by Editor Jane Lyons
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 3rd of October 2025

Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way

Joni Mitchell

A cloud is defined as a  “visible mass of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere."
As a photographer, I would define clouds as nature’s greatest gift to the visual arts.

‘So Dutch’ by Saskia Dingemans

‘The Spring Bliss’ by Shenshen Dou

They provide poetry and mystery and evoke a wide spectrum of feelings: power, fury, fear, fantasy, intensity, and ethereal beauty.

‘StormRoad’ by Marcel Egger

‘BEHIND THE REALITY’ by Franziskus Pfleghart

They convey joy and hope when the sun bursts through or dread and fear when the absence of light becomes foreboding.

‘rainbow ends’ by Ambra

‘Amongst the clouds …’ by Yvette Depaepe

Using clouds to create atmosphere or using clouds as the main element of a photograph is something worth exploring.

‘everybody hurts’ by Hari Sulistiawan

‘SUMMER HEAT’ by Patrick Ems

Not only do clouds provide visual beauty and atmosphere, but they also furnish a photographer with diffused and controlled light; a ready made Lightroom that drifts and shifts and allows time to compose and make a meaningful photograph.

Clouds are an asset not only to landscape photographers, but also to anyone photographing exteriors and interested in creating atmosphere with diffused light.

Atmosphere tells the story. 

‘Waiting fort he Storm’ by Stefan Eisele

Personal touch, if you don't mind ... :-)
A photo of my cats, Vivian and Bean in front of Stefan Eisele's photograph 'Waiting for the Storm' which is on a wall in my home.

Technically:

To capture clouds, it is important to choose camera settings carefully, avoiding over- and under-exposure.

White balance is an important factor in deciding whether you want snowy white clouds or clouds that reflect colors in the sky.

Polarizing Filters can dramatize clouds by restricting light waves from the lens.

Long exposure can work when there is very little wind. If the clouds are low and moving quickly, what a long exposure reveals is anybody's guess.

In post-processing, drop a graduated filter in Lightroom, followed by Contrast, Clarity and Saturation in Camera Raw.

The Clarity setting helps separate the clouds from the sky, if used judiciously. 

Lastly, clouds are equally effective and profound in both black and white or in color.
Every picture tells a story. This is a celebration of clouds!

‘Ladder 2’ by Hadi Malijani

‘Printemps perdu’ by Sebastien DEL GROSSO

‘Wonderful view’ by Nic Keller

‘Cloud-Farm’ by Christine von Diepenbroek

‘Jumping Jack’ by Christine von Diepenbroek

‘Prelude To The Dream’ by Hengki Lee

‘The Tree and the Cloud’ by Andreas Wonisch

‘Sheep in the Clouds’ by Elizabeth Allen

‘Red and Rusty’ by Þorsteinn H. Ingibergsson

‘There is nothing new under the sun’ by janini (Zhana Topchieva)