Nice Clouds

A few nights ago we experienced some really interesting evening cloud formations.  When you get into photography very much, as well as concsiously watching the seasons change, you start noticing the sky, and I certainly noticed it this night. 

 

It was a really interesting cloud pattern, after a clear sunny day.  The clouds moved over quickly, eventually scattered across the entire sky, in wispy lines like these, all appearing to come from one direction out of the west.  Even my widest angle lens can only capture a small part of the sky.

All the clouds appeared to originate in the vicinity of the setting sun, and at this point the sun was below our horizon.  At first it really wasn't a colourful sunset, but it looked like it might become one, so I got my tripod and waited.

Soon the clouds did start turning slightly pink.  By this time, they covered the sky, and there was a little bit of colour everywhere, a weird experience of light, with it coming to you from all directions, like the atmosphere was saturated with it.

Then it did start to turn pink and orange.  This view is northwest, showing the pattern of clouds starting to move across the northern sky.  It was as if the clouds were exploding in slow motion in all directions from the point of the setting sun.

And this view is southwest, showing those clouds, which moved steadily into the southern sky.

It all finished up with a pretty respectable sunset, though this picture is only the core of it, where the sun had set half an hour previously.

This was partly a learning exercise for me, as I edited these to eliminate the roof-line of our house in a couple of the photos.  I think the best way to improve your photography is often to try something and learn by trial and error.  It worked this time.

Check out other views of the sky here: