Cumulus clouds are the familiar detached, puffy clouds whose name comes from the Latin word for “heap.” They generally have clearly defined edges, rounded sunlit tops, and comparatively flat, darker bases. They form when warm, moist air rises, cools, and condenses.
Small cumulus clouds are often associated with fair weather, but the same convective process can build them upward into cumulus congestus and, under the right atmospheric conditions, cumulonimbus thunderstorms. Their rapid growth and sculptural form make them among the most expressive clouds to photograph.
In these photographs, cumulus formations appear as temporary architecture above barns, fields, and open country. Light defines their volume from one moment to the next: bright edges emerge, interiors deepen, and recognizable forms dissolve almost as soon as they are seen. The gallery is organized around photographs in which cumulus is the dominant visible formation.
