When it comes to photography, a beautiful sky in a photo has the power to captivate the viewer. It’s why photographers chase those stunning sunsets. It’s why they wake up in the early morning hours to capture those first rays of the sun poking out from the horizon. And it’s why they brave the cold and wet weather.
Even if there is only the slightest chance of something extraordinary, it’s worth a try. But sky photography comes with many challenges. Continue reading to learn how to capture those stunning sky images.
Sky Photography: How to Shoot a Beautiful Sky
It might seem obvious. But it’s amazing how often the first principle of capturing a great sky photo gets overlooked.
Any outdoor photography means that you rely on the weather conditions. If those conditions are not right, you won’t be able to capture a great photo.
No matter how amazing the scene in front of you is, the photo will look flat and uninteresting if you have a blanket of white clouds and muted light. But if you add some dramatic clouds or stormy weather, the whole photo changes.
Your starting point for any great sky photography should be research and patience. Check the weather forecast and wait for the right conditions.
Here are the 12 most useful landscape photography apps to help you find that gorgeous sky.
1. Find the Best Time of Day for Dramatic Sky Photos
Light is one of the most important components of any photo. Great sky images will usually be filled with wonderful light. This will often be during the early morning and late evening hours.
The softer and more golden color light can make any scene look beautiful.
But when the sun is very low, like around sunrise and sunset, it can also have an incredible effect on the clouds. This is when you will get that stunning blue and orange sky or even the more dramatic red sky.
2. Include Some Clouds to Add Interest to Sky Photography
Clouds are an essential part of capturing great pictures of the sky. But the key is having the right type of cloud for the photo you are taking.
You’ll want some big fluffy white clouds for blue sky photography during the day. These can add interest to what would otherwise be a vast blue space.
If the weather is moody and stormy, some dark grey clouds can give you a completely different type of photo.
For sunrise or sunset photography, if you have low cloud cover, it may not allow sunlight to get through. On the other hand, broken clouds that are high in the sky can mean amazing sunset pictures.
Try to learn and understand the type of clouds that will give you the results you want. Here’s a great article on cloud photography to help you with this.
3. Add a Point of Interest to Draw the Viewer’s Attention
While a dramatic sky picture might look good, adding a point of interest can take it to the next level. Often the best sky photography will contain a focus point to grab the viewer’s attention.
It might be a boat on the lake or a piece of driftwood on the beach. It might even be a person standing in the foreground admiring the view.
Adding a point of interest to your sky images gives them more of a story. And it can also help the person looking at the image navigate it.
4. Use the Rule of Thirds to Highlight The Dramatic Sky
Most people involved in photography know about the rule of thirds. It is a compositional aid that can help the photographer frame their image.
Placing points of interest on the intersecting lines gives the photo a more pleasing look and balance.
This also applies to the horizon line by placing it on the higher or lower horizontal line. If you have a dramatic sky place your horizon line lower to show more of the sky.
Avoid putting your horizon line right in the middle of the photo. It also goes without saying that your horizon line should be straight.
5. Use a Graduated ND Filter to Get the Right Exposure
The toughest part of executing a sky image is knowing how to expose your shot correctly. The big problem with this type of photography is overexposing your image—particularly the sky.
If it’s overexposed too much, you’ll end up with a pure white area. This will lack any pixel detail. It’s a term known as “clipping.” There are a few ways you can avoid this pitfall.
You can underexpose your image to ensure you will not have blown-out white areas. But underexposing will also mean your dark areas (i.e., shadows) will be darker.
So you may have to brighten these in post-production, which could mean extra noise in these areas.
Another common option is to use a technique called “bracketing” or “HDR.” This is where you will take several images exposing different areas of the image. You can then merge them into one image in post-production.
The third option is often the one that is most common among photographers. It is achieved by using a graduated neutral density filter. These glass filters are dark on one end and gradually fade to clear on the other.
Positioning the filter so the dark area covers the sky helps balance out the brightness across the image. This gives you an even result, avoiding color banding in your photos.
6. Bring a Tripod for More Creative Photo Options
A tripod might seem like an unnecessary burden to carry, but for great sky images, it is vital. You will need a tripod if you plan on photographing with slower shutter speeds during the low light of early morning and late afternoon.
Not using one will mean you risk blurred images unless you raise your ISO. But that means you will end up with noise in your images.
Having a tripod will also give you more creative options. For example, you can do cloud photography using very slow shutter speeds. This will give you streaks in the sky and make the image look more dynamic.
Even though carrying a tripod may seem like a hassle, it will be worth it when you see the results.
7. Break Photography Rules for More Creative Images
Sometimes in photography, you must take risks if you want extraordinary results. That doesn’t mean dangling yourself off a cliff. It just means breaking a few “photo rules” or trying something you wouldn’t normally try.
Get down low to the ground, and you’ll get a different perspective. Shoot with the sun in front of you. And let those dramatic clouds be the backdrop to your silhouette.
Look for sunbursts that can have a pleasing result in your photos. Or play around with your white balance when shooting or in post-production.
Photography is about portraying your creative take on the scene before you, so don’t be afraid to be unconventional.
Conclusion—Best Sky Photography Tips
Sky photography can provide stunning results. Often the biggest pitfall for newbie photographers is simply not having the patience to wait for the right moment.
But if you follow the advice above and patiently wait for the right conditions, you will have amazing photographs.
