Clouds are an important part of landscape photography – in case you want to shoot truly amazing landscapes, you certainly have to pay special attention to clouds and their shapes and colors.
According to the World Meteorological Organization’s International Cloud Atlas, there are 10 basic types of clouds. Knowing these types can be useful in case you want to be able to recognize them and know what type of weather you can expect from each of them.
Cloud Types
- Low-level clouds (cumulus, stratus, stratocumulus) all lie below 6,500 feet. Cumulus clouds are usually rounded, puffy and white; stratus clouds are

