New Zealand: What a difference a day makes
The pleasant Georgia-O’Keeffe-esque cumulus clouds that I saw from Auckland’s One Tree Hill on the afternoon of February 26th gave way to these dynamic, partly wispy, sunrise-tinged ones above Little Manly Beach early on the morning of the 27th.
© 2015 Steven Schwartzman
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And without reading the text I would have said, “Oh, Steve’s back at Rotorua again.”
Gallivanta
July 21, 2015 at 5:03 AM
I wish I could be back as easily as your imagination took you back. I also hope you’re back to normal, or at least a lot closer.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 5:07 AM
I am almost back to full health, thanks.
Gallivanta
July 21, 2015 at 5:39 AM
Interesting. My first reaction was mist over the choppy water.
Steve Gingold
July 21, 2015 at 5:26 AM
As so often happens, now that you say it I can imagine it. Your words “mist over the choppy water” remind me of “Bridge over Troubled Water,” which I can’t believe came out 45 years ago already.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 5:48 AM
Time does fly whether we are having fun or not. I hope your waters are not troubled.
Steve Gingold
July 22, 2015 at 4:09 AM
So WordPress is getting even more bizarre. Not only is my Gravatar image messed up, but now for the first time my comment is awaiting moderation.
Steve Gingold
July 22, 2015 at 4:10 AM
I guess I’m not more troubled than anyone else, on average, by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Steve Schwartzman
July 22, 2015 at 6:58 AM
But I’m sorry to hear that you seem currently troubled by WordPress. My comments on other people’s blogs likewise awaited moderation on some people’s blogs recently after I changed the e-mail address I had listed with WordPress.
Steve Schwartzman
July 22, 2015 at 7:01 AM
Absolutely fascinating. I saw it first as mist rising from water falling over rocks. Even after reading your description, it was hard to sort out. I’ve never seen cloud formations like that, despite spending a lot of time looking at clouds. It’s a good reminder that skies can differ as much, and as reliably, as beaches. The land exerts its own influence on the clouds.
shoreacres
July 21, 2015 at 7:07 AM
So you and Steve G. both inferred water, an element that you live near and have spent lots of time on, and that he often seeks out in his photographs of falls. All I can say is that these clouds were magical and I was thrilled to find them there that morning. Like you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything of that sort in America.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 7:35 AM
On the other hand, clouds are formed from water vapor and ice crystals. Perhaps we could say that a cloud’s just water, with aspirations — though how nice that they also provided inspiration for you.
shoreacres
July 23, 2015 at 1:46 PM
I’d say the photographer was as aspiring as the cloud, and some people found the photograph inspiring.
Steve Schwartzman
July 23, 2015 at 3:03 PM
I will join the crowd and say I immediately saw this photograph as cascading water over flat rocks with mist rising above. How intriguing!
weisserwatercolours
July 21, 2015 at 7:42 AM
Seems like we’ve got some aqueous crowdsourcing going on. Water never entered my mind here because even though I was at a beach I knew that I’d aimed my camera up into the sky for this image (and some others) and hadn’t included any part of the gulf—in contrast to yesterday’s first photograph. Ah, the power of abstraction to let the beholder fill in the context.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 7:57 AM
Love the abstract look of this one.
karenjoslin
July 21, 2015 at 9:28 AM
I’m fond of abstractions, so I’m glad to hear you are too.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 1:42 PM
Like others here my immediate thought was of a steaming cauldron. Not clouds. The power of good composition.
Heyjude
July 21, 2015 at 12:27 PM
I did see some steaming cauldrons in Rotorua just four days earlier, but as you know, this was something different. Thanks for appreciating the composition.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 1:46 PM
stunning !!!
gwenniesgarden
July 21, 2015 at 1:19 PM
And as far as I recall, different from any previous skyscape I’d done.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 1:47 PM
indeed ! but stunning never the less !
gwenniesgarden
July 26, 2015 at 12:14 PM
I’d say all the more, because it was different.
Steve Schwartzman
July 26, 2015 at 12:38 PM
Stunning photo. So abstract
Raewyn's Photos
July 21, 2015 at 2:54 PM
All the more reason for me to like it.
Steve Schwartzman
July 21, 2015 at 3:21 PM
Perfect! I love it.
Jane
July 22, 2015 at 6:14 AM
Welcome to Cloud Cuckoo Land, but without any cuckoos.
Steve Schwartzman
July 22, 2015 at 7:04 AM
This is a fascinating image of an equally fascinating cloud formation. We often have amazing skyscapes here in flat Florida, unlike any I ever remember seeing in the northeast US.
Birder's Journey
July 24, 2015 at 3:34 PM
That sounds like a good reason for me to visit flat Florida, where I’ve spent only a few days, and even that was more than 30 years ago.
Steve Schwartzman
July 24, 2015 at 4:32 PM