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Visually Speaking

Good News: Stormy weather ahead in 2009

by Suzanne Salvo

The year 2008 was marked by freakishly bad weather. There were droughts and deluges, lightning storms and landslides, cyclones, tornadoes and hurricanes. But there is a silver lining to stormy conditions: Bad weather doesn’t have to mean bad photos. In fact, unique and incredibly dynamic images can be produced in changeable weather—if you know how. In other words, that ill wind could be blowing you good photo news.

I know, I know—the thought of gearing up and schlepping out in the cold and wet to shoot does not sound like fun. But the payoff in photos can be huge. And there are ways to mitigate your discomfort and keep your camera gear protected, short of staying indoors with a hot toddy in front of a cozy fire. For instance:

• Look for overhangs, awnings, trees, bus stops and/or doorways to shoot from that will keep you out of the actual icky weather. Or try simply shooting through an open window from inside a building or car.
• If you’re trying to shoot in light rain or snow, an umbrella over the lens will work—if you have someone to hold it for you. I have not found any device that is effective in securing an umbrella to a tripod. For one thing, it takes too much time to rig it up and then adjust it when I want to change say, from a horizontal to a vertical shot. Plus even slight variations in the wind direction will dictate corrections in the umbrella placement—too much to deal with alone!
• Place a Ziplock bag over your camera, positioning the opening at the back near your monitor and controls. Cut a hole in the plastic just large enough for the lens. A rubber band around the lens will hold the bag in place. The bag can be easily opened for a quick peek at the monitor or to change camera settings, then closed to protect against the elements. This works for hand-held shots or with a tripod—just poke a small hole in the bag for the tripod mount and your camera is ready for just about any weather conditions.
  
  In a pinch, a plastic trash bag secured with a rubber band will work as well.
• If you plan to shoot under adverse weather conditions often, check into buying an underwater covering made for your specific brand and model of camera.

Water is the enemy
Prevent moisture on your lens by not pointing your camera up at the sky. Shooting with a lens shade will also help. Don’t change lens or media cards when there is even a slight chance of rain or snow dripping into your open camera, and make sure your hands are dry when handling your equipment. Pack an absorbent, lint-free cloth in your kit and have it handy to quickly take care of stray drops.

Extremely cold conditions call for extra precautions both for you and your gear. Batteries, the heart of your camera, will not pump electrical current effectively at freezing temperatures. The sluggish flow of energy will cause electronic malfunctions or outright shutdown of the camera. To counter this, carry extra batteries stored in a warm pocket close to your body. In sub-freezing conditions, rotate the batteries every 10 minutes or so to keep your equipment functional.

Very important: Following a wet weather shoot, make sure all your equipment is completely dry before storing it.

Rain
Dark clouds and storms are nature’s high-drama events and make for fascinating photos, provided you know how to deal with the situation technically. Low clouds and rain reduce light levels and will decrease color saturation in your shots. Bump up your ISO (try 200 or 400) to compensate. Or for even more drama, try converting the image to black and white to emphasize the range of gray tones. In low-light conditions, it’s a good idea to use a tripod and a cable release or the self-timer setting to prevent camera movement.

In rainy conditions, I tend to look down to find a shot. This keeps my lens safe from moisture. It’s also important to shoot downwards because compositionally, a gray overcast sky is boring. You can minimize its blandness with the placement of a foreground element (like a tree limb) to break up the monotony. Or raise the horizon line in your frame to where little or no sky is seen. A rainy sky may be lifeless, but showers turn puddles into mirrors, and glistening streets and sidewalks come alive with reflections and patterns. Water droplets sparkle on plants, creating tiny prisms. And there is always the chance of a rainbow.

If all that is not motivation enough to don your rainsuit, take heart. Some of the best bad weather scenes happen just before and just after a storm passes. What could be more magical than the sun bursting through an overcast sky, casting “God beams” and spreading golden light onto the wet world below?

Snow
Few things are more aesthetically pleasing than a snowy landscape. Even the most ordinary objects—cars, street lights, etc.—take on an ethereal quality under a blanket of undisturbed snow. But snow can be tricky to capture photographically. Light meters tend to get fooled and automatic camera settings usually underexpose for snow scenes. A slight overexposure (slower shutter speed or “+1”) will keep the whites in your shot snowy instead of dingy gray.

Fog
Fog is mysterious. It sneaks over the landscape, hiding objects in a romantic gossamer stillness. Fog makes everything look primordial and otherworldly. It creates GREAT photographic mood. Natural light is muted and diffused in foggy conditions, causing sharp edges and hard surfaces to appear soft and gentle. Use a long lens if you want to intensify the fog effect in the photo. The compression created by a long lens exaggerates the mistiness, further obscuring objects and colors. Thick fog tends to appear bluish in images. Counter this by setting your white balance to “cloudy” in order to add a touch of warmth. Fog occurs most often in early morning and tends to happen more near rivers, lakes and mountain areas. Don’t forget that fog is wet and can damage your equipment the same as rain or snow.

In summary, don’t let poor conditions stop you from shooting. As British writer John Ruskin said, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just different kinds of good weather.” I agree. Venturing out into a landscape altered by rain, snow or fog is inspiring if your attitude is right. Something other than sunny blue skies will provide interesting characteristics and variety to your shots. Yes, changes in weather are photographically challenging, but creativity thrives on challenges. Go on—get out, get wet and get creative!

Suzanne Salvo and her husband/partner Chris are co-owners of Salvo Photography, an international award-winning studio with bases in Houston, Texas and near Milan, Italy. They specialize in location shooting, and assignments have taken them to more than 60 countries. Typical projects include annual reports, ad campaigns and editorial assignments. For more information, visit their web site at www.salvophoto.com. For more fun, visit Suzanne’s nationally recognized photoblog at www.salvoatlarge.blogspot.com.