Rain, the perfect excuse for not going out with your camera... right? Well, my intention today is to convince you otherwise. Throughout the article I am going to show you that it is not an impediment, laziness is. Rain photography is an opportunity to learn and achieve beautiful, fresh, nostalgic or inventive images. Let your creativity run wild, practice, learn and »get wet»! what how? Keep reading and you will see.
Next I am going to give you a few reasons to leave the comfort of the sofa in search of raindrops and some ideas and tips to make the most of this meteorological phenomenon but without your camera dying in the attempt...
And if what you want is to delve into nature photography, this is our most complete guide, with tips, tricks and lots of inspiration.
WHY TAKE RAIN PHOTOGRAPHY?
- It is an opportunity to learn: photographing the rain requires a little practice and experience, so it is an excellent opportunity for you to learn how to handle your camera, control the shooting speed, the depth of field... But don't despair before you start! weather!
- The landscape changes: the light, the color of the earth, of the plants, the reflections of the wet pavement. Everything around you intensifies its color and acquires a brightness that is difficult to find on other days.
- You will have drops of water at hand without having to set up a laboratory at home
- You find puddles that will give you great photo opportunities.
- You will be able to photograph spectacular skies .
- These are ideal days for portrait photography, since the softness of the light beautifies the features.
- After the storm there is always calm: what do I mean by this? that the sun will rise, or the rainbow, or both, or a cloudy day will leave you... but whatever it is... you will have a free field to continue photographing different and interesting situations!
12 TIPS FOR STUNNING RAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
If it has become clear to you why you should run out to photograph the rain as soon as you hear it sparkle, here are 12 tips and tricks that you can apply to get impressive rain photos:
- Adjust the shutter speed: try different speeds, most likely you will have to adjust above 1/250, although it will depend on the effect you want. Do different tests and practice with the result that you like the most.
- If the rain is very fine, this speed will not allow you to capture it and you will have to slow down to 1/30. You will get the drops as if they were thin elongated threads. In this case, you can use a tripod or other support to support your camera so that your image does not move.
- Capture as much light as you can: use a large aperture, ideally f/1.4, but you'll have to adjust to what your gear allows. Raise the ISO but with caution, remember the noise problem.
- Observe the environment: the silhouettes of the umbrellas, the colors of the clothes, the reflections on the ground and the puddles... Look at the windows of the buildings, maybe you will find a nice image of someone watching the rain. Be aware of these details and capture them with your camera.
- Get behind glass and capture the raindrops with a blurred background.
- If you like child photography or just photographing your kids, dress them in a garish raincoat, a colorful umbrella and some fun wellies and go to the park or look for the puddles, let them have fun, get wet and enjoy jumping and splashing. You will have a lot of precious and unforgettable snapshots.
- Look for the rays that escape from the sun or the golden reflections between the raindrops to achieve effects like this.
- Tell a story in your rain photography: rainy days can be really melancholic and nostalgic. Use black and white to accentuate those emotions and become a visual poet for a day.
- What is not a normal rain but a strong storm? Have you tried photographing lightning? Read this essential article on How to Photograph Lightning Storms in 12 Steps
- If you are near the sea on a stormy day, with rain and breaking waves, do not miss the opportunity. Of course, do not risk your equipment too much and even less your life, get a tele and put yourself at a good distance.
- Practice, practice and practice. This is the golden rule. And don't forget something essential in your team... patience! If you leave it at home you will be lost...
- Not because it is the last tip is the least important, quite the opposite! The first and most important thing when taking rain photography is to protect your camera. Everyone knows that the camera and the water are not good friends and as much as we like to photograph the rain... we are not going to risk the lives of our team! Here are some ideas on how to protect your equipment:
- Use specific plastic covers, an umbrella or take shelter under a roof, although I don't recommend the latter too much because so much movement limitation will stifle your creativity.
- Use the lens hood.
- Have a clean cloth handy to occasionally dry any splashes or water that may have fallen on your camera.
- Of course, if you want to change the objective, protect yourself well, do not settle for a roof, avoid humidity by taking refuge in a room or in the car if you are in the middle of the field.
- Store the camera in the bag before entering a warm place, the change in temperature may cause water to condense entering the camera.
- When you store your equipment, put silica bags to absorb moisture (you can find them, for example, when you buy some shoes, they are those tiny bags that come with little balls inside).
If I haven't convinced you yet, I'll leave you with other examples of rain photographs, let's see if that's how you end up cheering yourself up, because after writing this... I've gotten so caught up in the itch that I'm going to take advantage of the fact that it's raining to go hunting! of the drops of water! ?
Now, let me ask you two things:
- First, please recommend the article on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, so you help spread these ideas.
- Second, take pictures, damn it. All the time you spend reading theories that you don't put into practice is wasted time. Take photos please.
