Thursday, 22 May 2008

"It was a dark and stormy night..." - SWF

"It was a dark and stormy night..."
Trees silhouetted by the purple
clouds, with lightning back-lighting
Sky Watch Friday
it was a dark and stormy nightI know, you've probably heard that title too many times already. It's one of the most under-rated and over-quoted verses in history. But I couldn't think of a better title for this picture, which was taken late one stormy night. The trees are back-lit by a flash of lightning, fading out as it reaches the top of the picture to reveal the dark storm clouds.

You might also have noticed something familiar about these trees. Yep, you guessed it, this is the same easterly viewpoint seen in many other photos. Somehow, whenever there's an interesting sky around, it has to sit behind these trees. All I can really do is change the angle!

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.
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76 comments:

  1. Davidlind23 May 2008 at 9:08 am

    Very nice. I like the subtle humor too. I will have to try and do this sometime. Never thought about the glow following the lightening before. Good idea.

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  2. SandyCarlson23 May 2008 at 9:17 am

    That's great, David!

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  3. Anonymous23 May 2008 at 9:40 am

    And what a night it must have been!

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  4. Ramblings of a Villas Girl23 May 2008 at 9:53 am

    Hi! Love the pictures. Lightning is a beautiful, yet scary thing. Lisa

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  5. This Is My Blog - fishing guy23 May 2008 at 9:59 am

    David: Amazing capture tonight.

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  6. Pernille23 May 2008 at 10:07 am

    Wonderful shot! I like it very much!

    Have a nice weekend:)

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  7. Anonymous23 May 2008 at 11:09 am

    cool picture

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  8. Jane Hards Photography23 May 2008 at 11:20 am

    Text and image brilliant. The shot is a stunner.

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  9. Anonymous23 May 2008 at 11:39 am

    Great taken.

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  10. Nova23 May 2008 at 11:45 am

    that's so artistic of you....

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  11. TR Ryan23 May 2008 at 12:09 pm

    I love the feeling this image evokes....dark and stormy indeed. The air seems alive, electric.

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  12. Rose23 May 2008 at 12:23 pm

    If the title fits, wear it--I mean use it! And that was my exact thoughts when I seen this photo.

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  13. dot23 May 2008 at 12:59 pm

    Great shot! I used this same line on my sky photo a few weeks ago.

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  14. Liam the Hawk23 May 2008 at 2:04 pm

    WOW, That looks scary! I like the city lights down the bottom, adding that little bit of colour to the almost monochrome feel. Great shot!

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  15. Juliana RW23 May 2008 at 2:23 pm

    wonderful shot

    Mine in here Thanks

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  16. Anonymous23 May 2008 at 2:24 pm

    purple sky...

    My SWF in here Thanks

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  17. FO - 223 May 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Beautiful purple Sky Watch. :)

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  18. Anonymous23 May 2008 at 4:21 pm

    This is a beautiful and dramatic photo. Wow! What a great capture! Love it.

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  19. Inkivääri23 May 2008 at 6:39 pm

    Wow, blazing!

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  20. Flying Solo23 May 2008 at 6:52 pm

    I do change the agle many times :) Beautiful.

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  21. Unknown23 May 2008 at 7:30 pm

    Amazing capture and timing David!

    Have a nice weekend.

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  22. Dancin Fool23 May 2008 at 8:11 pm

    It looks like a dark and storm night too!

    When we were kids my Father used to read odd poems and tales to us at bedtime, one of them was...

    'It was a dark and stormy night, and the captain said to his mate, 'Mate, tell us a story.' And this is the story.

    It was a dark and stormy night...'

    Thanks for kindling the memory! Have a great weekend!

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  23. Scotty Graham23 May 2008 at 8:33 pm

    nice, Daivd....I love stormy skies!!

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  24. Unknown23 May 2008 at 8:57 pm

    Hi davidlind,

    Thanks for that, glad you noticed the humour. :) I think the main difference with this shot is that it focuses more on the trees than the lightning. If you do try it, please let me know and I'd love to check it out.

    Thanks for your continued support, hope you have a great weekend.

    Cheers,

    David

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  25. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:11 pm

    Hi sandycarlson,

    Thanks for dropping round. Have a great SWF!

    Cheers,

    David

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  26. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:13 pm

    Hi quinttarantino,

    To tell the truth, this was about the only *real* lightning all night! The other stuff was all sheet. Quite disappointing really. But I like to imagine something greater looking at the photo!

    Cheers,

    David

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  27. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:23 pm

    Hi Lisa,

    Thanks for dropping by. Lightning can be quite scary - I personally find that when I go out to get these shots! But it's certainly worthwhile overcoming your fear, when it shows up so well in photos.

    Cheers,

    David

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  28. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:25 pm

    Hi fishing guy,

    Thanks for the kind words. Hope you have a great day.

    Cheers,

    David

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  29. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:26 pm

    Hi pernille's ting og tang,

    Thanks for visiting today, hope you have a nice weekend too. :)

    Cheers,

    David

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  30. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:28 pm

    Hi tommy v,

    Thanks for your comment. Have a great SWF!

    Cheers,

    David

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  31. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:29 pm

    Hi babooshka,

    Thanks, glad you liked it. Have a great day!

    Cheers,

    David

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  32. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:30 pm

    Hi luiz.ramosforest.

    Thanks again for getting round to my site amongst your travels. It's an awesome task you undertake visiting all these blogs! Hope you have a nice relaxing weekend.

    Cheers,

    David

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  33. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:31 pm

    Hi jeff & nova,

    I'm not sure how artistic this really was, I just pressed the shutter button pretty randomly...... but hey, I'm not supposed to say that! :D Thanks for your comment, have a great day.

    Cheers,

    David

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  34. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:32 pm

    Hi t.r.,

    I'm glad you could get that impression from this picture. That's one of the things I love about storms - the atmosphere can come across so well.

    Cheers,

    David

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  35. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:33 pm

    Hi rose,

    Thanks, that makes me feel better to see that someone agrees with me. :) I know there's too many cliches used today, but I thought this really did fit the photo. Thanks for letting me know.

    Cheers,

    David

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  36. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:34 pm

    Hi dot,

    Wow, that's amazing! I didn't notice that. Well, it's a small world.... :)

    Cheers,

    David

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  37. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:36 pm

    Hi liam the hawk,

    Thanks for adding a bit of detail to your comment. Great to see someone who has a sharp eye! As a matter of fact, I'd been waiting for someone to mention that - thanks for noticing.

    Cheers,

    David

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  38. Unknown23 May 2008 at 9:36 pm

    Hi picturing of life,

    Thanks, I'll check out yours in the morning.....

    Cheers,

    David

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  39. Barb23 May 2008 at 9:39 pm

    I love a nice stormy night! Great shot!

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  40. bcmomtoo23 May 2008 at 10:48 pm

    That is beautiful!

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  41. CloudStalker23 May 2008 at 11:24 pm

    This is my favorite sky watch picture so far! fantastic!

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  42. chanpheng23 May 2008 at 11:46 pm

    It's always an interesting perspective on the sky. Over the years, we'll be able to see the trees grow - provided they're not struck by lightening!

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  43. Profile Not Available24 May 2008 at 1:16 am

    Lovely! Great humor in your post!

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  44. Kay24 May 2008 at 1:20 am

    This is such an unusual photo. That purple lightning color is very unique. I love it!

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  45. pts24 May 2008 at 1:24 am

    David, it's excellent shot!

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  46. becky aka theRAV24 May 2008 at 5:01 am

    You have some wonderful photography on your blog.

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  47. Daniel J Santos24 May 2008 at 6:45 am

    Beautiful image, excellent.

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  48. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:18 pm

    Hi juliana rw,

    Glad you liked it. Hope to see you again soon.

    Cheers,

    David

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  49. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:19 pm

    Hi ida,

    Thanks for the comment. Have a great day!

    Cheers,

    David

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  50. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:19 pm

    Hi sherry,

    Such a small instant, and yet a huge drama! Thanks for this comment.

    Cheers,

    David

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  51. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:20 pm

    Hi inkivaari,

    Thanks for visiting today. Hope you enjoyed your stay, have a great day.

    Cheers,

    David

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  52. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:21 pm

    Hi coabixinhos,

    Glad to hear that you do this too! The angle makes a big difference to the photo, as I'm sure you know.

    Cheers,

    David

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  53. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:24 pm

    Hi john,

    Thanks again for taking the time to drop round and comment. I appreciate it very much. Hope you have a nice weekend too.

    Cheers,

    David

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  54. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:25 pm

    Hi dancin' fool,

    Somehow that story seems familiar..... maybe my father read that once too. Thanks so much for sharing, you've also kindled the memory in my mind!

    Cheers,

    David

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  55. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:26 pm

    Hi Scotty Graham,

    I don't know many people who don't enjoy stormy skies, at least in photos! When you're actually there with the thunder and lightning it's different, but most people enjoy seeing storms in pictures anyway. Thanks for sharing your comment, have a great weekend.

    Cheers,

    David

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  56. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:28 pm

    Hi willthink4wine,

    Thanks for that, glad to see you love a good storm too. Hope you have a great weekend!

    Cheers,

    David

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  57. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:29 pm

    Hi Anna,

    Thanks for dropping round again. I appreciate your continued comments. Hope you have a nice day.

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  58. Unknown24 May 2008 at 8:59 pm

    Hi eyestothesky,

    Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It is certainly a great honour for this picture to be regarded as the best out of the many wonderful SWF pictures! Hope you have a great weekend.

    Cheers,

    David

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  59. Unknown24 May 2008 at 9:07 pm

    Hi chanpheng,

    I hope you will be able to see these trees for some time still. But one of them is already dead, and we are about to cut down some of the others. So you may not be able to see them much longer!

    Cheers,

    David

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  60. Unknown24 May 2008 at 9:11 pm

    Hi kelly,

    Thanks for your comment. Glad you appreciated the humour. Hope you have a great day!

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  61. Unknown24 May 2008 at 9:13 pm

    Hi musings,

    I'm not sure why my photos always end up purple, maybe it's the Fujifilm camera. Anyway, thanks for your comment, hope you'll be dropping by again soon. :)

    Cheers,

    David

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  62. Unknown24 May 2008 at 9:19 pm

    Hi pts,

    Thanks for dropping round. Have a nice day!

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  63. Unknown24 May 2008 at 9:21 pm

    Hi becky voyles,

    Thanks for your lovely comment. I hope to have the opportunity to visit your blog again soon. Have a great weekend!

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  64. Unknown24 May 2008 at 9:22 pm

    Hi daniel j santos,

    Thanks for your comment. Have a great SWF, and enjoy the weekend.

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  65. Anonymous25 May 2008 at 8:56 am

    Cool photos. I have to commend you on your photography and have recently added your link to my new project, ILovePhotoBlogs.com. Keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Unknown25 May 2008 at 3:50 pm

    Hi rick,

    Thanks a lot for the link. You've got some great sites already on your directory, look forward to seeing it become popular. Thanks for the visit and encouragement, see you later.

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  67. Unknown25 May 2008 at 11:16 pm

    Many of those photos are made in Photomatix by tree exsposures. HDR photos are often more colorful and have better contrast. I have never heard about qtpfsgui, but I can say that Photomatix is very easy to use. Have you tried the free trail version David?

    http://www.hdrsoft.com/

    John...

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  68. Pat - Arkansas26 May 2008 at 9:04 am

    Interesting photo. I'm fond of lightning (at a distance, of course) but have never taken a decent photograph of it. Good job!

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  69. Modesto Viegas26 May 2008 at 10:41 am

    Nice shots in you blog!
    congratulations,
    Modesto

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  70. Nature Nut /JJ Loch26 May 2008 at 11:40 pm

    Magnificent shot!!! I too have a favorite area I love to take photos from because the scene changes often. :D

    That must have been beautiful to see in person. Dark and stormy nights have their charm.

    JJ :D

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  71. Jane Hards Photography30 May 2008 at 10:51 am

    Your winter certainly beats mine. A spectacular image.

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  72. Unknown1 June 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Hi John,

    Sorry I took so long to reply to your comment. I haven't tried the trial version yet, I tend to shy away from trials as a rule, but I'll give it a go.

    Cheers,

    David

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  73. Unknown1 June 2008 at 6:26 pm

    Hi Pat,

    Thanks for dropping by. I only like lightning at a distance, the one occasion when it came really close wasn't pleasant, to say the least! Keep trying, and I'm sure you'll get a good photo. Keep the shutter speed well up, and it's just a matter of waiting for storms really!

    Cheers,

    David

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  74. Unknown1 June 2008 at 6:27 pm

    Hi modesto viegas,

    Thanks for your comment. I hope you have a lovely day.

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  75. Unknown1 June 2008 at 6:29 pm

    Hi JJ,

    Yes, a lot of nature is charming. Sometimes I think we should just sit down and watch! :) Nice to see that you have a favourite spot too, sounds like I'm in good company.

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete
  76. Unknown1 June 2008 at 6:42 pm

    Hi babooshka,

    I'm sure your winter is just as good, maybe not the same at sunrise, but I certainly love to see your photos. Thanks for the comment, hope you have a great week.

    Cheers,

    David

    ReplyDelete

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