Photography & the rain. A 5 minute guide

The past few days in the area I've been staying has been a favourable one with regards to the weather. A thick mist has been covering the skies since Monday, with bouts of heavy rain, but mostly a constant on-off of a slight drizzle - just enough to get you every so slightly wet, and cold before going inside somewhere.

The saving grace has been the beanie&hoodie combo. And coffee. Lots of admin work has gotten done, with a slight lag on my outdoor photoshoot work - I'm not usually the type of person thats willing to stand in *summer* rains that feel absolutely like *winter* rains, with winds gushing past every now and again - not to mention the wet factor.

Usually, overcast weather is a blessing of sorts for some photographers. Why? Think of the diffuser you get when you buy your 5-in-1 reflector kit. Except this one is for free. And its bigger. Much, much bigger. What happens when you make use of a light diffuser? It takes a small light source (yes, yes, the sun is marginally larger than the earth, but in perspective from where we see it - its small) and makes it larger. So it takes a situation that may typically produce high contrast images if reflectors & flashes aren't used, and creates an evenly spread light. Shadows become softer (and lighter). Highlights become darker.

What I just mentioned isn't a set in stone rule like gravity - it depends on your shooting style - I've seen photos taken in overcast weather where the results are absolutely hagged - skin tones, as well as foliage may develop a blue cast, and if get corrected, the "sky" that remains becomes almost blown out - cool if you're after a studio type effect if you plan your shot right.

I have a photoshoot on Saturday thats game on like Donkey Kong - if weather permits, I'll post some behind the scenes images of how to shoot in the rain. Otherwise it'll be some studio work.

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Red Chrome Media
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