Stormy Sky
Strong storm with large hail moving in. This was the front edge of the storm.
Strong storm with large hail moving in. This was the front edge of the storm.
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Oct, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the side of the road at a place many call the east bench. It is an area between Roberts and Red Lodge in Montana about a mile or so from the main highway.Time
This was shortly before 6 in the evening. It was less than an hour after being in the heart of this storm, which was off to the left from the view of this picture. This is basically the leading edge of the storm. I knew it was an unusual storm because when I was driving through the heart of it the rain and hail were coming down so hard I had to pull over for a bit because of how limited visibility was. I have lived in Montana all my life and driven literally millions of miles between exploring and driving jobs but I have never seen hail coming down quite like that. It was like the storm was ferocious. The hail was about the size of a quarter. I started driving again as soon as I could and a short time later looked to the left and saw this view and realized I had driven out of the storm and it was the leading edge I was looking at.Lighting
This was a while before "golden hour" but still in the evening so the sun was getting lower in the sky and approaching the kind of lighting that makes golden hour so special. It is a good example of where the main light source is can help to make the picture. In this case, the sun was nearly at my back so shining almost directly on the scene. I think part of what makes it unique in terms of lighting is almost all of the sky to the left was very dark because that is where the heart of the storm was yet a good portion of the sky behind me was clear and allowed direct lighting from the sun.Equipment
I was working that day so this was simply my cell phone held in my hands. It was an iPhone 8 Plus.Inspiration
I was awestruck by the storm itself and knew I was seeing something very unusual. This storm extended so far from left to right it spanned almost half of the horizon. Once I realized I had driven from the very heart of the storm to a point of view completely outside of it I knew I had to pull over and start taking pictures. And I loved the look of the clouds in this area of the storm so that is where I focused.Editing
I removed what looked like a burned shed on the far hillside and some fence/fence posts sticking up from the bottom. Didn't do anything with colors because I wanted to preserve how it actually looked as best I could.In my camera bag
I mainly carry a Sony a7r II camera, a Canon PowerShot SX720 HS camera and an Olympus Stylus TG-Tracker. I sometimes carry my Nikon or one or two GoPro cameras. I have a Vanguard Alta Series tripod and a Zomei tripod I sometimes carry because it is more compact. I also have a small tripod with flexible legs that can be used for wrapping around a tree etc. I get a little carried away with accessories including a DJI gimbal, various filters, a Vivitar flash, a battery grip, a wired and wireless remotes, extra memory cards and batteries, cleaning tools and supplies.Feedback
Most important by far is keeping the eyes open for opportunity! That includes looking up and around a lot. The skies are almost always unique and there is no shortage of beauty to be found in cloud formations, storms, rainbows, sunrises/sunsets and many other things that nature can show us. I am fully aware that I can't always have my camera bag handy with my best cameras so I make sure I upgrade often and choose my cell phone based primarily on the best camera and camera apps/software available. This picture was taken with my cell phone and I think it is a good example of how even a good cell phone camera can capture one of a kind displays in nature.
