When the weather is less than ideal and you’re on a tight schedule, you have to shoot it like it is.  I guess you can just ignore the photo opportunity altogether, but what kind of photographer would do that?   So, I wrapped my camera in a RainSleeve; pulled my hat around to prevent litter in the bay; and stepped out of the boat cabin.  Captured here by my daughter-in-law.

The falling rain and accompanying mist can create some problems, but they can also lead to interesting photos that most people don’t even try to take.  The rain and mist can simplify backgrounds and create moody images.  The reason is that the light is flat and can really reduce the contrast we are used to seeing in our photographs.  The solution is to think in monochrome, relying on composition, and not color, for interesting photographs.

As we boarded the Portage ferry, Ptarmigan, the captain standing in the rain, next to the bright life ring, in his weathered yellow hat made a nice shot.

There are some advantages to shooting in the overcast conditions.  The clouds greatly reduced the reflections on the water.  This came in handy when pointing my camera directly at the bay to capture this sea otter enjoying a lazy morning swim.  The clouds kept my camera’s meter from going crazy trying to pick this gray whale out of a flashy background.

And, remember, the rain will eventually end.  There are lots of opportunities when the sun shines through holes in the clouds for really nice images.  (The sun came through as we were almost back to Anchorage, of course.)

Make sure you take care of your camera and lenses when you venture out in the weather.  I prefer the RainSleeves for my gear.  You can get a pair of them for about $5, and they’ll last a long time if you don’t rip them.  Many people use other methods like umbrellas or baggies with rubber bands.  A little moisture will probably not disable your camera, but don’t expose it to unnecessary exposure.  Wipe down your gear with a soft, absorbent cloth and let it dry completely.  Obviously, you should never change lens in these conditions.  Doing so will expose your sensor to damage.

Take care, but go out in the rain with your camera.  You’ll get some interesting photos, and it may be the only way to get them.

The main concern is light.  There is an over-abundance of light. It’s bouncing around the pretty little snowflakes and can fool the meter in your camera.  If you’re a point-and-shooter, see if you have a snow setting on your menu; they adjust the light and usually change the white balance.  DSLRs don’t have such settings, so you want to prepare before you head out.  You need to overexpose by .5 to 1.5 stops to get things right.  Once you set your exposure compensation to positive EVs, you should check the LCD to ensure you have things where you want them.  You can make further refinements in Lightroom, Aperture, or whatever you use for post-processing, but getting it right in the camera is always the best option.

As always, feel free to break rules that don’t fit the situation.  Let the highlights blow out if you feel it adds to your picture.  Here, I wanted to maximize the bright (obnoxiously bright) pink hat on Granddaughter2, so I let the light pour in.  You can see the yellow, reflecting from her hood, changing the pink to orangish.  I shot it this way on purpose.  This gives the photo a high key (very bright) effect.

In direct light, your camera may have a tendency to be a little bluish, especially in the shadows.  This is, again, pretty easy to adjust out.  If you’re shooting in RAW, you’ll be able to have the extra flexibility available there, but you can make some adjustments in JPG, as well.  For example, the picture on the left is from my film days.  After I digitized it, I noticed a distinctly blue cast to the photo.  I had to live with it in the film days, but not any more.  I fixed both of these photos in post.

Of course, sometimes the blue belongs.  Glaciers have a great blue color from the density of the ancient, pressure-packed snow.  This is another film image from my time in Alaska, courtesy of the US Army.  I plan another trip there, this summer.  To give you a feeling for the scale, that boat is 85 feet long.

Snow can be a good place to look for abstract shapes and forms.  The snow adds uniformity to the scene and can cover a lot of the distractions normally there.  Set a low shutter speed to catch the snowflakes blurred.

So don’t just sit inside when the snow hits.  Go out and have fun with your camera.  When you come back in, make sure you wipe it down with a soft cloth to remove any moisture.

The final shot is a gratuitous plug for son-in-laws who help out the wife’s old man.   Sure glad they showed up this weekend: they brought the grandkids; and I’m getting too lazy to shovel 30″ of snow.  Thanks!

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