Snow is leaving the valleys and flowers are beginning to poke their heads from the moist earth. Soon the countryside will be blanketed with a multitude of colors from rich greens to vibrant reds. Winter has a hard time leaving here in Colorado, but when it does, it goes with a rush. It is at this time of year that my thoughts turn to landscape photography and how to capture the beautiful season before me.

One of the struggles that all photographers face is how to make our work stand out from the rest. With the large amount of images that are being produced each year, this becomes more and more difficult. My answer is to turn to the sky. Or more specifically add impact to your images by adding a dramatic or interesting sky.

Dramatic skies have a captivating effect on people and can take an interesting scene and make it dynamic. Working around the edge of a storm can not only make for some outstanding light but also create some remarkable cloud formations as well. Waiting all day under overcast, rainy skies can be frustrating but being there for the moment when the sun breaks through can make it all worthwhile. If the storm coincides with a sunrise or sunset the results can be remarkable.

If you have waited through one of those rainy days and the sun doesn't cooperate, don't despair. Many times the weather will clear overnight and make for some unique cloud formations the following morning. Wide-angle lenses can help show the relationship of the sky to the land and make it seem to tower over the scene. Patience is a virtue here, as skies will sometimes clear for the morning hours but build over the course of the day. Waiting until afternoon can be just what is needed to add interesting skies to your images.

There are times when the heavens do not cooperate and severe clear is the order of the day. If this is the case, utilize the strong blue to your advantage. Juxtapose it with a complimenting color and let the colors carry the image. In lower elevations using a polarizer can help to punch up the blue but is rarely necessary at higher elevations. (photo 3 ) Another option is to block out the area of clear sky by placing something over the top of it. Getting low to the ground and placing something of interest in its place will help to draw the viewer's attention and add some drama. A graphic silhouette can make a striking image from a rather mundane scene.

Often a dramatic sky becomes the subject itself. At the beginning or end of the day while the sun is low, the possibility of a unique sky increases. Again, watching for storms or waiting for breaks in the clouds can lead to amazing possibilities. Not only can a break in the clouds light up the landscape but also the clouds themselves. Using a telephoto lens can help to isolate an interesting feature in the cloud patterns and it is amazing what can develop before your eyes.

Finally, don't forget sunrise and sunset. While a brilliant sunset can add significant drama to an image, consider it as a subject too. Nothing makes a viewer Ooh! and Ah! more than a magnificently colored sunrise/set. If you are using the sky as your primary focus make sure to give the image a base by leaving a section of dark foreground to anchor the image. This also helps to let the viewer know that nothing important was eliminated.

Now is the season of plenty. Go find those flower-strewn meadows and snow capped mountain peaks. But don't forget the sky above it and use it to help add drama and majesty to your images. Soon your images will stand out from the rest!

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts.

Les Voorhis is a nationally published nature and wildlife photographer based in Morrison, Colorado. His photographic career began in 1988 in his home state of South Dakota as a photojournalist. After working for several small town newspapers, he soon returned to school to study commercial photography. After graduation he began working for a stock photo agency as the photo editor. Always an avid outdoorsman, concentrating on producing images of nature and wildlife was a natural fit.

Les' images have appeared in many national and regional publications including Bugle Magazine, American Hunter, Game and Fish Publications, Colorado Outdoors as well as used in several calendars, postcards and for advertising. He is currently also marketing his images through a series of prints and a successful website which you can view here: Les Voorhis Photographics.