You look out the window and watch the rain fall. And there, you say to yourself “Another day when I will not be able to go out and photograph”. And why not ? Photographing rain can serve as a learning process. Not to mention that you will achieve striking photos. It’s not a risk, it’s an opportunity to let your imagination run wild and produce images of great beauty.
Bring a waterproof cover for your camera
If the photographer gets wet, that’s okay, but if it’s your camera, it can mean a very high repair cost. There are several ways to protect your camera when going out to photograph in the rain, but the most common is the waterproof case or cover. Remember that good protection should completely cover the camera, while still giving you easy access to its controls.
Protect it under a covered place, such as a shelter or inside a car
There is no law forcing you to go out in the rain to get the perfect picture. But you can very well stay in a covered area and wait for the magic to happen. You just need to be a little patient. It can also be a good idea to stay in your car. This will allow you to move around while protecting your device.
Besides, you can take advantage of the raindrops streaming down the car windows to produce a different and more striking picture of rain. Or even use the condensation that forms on these same windows.
Essential tips for photographing rain
As we have seen, the rain should not be a reason to drop a photo shoot. But that doesn’t mean that you have to take precautions to properly protect your device and equipment. Once the safety issue is settled, all you have to do is grab your camera, then go out in the rain. Do you want some original ideas for photographing the rain? Here are a few tips, but as so often it will be your imagination that sets the only limits.
Take an umbrella to photograph the rain
It might sound obvious, but you might not have thought about it. Take an umbrella in your gear, not too big. It can be foldable, so it won’t take up space. Of course, it can be tricky to hold an umbrella and use the camera at the same time. You have to know how to manage. And why not include an umbrella in your photos? It can become a subject to be photographed, doing macro photography of falling raindrops, for example. Or use it as part of a portrait or by photographing it in a rainy environment.
Use the reflections to show the rain in your photos.
According to DZOFilm, photographing the rain isn’t just about showing the rain falling. One can also look for other resources which will give good results. Like reflections on a puddle or other surfaces, which produce shards, for example.
Use light to photograph the rain
The rain becomes more visible when a point of light passes through it. The light passes through the drops and makes them brighter as the light focuses on the raindrops. You can use different sources of light for this, such as a lamppost on the street and even the sun. The drops will appreciate more if you take the picture in direct light, although care should be taken not to overexpose the picture in this case. You will therefore need to find the ideal angle to see the drops without producing excess light.
