One thing I tend to take notice of is the layout of the clouds in the sky.

Why exactly?  Because clouds have numerous uses, aside from when you look up at them, making you go, “yeah man, when you think about it, life is just, so, you know, small, man”.  Some of those uses include:

1. Light Diffusion: the way a large cloud on a bright sunny day can diffuse the light coming from the sun is nothing less of perfect.  When using a flash with a stofen or what have you, the overall “goal” is to nail an effect that looks similar to what this type of light looks like.

My kitchen shot by placing the SB-900 outside the window to the left, and allowing the light from the flash mix with the late afternoon light to create a look of early morning daylight.

2.  Interesting backgrounds: when you take a picture with a lot of focus on the sky, where you don’t particularly have the option/want to fill the frame with the subject, clouds can add a lot to a background; a lot more than a plain blue (or in the case of today, gray) sky can.

Pictured: a blank sky making a concept less interesting than it could be.

3. Neat: clouds are just overall so neat.  When you do fall to your back and just stare at them as they float along (or the earth rotates, I honestly don’t remember earth science as well as I should)

Clouds looking awesome.

So, why the sudden interest in clouds?

Well, both this post from Digital Photography School (a website I visit and read daily) and a bit of passing through the images I took when I had the 24-70 2.8 that I rented.

Speaking of the 24-70 2.8, I had it for two weeks, and felt a little underwhelmed.  Is it sharp?  Sure.  But did it feel like it was worth $1800?  Not really.  I plan on renting the 70-200 2.8 next to see what it does for me.

In the meantime, here is a picture of my cat, taken with the 24-70.  Look, he thinks he’s people:

No kitty, you will hunt for your dinner, like your ancestors before you.