© Jeffrey Cardenas 2023
There is no such thing as bad weather for a photographer
Artists are not stormchasers, but when the sky becomes turbulent there is an opportunity for our palettes to expand. This is especially true in the tropics where building cumulous clouds illuminate from within and without. Prisms of light project at unexpected angles. Rain creates reflection. Colors are enhanced without the glare of harsh sunlight. The entire transition of turbulent weather can be so emotive that looking away becomes nearly impossible. In fact, looking away for even an instant is when we miss some of the strongest moments of turbulent weather.This is the time to be present. Immersion in tempestuous and rapidly changing weather can make some people feel unsettled and even anarchic. I find beauty in the chaos of a building squall. The blend of light and shadow and color is enlivening. It is nature's theater at its finest.
Moraine Cay, Abaco
Where in the World?
It is also important to emphasize that stunning photographic images are not created only in exotic locations. Many of the images in my portfolio come from my own neighborhood. In The Island Within, Author Richard Nelson writes of the rewards of exploring the place in which a person lives; "...of becoming more fully involved with the near-at-hand, of nurturing a deeper and more committed relationship with home, and of protectiong the natural community that sustains all who live there."
For those who wander in self-discovery, art is where you find it.