Keep it simple, stupid.

The majority of holiday-makers, whether skiing or on a tropical island, would not grimace at the sight of an unblemished blu sky stretching far off into the horizon as they open their curtains to let the morning light stream into their hotel suite. Few would have wished for possibly a little more wind, maybe a few more clouds and hoping it to be slightly damper. I do just that. Photographers are wired up a bit differently, we are fussy, we asses 'light', how much do you not want someone to talk at you about the intricacies of light?

I woke up to my last day in Spain and hoped for the onslaught of dark, angry clouds being forced up onto the mountains from the Mediterranean coast. What greeted me was a perfectly blue sky without even a wisp of drama - just a fantastic sight to have...if you were not a photographer.

However, being the last morning I clambered out of bed and down the village street with my tripod and camera gear, waiting for the first light to hit this beautiful blossoming tree.

I know panoramas look rubbish in 650px but here goes:

Details: Alfaix, Andalucia, Spain

1/20 sec @ f13

Regardless of the cloudless sky that you will struggle to find in my landscape portfolio, I like this image. It works for me as it is a 'mini landscape'. A grand vista with a cloudless sky filling the top half of an image would not have worked as clouds are essential to give drama, colour and detail to the image. However as the tree dissects through the image and covers most of the sky, the cloudlessness-ness has not had a detrimental effect. The simple but bold colours also make the image work. The previous attempt the night before the swirling clouds passing behind the tree cluttered the strong, dominating shape of the tree.

 I am always learning in my photography and I am glad I took this image, as I would never have attempted it due to my strict 'no cloud' philosophy. 

Keep trying new techniques with your photography. Break the rules and break your rules...dude

John