David Mayhew

Most landscape photographers do not pay adequate attention to the beauty of the sky, despite the sky generally occupying a large portion of each photo. The normal approach is to find a location of natural beauty to photograph. My approach is very different. I seek the sky I want to photograph and then seek a nearby subject that may enhance the scene or I simply fill the frame with sky and cloud formations.In my photographs I make the sky and weather the primary subject for my work. I seek good composition, strong color and an unusual appearance, often an abstract element of the sky. Often the dramatic cloud formations fill the sky, belittling any object on the ground as well as creating the feeling of immense space.The severe weather of the Midwest plains provides the best opportunities for me in Spring each year and it takes me anywhere from Texas to Canada. Dedication and persistence are certainly a requirement for my work, often traveling up to 1000 miles in a day and at times without seeing a photogenic storm. However, when the elements come together the result is undeniably spectacular.