Collision

This is what happens when two rapidly moving air masses of different temperatures collide. A wedge of warm moist air is plowing into a cool, dry air mass, throwing it high in the air. The cool air, being heavier than the warm air, is fighting to find its way back down to earth. The resulting turbulence wrings the water out of the warm air mass and creates a squall line of rain and gusty winds.

While photographing this approaching storm, I found myself standing at the point of collision. I had just taken the series of photos that became the storm panorama from two posts ago when the air temperature suddenly changed and a heavy wind kicked up, throwing me a bit off-balance.

I began to collapse my tripod to get into the car when I looked behind me and saw this scene. The line of the clouds converged on the vanishing point formed by the lines of the road and creating a sort of mirror shape of the grassy embankment. I quickly set up for one last shot. The camera was still set for a long exposure from the previous series, so the wind-whipped grass became rendered as a blur, adding still more drama to the scene. I made it back into the car just as large heavy raindrops began to fall.

Nature is big and powerful and occasionally I like to be reminded of that fact.

Exposure: One second at f22 with a circular polarizer, ISO 100 film. Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2007 James Jordan.