Dramatic skies are always an exciting photo subject. These kinds of sun rays often occur at the beginning or end of the day when the clouds are just right and there is moisture in the air.
This was a mostly lucky shot. The clouds and rays had been shaping up for awhile to create this look, but the drama was just not there. It took about 15 minutes of waiting, watching, and hoping for this combination of clouds and sun rays to come together to form a powerful shot.
Several elements came together to help make this image - the three layers of clouds that allowed the rays to streak through in several places, the strong contrast between the dark clouds and the small slits of bright sky, and the rays that angle to the left and to the right as your eye scans across the image.
When optimizing this image in Lightroom, I could have lightened the Shadows to allow some texture of the ground to show, but I wanted a dramatic look so I decided to darken the shadows to add more punch. Using this approach helped convey what I felt when I viewed the scene.
It is OK to use some artistic license to create an image that shows not only what you SAW but also what you FELT. That makes for more powerful images with more appeal.
TECH SPECS
1/500 sec. at f/11, ISO 400. Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens set at 40mm on Canon 7D Mark II body. Handheld.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Drama is very important in life. You have to come on with a bang. Everything can have drama if it's done right. Even a pancake." --Julia Child
