Whether you got caught in the rain or are intentionally shooting in it rain can cause a few challenges not found in dry conditions.

You can get great shots in the rain that are just not possible any other way. As a matter of fact using the weather to your advantage can add a great deal of dramatic effect to your shots if it’s done right.

Here we will discuss a few great tips for taking photos in the rain that can make or break the experience and your equipment.

 

 

 

Rainy Day Photo Tips

1. Always carry a camera rain coat in your gear bag even in the best of the summer months. They are ultra light and can be rolled or folded up and stored in an ultra small space but can really save your day. There are several brands and styles you can choose from but just ensure that it says water proof instead of water resistant or you could end up with some soggy gear.
   
2. Feature the rain as a part of your images instead of hiding it. Use the widest aperture possible to give it a shallow depth of field and backlight the rain with a little flash. If you happen to be shooting sans flash you can adjust the shutter speed to 1/200th to stop the blurring of the raindrops by fixing their position.
3. If you’re using an umbrella you can have it visible to some extent in the shot to give your audience a point of familiar reference and add another layer to the shot.
4. Search for reflections and use them to ad interest and dramatic effects to your shots. Non muddied puddles can be used for reflections and capturing a light source reflecting off of wet pavement or dark stone sidewalks can ad character.
   
5. Shoot in the rain at night with lots of artificial light sources such as city street lamps, car headlights, and lights from all types of buildings. These can turn out to be amazingly artsy shots. Anyone who’s ever seen images of Venice, Italy at night with all the lights refracting from the water in the canals can attest to the drama it can provide.
6. You can hide the raindrops or make even a little rain seem like your shooting in a downpour using these tips.

   

   To hide the rain simply slow down the shutter speed and it will all but disappear. If you’re getting a little bit of blur then your shutter speed is still likely too fast.

   To make it look like you’re shooting in a massive downpour even if it’s not much more than a sprinkle use a front flash and it will illuminate the raid drops falling closely in front on the camera. They will look huge and will blur slightly making it appear as if you’re in a massive storm.

7. Look for people in the rain. People out in the rain will generally show one of two emotions. They will be full of joy or quite the opposite. The point here is that they can make for some great human interest and emotion shots.

You really can have a great day or night of shooting in the rain just use it to your advantage and keep your gear dry. There are some truly amazing shots to study and articles to read over at the site is full of great, inspiring shots.

David Lye the co-founder of  Photographers.com.au is one of those rare people who might just be able to match you when it comes to your passion for photography.