The Birth of A Thunderstorm Photo

Photographer’s Note

A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a form of weather characterized by the presence of visible electrical lightning and its effect thunder. It is usually accompanied by heavy rain and sometimes snow or hail.

What we see in the image is a thunderstorm building up…

We have had temperatures above 30C for some days now, and yesterday afternoon came with high air humidity and no wind at all. Not long after the image was taken the thunder started, followed by heavy rain.

And an Internet blackout, a disconnection probably caused by strike of lightning and my problems lasted for 2 - 3 hours...

A maybe more educational image from a different angle is shown in the workshop.

Some facts:

The first stage of a thunderstorm is the cumulus stage, or developing stage. In this stage, masses of moisture are lifted upwards into the atmosphere. The trigger for this lift can be insolation heating the ground producing thermals, areas where two winds converge forcing air upwards, or where winds blow over terrain of increasing elevation.

(facts from Wikipedia)

robertosalguero, JCG, fanni, Budapestman, leonorkuhn, belido, paura, ruisc_pt, Kielia, jmcl, serp2000, dip, mikolaj_kawa, jhm, pierrefonds, Cricri, danos, wgreis, mvdisco, josepmarin, feather, emjleclercq, Didi, jafadabret, yedirenk, denisn72, shevchenko, Angshu, stego, Amaz, skippy007, Urs, jusninasirun ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

robertosalguero (2759) 2009-07-01 1:55

Hello Pablo,

Storms are very nice and yet feared natural events. The view here is very dramatic with the clouds slowly turning dark. Interesting composition and theme to present. Thanks Pablo.

Roberto

JCG (24703) 2009-07-01 2:18

Hi Pablo,

The grayer cloud on the right with the form of a gnome or imp !!! Here on Versailles if the temperatures still go up, we certainly will have large clouds like these…. A sky really impressing especially on your photograph in WS with this part of the hill which gives a good scale. Well done Pablo.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

fanni (8665) 2009-07-01 2:30

Hello Pablo,
in general, I like photos of the cloudy sky: clouds are always so different!
In this case, I like the depth which is created by the various kinds of clouds, let alone the tints of two main colours: blue and white :) Very well composed image!
Best regards,
Elena
PS. perhaps I should consider posting a photo of the cloudy sky, too....

barrufeto_77 (25585) 2009-07-01 2:45

So...run hahahaahhaha. What were you doing there? :P

Nice note and good clouds of course!

Rgs, Oscar

Budapestman (40720) 2009-07-01 3:36

Dear Pablo,
Great shot with superb note and realization. The colours are beautiful and the composition is very attractive, fantastic mood. Tfs! Have a nice day!
George

AiresSantos (41082) 2009-07-01 3:37

Hi Pablo
Wonderful view from the air, beautiful cloudy sky.
Amazing colours and contrasts
TFS and have a nice day
Aires

leonorkuhn (13249) 2009-07-01 3:55

Hi Pablo,

Excellent image, great details in the clouds, very good contrast of colors and texture. I like the effect of depth.

Greetings
Leonor

Nicou (43605) 2009-07-01 4:13

Hello,

quel ciel, ces formes nuageueses sont fantastuqe avec de couleur blanches et grises, et ce bleu, un merveille, un rêve.

bravoe t amitié

Nicou

belido (15933) 2009-07-01 5:13

Hi Pablo,

this photo is very powerful. The simplicity is what pleases me more. Beautiful natural action and there you were for this attractive photography. Very well done!
Regards,
Carlos

jplebrun (16480) 2009-07-01 5:13

Bonjour Pablo
toutes ces couleurs et toutes ces formes qui passent et laissent une partie du ciel bleu, super, bravo.
Amitiés
Jean-Pierre

paura (37628) 2009-07-01 6:47

Pablo,
Linda fotografia, amigo, tomada com eficiente fotometria e lindas cores. Muito boa.

Abraço

Paulo

ruisc_pt (6206) 2009-07-01 7:17

Fantastic note and great image Pablo.
TFS
R

Kielia (8111) 2009-07-01 8:18

Hi Pablo,
the photo in WS is excellent (the original too), there is a lot of activity and dynamic in these clouds, one can even watch them soaring into the sky. A great illustration of the genesis conditions for a thunderstorm. Excellent light and threatening colors. Outstanding photo work! TFS!
Warm regards
Harriet

bobocortis (14068) 2009-07-01 9:48

Hello Pablo.
This sky is amazing, with a deep blue and several grey tones.
You join the color and b&w shots best performances!
Best regards.
Bobo.

gildasjan (23221) 2009-07-01 11:15

Bonsoir Pablo
Quel contraste dans ce ciel,cela donne l'impression que ces nuages sont figés.Un très beau spectacle céleste.
Bonne soirée
Amicalement
gildas

jmcl (13721) 2009-07-01 14:25

Hi Pablo,

Lovely blue .. powerful clouds .. the crisp sharp edges of the clouds add to the power for me .. well chosen composition .. very nice .. from cool Duluth (where we have seem to never have left Spring for Summer)

take care,

John

serp2000 (9099) 2009-07-01 21:38

Privet, Pablo,
Impressive sharpness! I like to see the cloudes and find the familiar subject (horses, dragons,faces etc.)
Well captured!
Serghei

dip (12398) 2009-07-01 22:55

Hi Pablo,
excellent capture of the impressive sky,
the dark cloud gives an dramatic ambience to the picture,
it could be a wonderful motive for an oil painting,
very well done,
Greetings,
Dimitris.

ghilain (1714) 2009-07-01 23:49

Hello Pablo,
Excellent shot of clouds, very good contrast!

This is a good idea to take that!

TFS

brigitte

Giorgio (8582) 2009-07-02 0:21

- Wonderful aerial view Pablo, what cloudy sky by these climatic conditions! Superb also the different clouds colors, splendid, well done!
All the best.
giorgio

ophelcia (5295) 2009-07-02 0:33

Simple and spooky...
Making the atmosphere of suspension and waiting for the result...is it going to rain or not???
Gosia

mikolaj_kawa (29308) 2009-07-02 1:25

Hello Pablo! Excellent clouds. Wonderful shot. Delicate Sound of Thunder! Well done!

John_F_Kennedy (30486) 2009-07-02 4:01

Lovely clouds indeed and a gorgeous view, so pleasant and well balanced.
Best wishes,
Achim

jhm (81531) 2009-07-02 4:17

Hello Pablo,

A thunderstorm can give specially clouds, here see we a fantastic sky, almost artistic view.
I like the panorama view.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

pierrefonds (25821) 2009-07-02 4:34

Hi Pablo,

The different types of shapes of the clouds are assets to the composition. The light is giving a good contrast between the colors of the sky and of the cloud. The point of view is allowing us to see the details and colors of the clouds. Well done, have a nice day.

Pierre

Cricri (42605) 2009-07-02 4:41

Hello Pablo
Superbe scéne des nuages, belle lumière qui filtre les nuages blancs pousser par les nuages gris, ça sent l'arriver proche de l'orage, très beau moment capturer
Good day for you
cricri

AKITA (5023) 2009-07-02 8:38

dear Pablo,
an excellent shot of thunder cloud in summer sky.
deep blue of the sky and white of cloud make vivid contrast, and gray cloud looks unearthly...it is a foreboding of the storm really.
I like the white edge of the cloud, that is very clear and beautiful.
thank you,
Akihisa

danos (31488) 2009-07-02 8:54

Hi Pablo,
nice the view of these dense clouds that create a lot of interesting cloud formations.Informative your note about thunderstorms.

Have a nice afternoon,Danos

berek (28734) 2009-07-02 11:43

Hi Pablo,
what a interesting clouds. i love magical shapes and your nice composition. well done.
have a nice evening.
Burak

gneufeld (14957) 2009-07-02 18:23

Hi Pablo,
Clouds alone can make a perfect image as you demonstrate here. Great light and veyr interesting cloud activity. Good idea well presented. TFS. Gerald

wgreis (5856) 2009-07-02 19:48

Pablo,
some clouds, like those are very interesting to register.
Here, the white and the gray ones make a nice choise.
Congratultions and have a wonderful weekend.
Wagner.

Rafer (4046) 2009-07-03 3:38

Precioso cielo lleno de matizes y tonos muy nítidos...saludos

mvdisco (11294) 2009-07-03 5:19

Bonjour Pablo,
A great caught of view of this beautiful clouds thunderstorm, Excellent POV. and colors, a great composition and presentation..
nice note too. well done.
Michel

clic (4061) 2009-07-03 5:45

Thanks for your support, Pablo
The darker cloud at right looks like Belzebuth exhaling small fumes, ready to sow trouble!
Many compliments for the quality of this picture: Details in highlights are impeccable and so is the setup within the frame.
Best regards.
Robert

josepmarin (33535) 2009-07-03 11:00

Hi Pablo,
Good meteorological information in your note accompanied by a photo that explains it graphically in a very interesting way, in a simple composition but with a great visual and aesthetic strength.
Beautiful light and beautiful textures in the clouds, with a blue magnificent sky in spite of the storm that is borning.
Nice work.
Best regards,
Josep

UlfE (8807) 2009-07-03 11:25

Hei Pablo,

Once again a really original shot. Great idea and an excellent presentation of the birth of a thunder storm. I really like the dramatic lighting and the mix of dark and bright clouds. TFS and have a nice weekend!

Cheers,

Ulf

feather (49848) 2009-07-03 13:57

You must have sent it over to the UK. We had it today! ;D
It's actually not an easy choice of framing to produce an interesting image of just clouds. You have composed it well to include all the different shades and textures.
Have a look at The Cloud Appreciation Society website!

emjleclercq (14105) 2009-07-03 23:59

Very nice cloudy sky, I like very much the variations of the shades of grey on this blue background.

All the best,

Emmanuel

foozi (4541) 2009-07-04 5:33

Hi Pablo,
what a great gramatic sky here. The contrast is very well seen.
nice shot in simple way.

regards,
Foozi

argycon (2749) 2009-07-04 7:24

Hi Pablo,
Very good capture of the forthcoming storm!
Impressive clouds, excellent use of light!
tfs
regards
kostas

jmdias (18607) 2009-07-04 8:00

pablo

very beautiful these shapes of these clouds, I liked their different colors and the contrast with the blue sky. Brazil is one of the countries with more thunderbolts in the world, the place where I am working was hit for one some years ago and some decades ago a woman was killed by one few meters away from my home.

hugs

jorge

TopGeo (21317) 2009-07-04 23:32

Hi Pablo! Really the time of last days thus is also here Is beautifully photographic subject and impresses
have a nice day
regards
Georgios

Didi (35582) 2009-07-04 23:39

Hi Pablo
Dramatic sky, I hope a lightning for the nextime but it's not evident.
Best regards

jafadabret (38789) 2009-07-04 23:55

Bonjour Pablo.
Je vois que le temps est aussi orageux chez toi que chez moi. C'est vrai que ces nuages sont d'une grandes beauté mais ils sont porteurs d'orages qui peuvent être très violents.
Excellent !
Bon dimanche !
Jacques

yedirenk (7093) 2009-07-05 2:57

Hi dear Pablo,
amazing sky with grey and white clouds in the superb blue tone.an elegant simplicity,nice depth.interesting details.well done.TFS
Greetings

Cevdet

rodgerg (22813) 2009-07-05 4:20

Hello Pablo,

An excellent framing. Very interesting shot, very nice too. I like especially the superb blue color and the nuances in the colors of the clouds. A very graphic effect.
Have a nice Sunday,
Roger

denisn72 (6865) 2009-07-05 4:57

Hello Pablo!
I like the contrasts between the dark grey cloud on the right and the white one in the middle. You illustrate and explain well the phenomenon of a thunderstorm. Great deep blue in the background. Cheers!
Best regards
Denis!

Longroute (8757) 2009-07-05 8:58

Quite an impressive and strong clouds formation with a very definite tridimensional effect. The composition and framing is well chosen to give a fine chromatic contrast between the clouds and th deep blue sky. The shapes and textures of the clouds justifies the absence of some terrestrial reference creating a kind of abstract drawing.
I notice that your eyes go often upwards... looking for infinite or evading from an every day routine? :-)
Best greetings,
Donato

shevchenko (9694) 2009-07-05 19:32

Hi Pablo,
Interesting composition to show the thick clouds before raining, I'm almost forgot all types of clouds that study in geography text book many years ago, this photo is good for helping me to review it, distinct photo to show clouds high on the sky, well done.
Ally

Bluejeans (31383) 2009-07-06 5:28

Ola Pablo ,
Dramática esta tua foto com estas nuvens gigantes , bonita a textura das nuvens em tons de cinza , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

marietom (31756) 2009-07-06 13:26

hello Pablo,

Superbe ciel ! j'adore, cette composition toute simple, et très belle.
Bonne soirée
Marie

Angshu (33155) 2009-07-07 22:12

Hello Pablo
You've shown us earlier how to create a nice picture with just clouds. This is another example. Like how the clouds appear almost 3D in this picture & with fine contrast with the blue sky. Sigh...haven't seen the blue sky for over a week now!
Well done!
Regards
Angshu

stego (22290) 2009-07-08 11:14

Hi Pablo,
Impressive image! The shapes of these clouds entice our imagination to see every kind of figure. It's very well framed and exposed. The WS isn't interesting only because it's more educative, it is also a great photo.
Regards,
José

gunbud (27435) 2009-07-09 18:52

Hi Pablo,
Wow looks like there is alot happening up in those thick clouds that contain a lovely mixture of white silver and deep blue.
Very informative note about the genisus of a thunderstorm.
Regards, Tom

Greg1949 (8499) 2009-07-10 3:14

Pablo, it is that time of the year isn't it. Fine color and contrast in this often tricky subject area, nice work.

Greg

Amaz (6220) 2009-07-10 3:50

Excellent skyscape (if exists "landscape)!!
Amazing colours, Pablo!!
Very interesting your note!!

Well done!!

My congrats!!

plimrn (19514) 2009-07-10 9:16

Hi Pablo,
What beautiful clouds!! A sky like this always makes me want to take pictures - you've captured its wonder with perfect light management and framing. I would be hard pressed to decide whether this one or the WS is more beautiful. However, this is more dramatic with the contrast of blue sky,
HLJ, Pat

giorgimer (20542) 2009-07-13 14:51

Hi Pablo,

great simplicity and great beauty at the same time, good details, interesting post

TFS

Gio

skippy007 (6710) 2009-07-20 22:34

Hello Pablo, very interesting cloud formation in both images, a little lightning would have been fantastic, but a very beautiful and well exposed image it is, nice BW tones contrasting well with a rich blue sky.
My mother is terrified of thunder storms, I am not sure why.
Thank you
Regards
Santo

Urs (2359) 2009-07-20 23:28

Dear Pablo

These clouds just are fantastic! I like clouds a lot and luckily there are a lot of them in Asia where I live. Also your note is well written and informative. Very attractive are the color hues of your picture - white to gray to blue. Well done

Regards
Urs

danyy (67784) 2009-08-29 10:29

Bonjour Pablo,
une photo interessante de ces cumulo-nimbus, magnifiques très souvent, mais peu sympathiques. Si nous aimons les orages pour leur beaté et leur violence, il nous en faut redouter les effets ravageurs.
Une très bonne phot sur le plan technique.
Amitié.
Daniel.

jusninasirun (9962) 2009-10-26 7:18

Hi Pablo: I can see beautiful cloud and great looking sunset today. The shades of gray and white with fine silver lining taking up beautifully in the frame against the saturated blue sky. So puffy and pleasing in framing. Thanks for sharing and have a pleasant week ahead. Jusni