Stratus clouds form low, relatively uniform layers that can cover much or all of the sky. Their name comes from the Latin word for “layer,” and their broad, featureless appearance is often compared to a gray blanket. Fog is essentially stratus cloud occurring at ground level.
Unlike the hard-edged towers of cumulus, stratus softens boundaries. Mountains recede, coastlines disappear into haze, and direct sunlight becomes diffuse. Light rain, drizzle, or mist may accompany the layer, although sustained heavier precipitation is more characteristic of nimbostratus.
For a landscape photographer, stratus is a cloud of reduction. It removes detail, compresses distance, and shifts attention toward tone, silhouette, and atmosphere. These photographs explore low overcast, fog, and subdued horizons in which the stratus layer is the dominant visual presence.
