Brave the Storm
© 2002, Frank Weston
All rights reserved

 

Storm warning! The wind shifts in fits and gusts, casting about like a hunting fox. Clouds tumble across the horizon, piling up, ready to pounce. Animals get restless, responding to basic instincts to seek shelter from the approaching tempest. Reasonable people pay heed and follow suit, battening down the hatches in the face of nature’s fury. That is the prudent thing to do. But a wily photographer will pay heed for a different reason. A storm presents marvelous photographic opportunities for those brave enough, or perhaps foolish enough, to venture out when instinct advises otherwise.

A brief fall snowstorm broke at sunrise, leaving ragged, tattered clouds shredding themselves on the cliffs. The clouds add depth and a sense of mystery to the stark sandstone cliffs. Clearly, getting out before dark, while it was still snowing paid a big dividend.

Storms are both a blessing and a bane to landscape photographers. They challenge the hardiest souls with extremes of wind, rain, snow, bitterly cold temperatures, and lightning. Storms can also provide some of the most dramatic natural lighting imaginable. It is this hope that sends us forth against the rigors of the storm.

A storms unique ability to alter the mood of a landscape defies verbal description. Only a photograph can begin to do it justice. Sometimes the effects are subtle, at other times they can be very dramatic. The most important change for a photographer is, naturally, the light. Storm light can be anything you can envision and some things that you might never imagine. Occasionally the effects are so bizarre that people will accuse you of altering the photograph. Clouds and sun, working together provide an ever-changing kaleidoscope of light and shadow. I’m always thrilled when a shaft of light unexpectedly highlights the main element in my composition. It’s almost as if the storm was putting on a show just for me, showing off, flaunting its mastery of the elements.

A storm presents two chances for capturing dramatic scenics, once as the storm approaches and again as it is breaking up. Each provides unique opportunities for the photographer.

The leading edge of a storm usually appears in a couple of ways. One is a sharp front with a clear demarcation between clear skies and storm clouds. The sharp front usually has very little, if any, transition zone at the leading edge. There is little doubt about when the storm front actually arrives, as the change in wind and temperature are dramatic and abrupt. This type of front makes

Soft light through hazy storm clouds provided wonderful soft light allowing detail to be seen under the shaded canopy of the foreground aspen and also set the distant aspen aglow, making them stand out dramatically against the muted grays and whites of the snow-covered landscape.

for dramatic images of spectacular cloud formations of the approaching storm. The other front is subtler, like it’s trying to sneak up unnoticed. There is a gradual change in cloud cover, starting with broken clouds that gradually thicken into the storm mass. This storm provides longer transition times, thus allowing the photographer more opportunities to catch that once-in-a-lifetime shot. Either way, there is ample material for dramatic photographs. Another benefit to the photographer is that the weather ahead of a storm front usually tends to be mild -- a chance to get some great shots before the weather makes shooting more difficult.

The effect of a breaking snowstorm can clearly be seen in the soft, shadowed light on the foreground slope, while diffused sunlight bathes the mountain in the background, even though the summit is still shrouded in clouds. The muted light enhanced the autumn leaves of the ground cover, while the sunlight contrasting with the cloud-shrouded peak add drama.

Oftentimes, an approaching storm front will produce high thin clouds well in advance of the storm, sometimes even days ahead of the storm. These thin clouds can come in streaks, or as a more uniform haze across an otherwise cloudless sky. Thin clouds can soften the harsh midday sun, reducing contrast and opening up the shadows for some great shots even with the sun straight overhead. I find that this is a great time to work on close-ups and more intimate landscapes.

My preference, though, is the backside of the storm, just as it’s beginning to break up. The weather may not be as mild as ahead of the storm, but the advantages more than make up for the typically cooler temperatures. As a landscape photographer, I find the biggest advantage to be the absence of the high winds that are often pushed ahead of a storm front. Since I like the saturation achieved through long exposures, I find it difficult to photograph trees that are cavorting in 30 mph winds. Therefore, I much prefer the calmer winds behind the storm.

Since the storm’s trailing edge is usually less well defined than the leading edge, I find that the transition period between storm and mild weather tends to last longer. This lengthens the time that I have to find those great shots. It also means that there will be more of the highly variable, and often dramatic light that I seek. The ultimate situation is when the storm is breaking right at sunrise or sunset. Not only do I get dramatic clouds altering the light, but it is combined with the dramatic light of the “magic hour.”

Late afternoon thunderstorms threatened to prevent getting a good shot, but perseverance was rewarded by a last minute break, allowing the setting sun to highlight the cliffs and put a touch of color in the ominous gray clouds. The contrast between the gray clouds and highlighted cliffs turned an ordinary shot into a noteworthy image.

The breaking storm can provide a vast array of lighting conditions, sometimes in a matter of minutes. The sky can be solid overcast, muting the colors, rendering good shots nearly impossible. Then, in a few seconds, the clouds can thin, providing wonderfully soft light making it very difficult not to take good photographs. And then, the clouds may suddenly break completely, providing a hole through which full sunlight blazes. A shaft of brilliant light may dramatically highlight the main element of my composition, or provide a beautiful composition that wouldn’t exist without the play of light and shadow.

I personally see a great psychological benefit to shooting the backside of the storm. I know that the conditions will only improve, rather than get worse. So no matter how cold, or wet, or tired I am from battling the storm to get there in time, I know the worst is over and the best is yet to come. That thought makes it much easier to leave the warm, dry comfort of a motel or vehicle.

On the backside of summer thunderstorm, the setting sun slices under the storm clouds dramatically highlighting the foreground and rain shafts behind the peaks. Without the dramatic clouds and light, this would have been a very ordinary photograph of the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Without doubt, there are risks involved in setting out to face a storm. Beautiful photographs taken during storms do not mean that storms are benevolent and should be taken lightly. Our evolution-born fear of storms comes from the very real danger storms present. Storms can, and sometimes do, kill. Even in our modern, technologically advanced world that insulates us from the rigors of nature, storms can still be very dangerous. A healthy dose of caution and preparation are needed before venturing out to face the storm.

Being an intelligent creature (although my friends wisely question my intelligence), I face the storm forewarned and forearmed. I’ve learned to check the local weather reports regularly. When a storm is predicted, I try to position myself in a suitable location before the storm hits so I can shoot it as it moves in and out. Although I prefer the “magic hours” at dawn and dusk, storms have a way of creating their own magic at any time of day. I also make sure that I am prepared to survive the worst conditions I can imagine. Here in the Rocky Mountains, storms have a way of doing something other than what was predicted. I always carry extra food, water and cold-weather gear when I venture out to shoot a storm. I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the local weather forecasts before facing a storm. Then check with local outdoor outfitters regarding basic survival equipment and techniques before tackling storm photography.

As great an effect that storm light has on my photography, it has a much greater effect on me, the photographer. I find great inspiration in shooting the edge of the storm. Storms are well known for their ability to cleanse the air and the earth. For me, they also have a way of cleansing the spirit. It’s as if the storm clears and refreshes my creative vision. With my storm-cleansed vision, it is not difficult to find abundant beauty that cries out to be shared on film.