The Ubiquitous Contrail

 Tic Tac Tow Across the Clear Blue Sky

One of my pet peeves with shooting landscape photography is contrails.  I was always told by my mentors that clouds enhance the sky creating interest and drama, but contrails do not belong in nature scenes unless they are part of the theme.  Over the years before Photoshop, I've tried to dodge or hide contrails.  Often, I stood patiently waiting for a contrail to dissipate and then tried to snap the shutter before the next one appeared.  

On days where there is moisture in the air and airplanes are flying at cruise altitude, above 26,000 feet (8 km) where the air is very cold, contrails will be produced from ice particles coming off the aircraft exhaust.

 

Around the second week in September, I noticed some of the most beautiful contrails glowing over the Gillis Range at sunrise. 

I rushed out with my D90 and the 35-70 2.8 lens to catch the scene.  Just as I was getting set up, the contrails of 2 jets flying from the west appeared overhead and it seemed that the planes were approaching at  almost the same time, coming together at an angle.  

 This was a rare occasion for me and I am still not a fan of having contrails streak across the sky in landscape photos. However, I do love to watch the contrails form from the aircraft, especially when the sun light accents them  at night.

 For more information:


http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/science/contrail.php?wfo=fgz

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

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