The internet and social media is full of images of skies. We love to see blue skies, the setting sun; or interesting skies, such as those when the Aurora Borealis appears.
As a photographer, skies can make or break an image in very different ways.
Changing the position of the horizon when taking a photo of the sky can affect the whole drama and energy of an image too.
When it comes to ‘feel good’ images, we love to see a beautiful blue sky above a countryside view – it makes us feel summery. But for many photographers as beautiful as a pure blue sky may be, we often prefer our skies to have more interest and drama. We are looking for good light, texture and different tones to create that interest.
There are certain clients who want clear, summery blue skies to enhance their property – particularly estate agents and property owners, looking to rent or sell properties where a blue sky will help sell a specific aesthetic or dream. An image with a blue sky often suggests the venue as a radiant or an inviting place to be.
When we look at the image in an estate agent’s window of a house where the sky is grey – it makes the entire picture look uninteresting which can also affect the way we feel about a property and can even prevent us viewing it. Even if it’s a beautiful house, our eyes may be drawn away by the allure of a property if the weather looks dull or stormy.
So how do what do we do when our clients want a summery blue sky to sell their product?
As a commercial photographer, when commissioned to photograph architectural projects it is often not possible to be there when the sky makes a building ‘pop’ – the designated day might be really cloudy, windy or just generally a bit ‘meh’.
Therefore, I have amassed – and continue to capture – a large library of skies which means that if I’m photographing architecture, I can if the client requires it, in post process, replace a dull grey, bland sky with either a blue sunny one, a blue sky with clouds, or if they’re looking for something far more dramatic – a dramatic look.
But when I do this, it is important that I match any shadows on buildings, or remove them if they’re in the wrong place; have the light coming from the right direction. Done badly, altering the sky can look completely wrong and ruin the overall image.
Our eyes are sophisticated and even if we can’t quite pinpoint what doesn’t work, we know instantly if it’s not quite ‘right’.
I have images taken at various times of the day and night – dawn, sunrise, sunset, before and after storms.
These examples show how a building changes character depending on the sky being used: (add those into the blog, Hannah put these up with one post)
5 reasons I love photographing skies:
- I love photographing skies with their varied colours and composition and I will travel miles to capture an amazing ‘sky’ moment.
- No two clouds are the same, therefore having a range of ‘cloud’ images to choose from is always useful.
- I cannot paint so I always look for compositions that I would like to paint if I could.
- As a photographer, of course moody is best! However that might not always be best for a client and, as an established business owner, I totally understand that.
- The foreground of the image must compliment the sky and tell a story. Therefore, if I take an image where the sky is flat and boring, I can offer the client a range of different skies that they can choose from (as in the images above).
2 points of warning:
- Don’t let the mobile phone decide how the picture should look – use manual settings to understand lighting and colour
- AI (Artificial Stupidity in my mind) is not best!
If you have any properties you’d like photographing, then please get in contact – neil@moore-photographics.com
