ZA2009

This photo was originally taken on 2009-10-10 at the end of a hike up Table Mountain with Mark, Pieka, and Annali. The things I like about this photo are:

* Dramatic sky: The dual cloud layers are visually interesting and compelling. The lower layer is Table Mountain's "tablecloth," an orographic cloud layer formed by the south-easterly wind forcing moist up upward into cooler layers of the atmosphere. This image provides a particularly good example of that effect.

* Scale: The lower cableway station (a three-story building), provides a sense of scale to the image that is not apparent otherwise.

* Light: Table Mountain is always well-lit, because the city side of the mountain faces North. This being the southern hemisphere, the front side of the mountain is illuminated by daytime sun.

* Colors: This day had a very blue sky, and it contrasts nicely with the green fynbos on the mountain slopes, the gray sandstone of Table Mountain, and the bright white clouds.