Rainy day photography sometimes you cannot get around it

Looking at the weather forecast for me for the next couple of days (rain, rain and more rain) should I put the camera away or head out for some rainy day photography?

For me it is keep the camera out and start shooting! In fact in most bad weather I prefer to shoot then to hibernate. Okay maybe the insane cold is the exception to the rule but even then it can give some great pictures.

The rain may make your landscape pictures that are showing a lot of sky look a little boring. But for other pictures it is a blessing that you should be taking advantage of.

People look better – rainy day photography

Weddings & Family Pictures – Overcast conditions are great for weddings. You have less shadows to work with and you can face your subjects in any direction. No worrying about the sun. Add to this that many parks and public places will be empty and you are able to do so much more.

The rain can be a downer for some families / bride’s. But others are all hyped-up to get a little wet to get some great images. One of my best wedding photos from years past was taken at the Japanese Garden in Lethbridge in the rain. The wedding was held outside. Just as the wedding was ending a HUGE rainstorm moved into the area. By the time we got to the Japanese Garden to shoot the formal pictures they were shutting it down because of the storm.

We were let into the gardens then the gates were locked. It was perfect!! First no other people were in the garden. It was so easy to shoot without worrying about people. Secondly the light was amazing. A little fill flash and wow did the images look amazing.

Wildlife are more active

Wildlife – I love shooting wildlife when it is overcast. I do not have to worry about the direction of the sun and this saves me a lot of hassle. If it is raining it can even be better as the rain creates deeper colors and everything looks richer.

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Proof is in the picture!

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Product shots – Years ago I was traveling to do a shoot at one of my clients production plants in south east Saskatchewan. Did the 8 hour drive. Then found out that the VP was not interested in doing the shoot in the rain. After some convincing by me and the head of the marketing department we went ahead and did the shoot. When the VP saw a couple of the images of the first shoot of the day he was blown away. Asked if we could do all the pictures in the rain. About a month later we did another shoot of some more of their products in the nice weather for a cover shot. They ended up using the rain pictures for the cover of that product line catalog as they liked it so much more then the sunny pictures.

Nature / Scenery – Many scenic shots look better with a blue sky or a few clouds, but there are a lot of shots that work great with heavy clouds and fog.

Last but not the least……

Storm Photos – Hard to do on sunny days 🙂 You do not want a flat boring sky but a storm that has some variable clouds looks amazing.

A little preparation for rainy day photography

Equipment – There is not a lot of specialized equipment for doing rainy day photography. The biggest thing is if it is raining make sure that you keep your equipment as dry as possible.

A small garbage bag over your camera with a hole for the lens is a great addition. If you want to buy a rain cover that works as well. Take a cloth with you to wipe the lens and camera when you are done.

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