Gorgeous Non-Photoshopped Shots of Earth's Sky

On a hot summer evening, it’s nice to sit back, relax, and marvel at the beauty of a colorful sunset. After viewing this vibrant Cloud Series, it seems that photographer Carolyn Marks Blackwood would agree. Based in New York, the artist has a keen eye for capturing basic natural elements like clouds in the sky or melting ice on the Hudson River and transforming them into spectacular moments of abstract photography.

The photographs have a strong painterly quality, where streaks of light across the canvas blend together to form intense palettes of color. Regarding her process, she explains, “It sometimes takes weeks to get the shots I'm after. At home, in front of the computer, I 'find' my pictures—by cropping them—I never manipulate them. It is beauty that drives me and comforts me, even if it is a strange beauty."