1-C_09_0135 In my previous post, I provided examples of fog creating atmospheric conditions that can elevate your photography.

A closely related element to low atmospheric fog is having low-hanging clouds, which are really high fog banks, as in this photo from Simon Lake, Naughton, Greater Sudbury.

2-15001380Foggy morning, Simon Lake in autumn, Naughton, City of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 2b-T_09_0285Lomagnupur (Loon Peak)

These low clouds add mystery - how high is that Icelandic mountain?

3-C_07_0226View from Silver Star road These clouds lying just above the mountains near Vernon, British Columbia, obscure the distance, adding that element of mystery.

4-900038Clearing storm These ominous dark clouds partially obscure the setting sun and create a sombre mood, at Stowe, Vermont.

The sun's rays streaming through light morning fog provide atmospheric drama to an otherwise mundane scene I photographed close to home one summer morning.

5-S_13_0126 6-14000216North shore of Lake Superior The sun's rays streaming through these storm clouds make for a dramatic view over Lake Superior.

Don't be tempted to put your camera away on a rainy day. 

7-11000127 The red umbrella that Veda is holding and the lime green canoe add the needed colour to the muted landscape during a rainy day at Cameron Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta.

8-T_09_0425 A driving rain did not prevent me from photographing Dettifoss, Iceland's second largest waterfall.

9-U_18_0410 You don't necessarily have to stand out in the rain to make rainy day photos. Here I photographed this barn in Washington's Palouse farmlands through the window of my vehicle, and stayed dry.

Snow scenes can be joyous and upbeat, as in these two scenes in Sudbury... 10-S_13_0356 11-S_17_0516 11b-T_19_0039 ...or in Fehraltorf, Switzerland, or cold and miserable, as along this highway in Saskatchewan. 12-12000033 13-U_20_0022Foreboding skies on a winter evening along Lake Michigan, near Escanaba, Michigan, USA Or in this scene along Lake Michigan, near Escanaba. They both evoke the unpleasant feelings about winter.

Another atmospheric phenomenon to utilize to create epic images is frost, which though it evokes cold and dampness, also embodies beauty and joy.

14-U_19_0011Hoar frost, Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City, South Dakota.

15-C_12_0061Hoar frost on hanging willow branches, Cool's Pond, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Cool's Pond, Vernon, BC.

16-S_14_0011 Frost often appears when the morning is bitterly cold and foggy, like this scene on the Wanapitae River, Wanup.

To make epic and dramatic images that rise above the average, look for these atmospheric conditions.

16-C_15_0034 The setting sun dramatically lights these clouds over the Monashees.

17-T_07_0321Rainbow over traditional homes

The passing thunder storm creates dramatic skies above these homes in Leksand, Sweden.