Storm Clouds, White Mountains – What is a New England photographer to do when the weather is less than ideal and not perfect photography conditions? A photographer could stay home and dream of beautiful puffy clouds as a backdrop, but that is not the way to build a strong image archive. As a photographer, the one thing I have learned over the years is to work with whatever mother nature throws at me on any given day.
Now I am not suggesting photographers put themselves in harms way to get the shot. But I do think marketable images can be created in poor weather conditions. New England photographers, focused on the outdoors, who only shoot in perfect photography conditions are limiting their production rate.
Above is the view of Bondcliff from West Bond in the Pemi Wilderness of New Hampshire. On this day my hiking partner and I knew rain was coming in and planned to shoot in it. We were on West Bond when the rain started, and just before leaving the summit for the cover of the forest I was able to capture the storm clouds surrounding Bondcliff. I think this scene showcases the crazy weather we have here in the White Mountains.
We have many days in the New Hampshire White Mountains when the skies are stormy and scary looking. If a photographer always allows the weather to dictate their shooting schedule, he or she will spend a very limited amount of time actually shooting.
New Hampshire weather stations are always saying Franconia Notch has its own weather pattern, and I think they are right. I was setup one day on the edge of Lonesome Lake in Franconia Notch and watched storm clouds take over Franconia Notch. At one point sunlight broke through the clouds (above) for a few seconds.
The Northeast is known for crazy weather, and I think New England photographers should have a few scenes in their image archive that showcase the stormy weather we have in this region. And weather scenes will make a New England photographer’s image archive that much stronger. I do hope this blog article helps you think out of the box some.
All of the above images can be licensed for publications by clicking on the image you are interested in. And you can see more images of stormy weather here.
Happy image making..
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Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.