Shadows & Landscapes

Plowed Field

Cloud Shadows Over Woods

Tip:
On Blogger when photos are uploaded first, if you can't place the cursor below the photo in the post area, then switch to HTML view. 
From there, go to the end and type a few words to mark the typing area. 
Switch back to Compose view. Now you can edit, and type from the marker words. 

Cloud Shadows

Cumulus clouds are 1000 to 5000 feet above us. For comparison, a mile is 5280 feet. A fair weather indicator, cumulus clouds cast interesting shadows on the ground.

In the photos above, there are no shadows on the plowed fields. I checked all the pictures I took. No shadows on the dirt areas. Right place at the right time. 

Also note an area change in soil colors that's a reversal of perspective. Think contours. The higher grounds will drain and dry out faster as in have a pale hue compared to the wetter low areas. No shadows on the plowed field means there are no clouds in position over the field to block the sun. 
A painting wouldn't look right with a sky full of clouds with no shaded areas over the bare ground.

Evaluating a landscape to paint requires noticing the geology,  weather conditions, and understanding what does what, why and when. You can make adjustments for composition, but not so much with the science of what you see.

Cloud Shadows On the Green Mountains


18 comments:

  1. I found this very interesting to read and learn from. I've placed clouds in a few of my landscapes but didn't think of the shadows they create. Comes from having zero art training and learning as I go.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maryanne,
    Your quilts are so well done, I think you are a naturally gifted artist.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wish I'd seen that tip about the photos long ago. I feel blogger has got worse in that respect. My last post looks a mess. I may return and try to sort it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jenny,
    Don't feel bad. You aren't alone.
    It took me forever to figure that out.
    Also, when the font goes funny with size, you can go into the HTML view, find where size is listed for small, and change it to medium.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cloud shadows are fascinating come to think of it. I have to give them more consideration I’m my photography. Thank you for the tip.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been gone a few days and I won't be able to catch up and comment on everything but I have looked down at all your beautiful photos! i've never had that problem with blogger's html, I guess before I load the pix, I make several returns and then move the cursor above those and just add the pix (and move them later). That's a good tip.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I haven't had that issue with blog composition. Yet.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like to take pictures with clouds in them. The sky is a lot more dramatic with clouds, especially as sunset. As for blogger, I am still using my 2014 laptop with hardly any memory left. I bought a new laptop last year, and it is still in the box as I am afraid that I won’t be able to switch to newer programs.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful sky photos ~

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Marie,
    On fair weather days, taking photos with clouds in them leaves no time for day dreaming unless you want to use the photo. Happy Camera!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jeanie,
    I upload photos first. That's's what catches me fiddling to type where I want to. When I try to add pictures between paragraphs, it doesn't always work out. So I take the easy route. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. William,
    You master posting photos well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Vagabonde,
    Don't be afraid of new. You can make it lost in the mountains, then you can conquer a laptop.

    New systems aren't, from what I experience, as difficult to settle into as they were years ago. Directions, I find, are easier to follow. An AIO OC had not good reviews for the set up, but I bought it anyway. Set up was a breeze. Learning curve easiest ever.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you, Carol
    The sky over spring has a refreshing vibe.

    ReplyDelete
  15. First, thanks for the blogger tip about photo insertions. I usually prepare the text and then add the photos, but sometimes there have been issues, so always good to know a work-around. The information about clouds and shadows was new to me and also very informative. The clouds over the Green Mountains were nice to see.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'd never given thought to the need for a painter to show the shadows of clouds in the sky to make a picture look correct. I'm going to go look for pictures to observe this. Something new to think about as I look at art. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beatrice,
    Pasting the text from Notepad and then adding the photos is a method I used years ago. So many that I forget why I stopped.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Becki,
    That is interesting, to check paintings for accuracy in details.
    I suspect cirrus clouds don't cast shadows on the ground. So I Googled.
    Google actually has a question for what clouds don't cast shadows on the ground! lol

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting. Polite comments are welcome. Note, you do not have to sign up to Atom.