Thursday, November 29, 2018

Searching for Clouds

This past weekend I took my granddaughter over to the local park for a bike ride (no trip out to the desert this weekend). I noticed it was a nice blue sky day with some big, puffy white clouds. So I put the telephoto lens on my camera and off we went. Usually I have my trusty 16-35mm wide angle lens on my camera, but I wanted to try something different and get some "close up" cloud shots. Also, there are some great views from the park if you take the time to hike up the hill, and I thought the telephoto might come in handy.
I'm pretty sure some of what we are seeing in the above shot is the Port of Long Beach, with some of the cranes used to offload containers from the ships being visible. That's about 20 miles away (as the crow flies) from where I was standing when I took this shot (400mm focal length). The faint hills in the background are probably Palos Verdes. On a really clear day, I can see Catalina Island, which would be about 40 miles.

A lot of the big puffy clouds had already disappeared.  My plans for capturing dramatic cloud shots were literally floating away! The above shot is about the best the sky had to offer, so I remembered the photographer's mantra about staying flexible and look for the opportunities as they present themselves.

So, switching gears....





I'm really fortunate that Lilly doesn't mind posing for grandpa. Even Mr. Bunny seemed to be happy to pose for a photo!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Click on the link to check out great skies from around the world.
Thanks for stopping by!!

45 comments:

  1. That sky wasn't a bad shot. Nice and dramatic.

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  2. Looks like a great day at the park and I love the lens too

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  3. Wonderful sky and cloud shots ~ Your grand daughter is beautiful and your photography is awesome ~ Love that bunny rabbit shot!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka ( A Creative Harbor)

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  4. Lilly is a very patient photo subject! Wonderful captures.

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  5. Wonderful photos. The light really shines nicely on your grand daughter.

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  6. I will take your grand daughter over the clouds any time!

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  7. The shot of Lily on the ground is superb-- a wonderful portrait!

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  8. Nice shots. Sometimes it's fun to take just one lens and see what you can make with it - I've been known to take my 50mm f/1.4 or ultrawide fisheye on occasion.

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  9. I too like clouds during evening. They have a story to tell

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  10. Beautiful photos! I guess chilling out with the family is the best way to relax, especially with such a cute granddaughter! Soft fluffy clouds are so soothing to the eye. Happy clicking! Enjoy your weekend. :)

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  11. "Bows and flows of angel hair" was how Joni Mitchell described clouds - though I see you've taken your own angel along.

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  12. Just got a new 400 tamron lens, must try it out like that. Nothing like cloud watching and I missed getting a doozy of a Rainbow yesterday. Your granddaughter is growing into a stunning little girl, she will break hearts I can see

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  13. Great shots again and your granddaughter will be a heartbreaker in the future. Indeed beautiful pics again.

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  14. I like your sky shots, Peter, but the first shot of Lilly is absolutely wonderful.

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  15. Hello, Adorable photos of your granddaughter. The sky and clouds are beautiful. Love the cute bunny too. Happy Friday, enjoy your day and weekend!

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  16. I like the pretty grove of trees, and the next shot is a great portrait of your granddaughter!
    Cute bunny rabbit, too!
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  17. Viva the telephoto lens!! Your granddaughter is a charmer.

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  18. Schöne Bilder auch von der kleinen Prizessin.

    Noke

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  19. I took the 5 year old granddaughter to our local park Wednesday. She climbed and swung on... EVERYTHING. Apparently I wore her out because she fell asleep on her bathroom floor instead of having a bath that night! Score: Nana 1, Miss Ellie 0

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  20. Awesome portrait among your fantastic landscapes!

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  21. You got some good shots there, did the rabbit sit there for long?

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  22. If I read all the comments I am sure someone must have said how beautiful your granddaughter is. What a joy to spend it with her under such a beautiful sky!

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  23. I love the shot of her in mid walk

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  24. All beautiful shots and what a lovely grand-daughter but the one of the trees really got to me.
    I am a cloud lover too
    MB

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  25. Every shot a gem but the shots of gorgeous Lilly are outstanding, she's like a little angel with her halo of light..

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  26. Well you did get some cloud after all! I agree with you that clouds make the sky more interesting with their shapes and colour

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  27. Great photos! You are blessed to have your grand daughter and bunny posing for your camera.

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  28. So glad you switched gears to capture such lovely natural photos of childhood - ones to treasure. A beautiful young girl who will be grown up before you know it!

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  29. You captured beautiful photos of Lilly. Both posed and natural. Ones to cherish. I'll look forward to your next desert adventure!

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  30. You are true photoblogger, if what you want to shoot is not available you take photos of what you can. Beautiful pics of granddaughter. I have a niece, 3 years old, who absolutely refuses to have her photo taken.

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  31. Lilly is so cute!
    I see a unicorn in one of the cloud photos. Lovely photos all the time from you. Thanks

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  32. That pretty blue dress just adds to her cuteness! Great pics! I started a hiking series this week. Hope you can join me for some Florida hikes!

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  33. you have the most bootiful posers around!

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  34. What a wonderful set of photos! Your granddaughter is a perfect model. That close-up of her is beautiful. I love the cluster of trees and the clouds.

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  35. Yes, a wonderful set of photos. I agree.

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  36. What a cute hiking partner you have. And way more photogenic than the clouds!

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  37. Flexibility is the name of the game! Lilly is an adorable model … I like the shots when she is not looking at the camera.

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  38. Oh, gorgeous desert pictures! But the prettiest ones are of Lily! :)

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  39. Definetely photo #5. Stunning. I'd would call it: 'Childhood'. Congrats.

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