The Physical Clouds

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow 

Such perfect fractal clouds are too perfect to be real.

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

[Click on images to view at higher resolution on source sites.]

 

I wrote recently about Google opening their data centers to writers and photographers and thus revealing how fractal the digital cloud looks. Let’s not forget, though, that physical clouds are equally impressive as natural fractals. Lamentably, our ground-level view of clouds feels restricted to 2D appreciation. We can only see one side as we peer up. The dark side of the clouds eludes us, shrouded behind a scrim. We need to be cloud-level in order to glimpse those water droplet and ice crystal forms with 3D glasses. If we could settle into just the right position and perspective, then the 3D panorama of cloud fractalness might align and blossom out.

Fortunately, German photographer Rüdiger Nehmzow figured out a way for all of us to see more eye to eye with clouds. According to My Modern Met:

This must be what heaven looks like. Photojournalist Rüdiger Nehmzow took to the skies in his Cloud Collection series to photograph some beautiful cloud formations. After being strapped in, the committed photographer, equipped with two cameras and an oxygen mask, went 6,000 meters (approximately 4 miles) high in an airplane with the doors wide open to snap his shots.

The result? Nehmzow’s cloud shots reveal astonishing dimensions in fully realized fractalscapes.

Is a front moving in?

I decided to collide clouds myself by captioning these photographs of physical clouds with digital snips of text found in search strings of a Google search of "fractal clouds." The original source, in every instance, is linked to the specific search phrase.

Is a storm flaring up?

Buckle in. Enjoy the flight. I hope you don’t mind if we leave the doors open.

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow 

There are those who do not see these standard Fourier clouds as fractal clouds as the algorithm is not iterative.

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow 

Realistic images are generated by interpolating the extremely coarse weather simulation data grid and enhancing the result using fractal clouds.

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow 

Draw a large white rectangle and give it a fractal clouds fill. Now, yes, you are still looking at a large white rectangle.

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

 Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

A fraction of dark matter may be in the form of cold, primordial fractal clouds

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

 Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

Fractal clouds are generally less reflective than plane-parallel clouds that have the same total cloud liquid water…

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

 Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

Download royalty free fractal clouds forming heart shape, isolated over white, just copy and paste it over your favourite background ;-)

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

 Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

Discrete angle radiative transfer: 2. Renormalization approach for homogeneous and fractal clouds

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

 Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

The Fractal Clouds is similar to the fire and brimstone effects, except that is almost solely used to create different types of clouds…

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

 Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

Title: Collisional H I versus Annihilating Cold Fractal Clouds.

Photograph by Rüdiger Nehmzow

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Nehmzow, who really does have his head in the clouds, also has a video of the artist at work: