Beautiful Cyclone

[Tropicana]

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone can give me some tips on capturing cloud formation/ storms.

I'm situated in WA and the weather reports are alerting us of a possible cyclone warning for Sunday. Silly as it sounds, I want to see if I can capture the storm coming in from off the ocean (if not too windy or rainy) but have no idea what the basics are for this sort of photography? :confused013

Any help/ tips would be great!

[yummymummy]

you're probably not going to get a great deal of formation from that cyclone, and if you do, it will be WAY to windy to go outside with a camera to capture it. You're going to get grey washed out skies up until it hits, and loads of rain, but not much in the way of formations. Have you been through a cyclone before?? They can be very dangerous, and I don't recommend being out while you have one raging around you. ( I'm an ex north QLD girl, been through my fair share of them.)

[Noisysprite]

I'm further south than you. Last night the clouds around the sunset were stunning, tonight the cloud bank was very low on the horizon and the effects less beautiful - though there were moments of opportunity. I would keep an eye out the window tomorrow morning/maybe evening.

Sunday - follow yummymummy's advice and take cover. Cyclones are not pleasant - and they are not like tornados that you see the photographers hunting in America. They are pure storm and you can't see the typical vortex swinging towards you. What I remember from Alby is the long walk home from school in the afternoon and being drenched in blood red rain. The wind had picked up the dirt from the north of our state and "rained" it down south.

Fingers crossed, Bianca will have blown itself out before it gets to my front door. I will then keep an eye out for unusual cloud patterns in the cyclone's aftermath (the next day or so).

[Tropicana]

Thanks for the feedback :)

I'm actually an ex-darwin girl so I've been through a few cyclones before but nothing since starting photography. I basically thought I might be able to capture the clouds coming in before the actual winds start picking up.
This morning we had a quick thunderstorm but nothing really impressive. I took some photos of the storm heading down south while at the beach and they didn't turn out too bad however, my settings were completely wrong for getting any lightning (far too blurry or nothing at all).

[ameerat42]

Well, I've always just exposed for the clouds, with mostly reasonable results. (Except for interposing poles, wires, etc.)
Am.

[xkellie]

i also expose for the clouds with a fairly high numbered aperture, usually shooting full manual. sometimes cameras have trouble focusing on clouds, so if that happens try framing them with trees or houses or something. i'm about to be hit by cyclone yasi (yay), and have been out taking photos (the wind isn't too bad yet, so it's still safe) and have got a few good cloud shots. something i found helpful, i set my shutter speed and aperture, then adjusted my iso up and down trying different looks from the clouds as it went lighter/darker.

[William]

Quote : xkellie, i'm about to be hit by cyclone yasi (yay),

Dont really think you get the gravity of this Cyclone :rolleyes: It's not going to be fun :(

[xkellie]

sorry, i probably should have stated that the 'yay' was sarcasm. i forget it's kind of hard to tell with text. :)

[kiwi]

different cyclone william

[kaety]

Clouds are excellent fun, a good polarizing lens and UV helps.

I sadly take a lot of cloud photos, only large wide scale ones ever prove to be decent (panoramas).

Goodluck, use as wide angle as you can! :)

Kaety