Cumulonimbus over Amherst

Cumulonimbus over UMass Amherst - August 6, 2026
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

In all my cloudspotting, this is the first time I've been in a position to capture that classic cumulonimbus view, with the top of the cloud flattening into an anvil shape as it reaches the tropopause - the boundary separating the troposphere from the stratosphere. There’s something especially satisfying about seeing a formation you’ve encountered countless times in diagrams and other people's photos suddenly unfolding, unmistakably, in the sky above you. Also, of course, cumulonimbus clouds are massive storm clouds that produce lightning, wind, and hail. So I was expecially excited to see it for that reason

Exhibition in Two Galleries

Hampshire Bicycle Exchange
University Drive, Amherst
Photographer: Andy Churchill

This featured photo for August in our 2026 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar comes from Andy Churchill, who captured the Hampshire Bicycle Exchange on University Drive beneath one spectacular Amherst sunset.

At first glance, I could have sworn this was a chic art gallery, its windows glowing in counterpoint to the extraordinary sunset. Imagine my surprise when Andy told me it was the Hampshire Bicycle Exchange. Only in Amherst could a bike shop pull off looking like modern art!

What I especially love is the conversation between sky and storefront – the brilliant pinks, oranges and purples overhead answered by that little illuminated world of color below. It's one of those scenes that rewards a second look: something completely ordinary, transformed for a few minutes by light, timing, and the good fortune of someone being there to notice.

For our final 2026 calendar, the jury selected favorite images from more than a decade of past calendars rather than issuing an open call. This photograph originally appeared in the 2024 calendar – and feels just right for August, when the long summer evenings give the sky plenty of time to put on a show.