Rain photography is a great way to add more excitement to your photography, whether street photography, landscape photography or even product photography. Most photographers desire to capture images uniquely, and incorporating rain is one of these. But taking rainy day photography can be tricky. So if you’re new to the game, here are some handy tips to get you started.
Have the Right Gears
Having the right equipment is crucial for rain photography. You certainly want your camera protected from the rainwater, so make sure you come prepared. First, invest in a waterproof camera case or a rain cover to protect your equipment. You should also have a weather-sealed lens, lens cap, and a water-resistant camera bag. A tripod can also come in handy when taking photographs on a rainy day.
Backlight the Rain
Unless the rain is pouring very hard, it can be a challenge to see visible raindrops in the photos you take. If you want to make the raindrops stand out in a rain photoshoot, consider adding some backlighting. You can create backlighting by setting up an off-camera flash behind the subject. When taking photos at night, look for lamp posts that can illuminate the rain droplets on the streets. Another creative way is to use car headlights.
Use Umbrellas as Props
Umbrellas can make for a perfect accessory for rainy day photography. It helps to add form, texture, and color to the photo. What’s more, umbrellas convey protection, which adds narrative to the image. For instance, couples holding umbrellas while walking under the rain can convey romance. Umbrellas can also serve as a natural frame for your subject and can be used to block out unattractive aspects in the scene.
Capture the Transformation of the Scene
Sometimes, you do not need to focus on the rain itself for rain photoshoot. Try to observe the scene and capture its transformation. Highlight the clues indicating that it’s raining or about to rain. For instance, when taking photos of street scenes, try to capture from above to highlight the umbrellas, rain jackets, and reflections of raindrops on the streets. A usually busy intersection can tell a completely different story when people with umbrellas start to fill it up.
Look for Water Reflections
Once the clouds have started to clear, water puddles will appear. Use these to your advantage and play around with the reflections that will reflect on the water. Some photographers will recreate this effect by pouring water into the ground and then capturing the image reflection. But now that you have water puddles appearing on the streets, use that to your advantage and try to capture the images that reflect into them.
Try to Look for Beauty in a Bad Weather
Capturing portraits under the rain is definitely possible. The cold and wet atmosphere can exude a beautifully moody image with very soft lighting. If you are shooting portraits outdoors and rain starts to pour, do not pack up and end the shoot. Instead, try to look for beauty from the bad weather. By shifting the mood of your shoot, you can create an even more striking portrait that will surely stand out from the rest.
Include Dark Clouds to Create Mood
Depending on the lighting, colors, and textures of the scene, rain can help create a moody effect on your image. So use the dark clouds to your advantage. The dark clouds can give your image an interesting mood, such as creating images that look like in the apocalypse. Look for an area in the scene that could affect your shot and emphasize the moodiness. Try to include people and capture their reactions as this can also impact the weight of the weather and the upcoming rain.
Create Unusual Setups
Product photography is usually about using real situations instead of setups. But you can take advantage of the rain to make a powerful impact. Use the raindrops and the splashing water to create a realistic and atmospheric setting for your subject. When it comes to this, use a shutter speed that will allow you to capture and freeze the motion of the raindrops. A long shutter speed will allow you to produce motion blur. By using a fast shutter speed, you’d be able to freeze any movement, including raindrops.
Use Condensation for Soft Focus
Since the weather is wet and cold, the temperature indoors will be warm, and condensation will start to appear to anything with glass, such as glass-covered windows. Take advantage of this to make your photos look interesting for rain photoshoot. The condensation can make for a milky scene which adds mystery to your shot. It also allows you to get a soft focus on your subject and hide the subject’s identity. Just make sure to choose the autofocus setting correctly, or better yet, opt for manual focus.
Keep An Eye Out for the Rainbows
After the rain, be on the lookout for rainbows. Once the sun starts to appear and there’s still moisture in the air, a rainbow could come out soon. Rainbows are formed once the light is refracted and dispersed through water droplets in the air, producing a beautiful colorful arc that can add an interesting texture to your photo. So once the rain starts to come down, don’t pack up just yet. Wait for the sun to come out and keep an eye out for the rainbow.
Create Abstract Images from the Rain
Rain can make for a perfect element for abstract photography. With rain droplets in the background, it seems like we know what we are looking at, but not really, and this is what an abstract photo is all about. There are many ways to do this. For instance, try to capture the raindrops in your car window with the traffic lights in the background, and you could end up with an abstract image with crazy interesting shapes and textures. When taking abstract photos in the rain, you can put your focus on anywhere. Use a wide aperture so you can achieve a bokeh creation in the background. Another way to do this is to do long exposures and see if you can capture surreal images.