PHOTOGRAPHY AND WEATHER

Whilst running a recent photography walk in Rochester I greeted the participants with an announcement about how awful the weather was. This raised a few eyebrows is it happened to be a warm bright sunny morning without a cloud in the sky.
WHY I DON'T LIKE SUNNY DAYS
As a photographer I hate bright sunny days. The light tends to be harsh, washing out any colour in both the sky and the subject of an image. If your using a mobile phone there is the added challenge of screen glare to contend with. How often have you held up your phone camera and not been able to actually see what your taking?
WHATS THE SOLUTION
To get around screen glare try taking a jacket, cardigan or small blanket. Place it over your head and arms to act as a shield for the screen. Imagine yourself being a photographer from the old days with the box and black cover over your head. You might look silly but it does the trick.
Always avoid shooting directly into the sun. This will minimise sun spotting and unwanted silhouetting of the image subject.
Try to minimise the amount of sky you have in your image.

The sun in this image was just to one side, blowing out the blue in the sky. The colours are very faded and the main subject of the castle is getting lost despite the leading lines from the steps and path.

To compensate I cropped out the sky and converted to black and white. The castle is now a more prominent component of the image. The shadows on the steps and path are also less distracting.

Shooting with the sun directly behind you will resolve a blown out sky giving you the dark blue which we have in this image. The colours are still flat and washed out. There are also distracting shadows on the grass and that sky is still bland.

Turning to black and white I think makes the image more striking.

Try and use tall buildings and trees to hide the sun. Trees can also make a good frame to your image as well.

Tree canopies are great for shooting into on a bright sunny day. The colours in the leaves really stand out and I just love the contrast in the shadows on the branches.

Look how the canopy of the trees in this park diffuse the bright light. I love the way the shadows create a texture on the path to mimic the leaves in the trees.
WHAT ABOUT RAINY DAYS?
Light drizzly rain no-one likes. The camera will not pick it up and you just feel damp and horrible.
What I really love as a photographer is really heavy rain. I have a plastic cover which protects my camera and lens. I find using live view easier as it's a struggle to look through the view finder with the plastic cover on. Always ensure the front of your lens is protected when not in use and have a small cloth handy to give it the occasional wipe when required. A zoom lens with a large hood is less likely to get rain spots but may not be practical for the shot you wish to take. These images below were all taken with a wide angle 17 - 40 mm lens.

I love the shine and reflections you get from all the wet surfaces.

Have fun and don't be afraid to get wet. Your camera will be more water resilient than you think.
I had to add this image of my husband simply because it just sums up 2020.
SO WHAT IS AN IDEAL WEATHER DAY?

For me it's a cloudy, slightly over cast day.

I love the warmer colours and more vibrant reflections.

The ideal time is early morning or evening when the sun is lower in the sky.

Don't be a martyr to the weather app. You can work with whatever the day has to throw at you. For more information on my workshops and 1 to 1 tuition please visit my website at https://www.louiseehubbardphotography.com Email contact@louiseehubbardphotography.com Telephone 07493 070207/01634 711275 Facebook Page: https://business.facebook.com/louiseehubbardphotography/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louise_hubbard/ Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/louise-hubbard-7aa52789 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouiseEHubbard1