Have you ever planned a shoot and waited for the perfect weather? How did that work out? The simple fact is that there is no such thing as perfect weather, or indeed perfect light. Waiting for it is folly.
Last autumn, I had it in my mind to go and shoot Bamburgh Castle. It’s a magnificent location, film set to The Last Kingdom and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
It is also about a 70 minute drive north of me and as I was planning to get sunrise shots, a little planning was required. This being early November in the North East of England, the weather never played ball. Every evening before bed I would take a glance at my weather apps, let out a sigh of disappointment and cancel my 4am alarm.
Then after a couple of weeks of this, I decided just to go. And do you know what? It was one of my best morning’s photography in a long time. Did the weather play ball? Yes, briefly, but freed from the shackles of waiting for the perfect dawn, I was much more able to just enjoy the moment. So, today, let’s take a look at why the weather doesn’t really matter.
Why Do We Obsess Over The Weather?
There are a number of reasons but chief amongst them are our own experiences and the influence of social media. Let’s look at our own experiences first.
When we first get into photography, our instinct is to shoot on bright sunny days, cloudless blue skies and clear horizons. That’s a perfectly normal thing to do. We want our subject to look its absolute best, travel brochure perfect. So we wait for the long days of summer and then crack out as many shots as we can whilst the light holds.
The other aspect, social media can also drive us to try and shoot in the ideal conditions. We see endless images and reels from picture perfect locations in wonderful light. But the simple fact is, we are only being shown these because this is what the majority of non photographers prefer to see. Dig a little deeper and you will see the same locations photographed by some great photographers in much more moody, evocative light. To avoid obsessing over the weather, we need to break free from the concept of “blue skies are the best.”
Bad Weather Is Great Photography Weather
Returning to my shoot and Bamburgh Castle, was the weather perfect? No, but there were fleeting moments of moody, evocative lighting that forced me to think fast. In between those moments I could hunt out and look for other compositions. As I was shooting from a beach, there was also the usual morning beach activities, joggers, dog walkers and as luck would have it, horse riders. It was one of those horse riders that led to my favourite image of the morning, technically very imperfect but visually it worked well.
The point is however, that whatever the weather, there would be a way to make the scene in front of me work. And that applies to pretty much any scene.
Fog and mist lend themselves to ethereal looking sunrises or moody black and white landscapes. Rain is fantastic in a busy city centre, especially in the twilight hours. Storms work well in just about every location, deep dark moody skies, perhaps lightning strikes (be safe when shooting electrical storms, get inside well before the storm gets close)
Wind can whip the sea into turmoil, or gently blow grass or crops, giving us beautiful motion blur. Overcast cloudy days can give us soft, flattering light that brings life to pastel colours or beautiful skin tones in outdoor portraits. The fact is, for photographers there really is no such thing as bad weather.
Whatever The Weather, Be Prepared.
There are some caveats to shooting in certain types of weather. Rain for example can be very troublesome if your camera is not weather proof. Make sure both the body and lens you are using will withstand even torrential rain. If you are not sure, invest in waterproof covers or rain sleeves.
Make sure you carry plenty of microfiber cloths to dry not only the lens elements but also the camera bodies. These will not dry quickly, hence having plenty is recommended.
If shooting in very windy conditions, you might find your tripod is not cutting it. You can try hand holding by bumping up the ISO and shutter speed or perhaps switching to a monopod which you can brace against your own body.
In such conditions, your own body is as important as your camera body. If it’s raining, you will need a lightweight outer rain jacket, then layers underneath to keep you warm and dry.
In ultra cold weather you will need a pair of photographers gloves, with finger tips either open or of that can be folded back. You will also need a warm hat and more layers. You will need plenty of extra battery power as the cold drains the life from them much quicker than you might expect.
In hotter, more tropical climes you will need to make sure your lenses are clear from condensation when moving from an air conditioned hotel or taxi to the outside. You will need at least 30 minutes for this. If you are spending a lot of time in humid conditions, silica gel packs will help prevent mould forming inside lenses.
Seeing Differently In Different Weather.
If you have been a fairweather photographer for a while, it will take a little shift of your mindset to get used to more inclement weather. Start slowly, don’t head out in a force 9 gale on day one. Instead go out on perhaps a gloomy and drizzly day. Train your eye to look for light sources, it might be a fleeting glimpse of the sun, it might be the headlights of cars or lights from a cozy cafe.
You might also need to get used to being out in bad weather. Often our natural instinct is to head to a coffee shop or pub when the rain kicks in. Instead, pull out the camera and start to hunt down good shots. As you get more experienced in milder bad weather, start to up the game a little with harsher weather. However, always be in the mindset that no picture is more important than your own personal safety.
On those dark dull days, start to train your mind to see black and white shots, and on misty days, look for the subtle shapes and forms that emerge from the mist.
The chief takeaway is that there is no such thing as bad weather for photographers, only different weather. As we become more experienced in understanding the relationship between the light and the weather, more photographic opportunities will open up to us.
So the next time you have a shoot in mind, don’t spend time doom scrolling the weather apps. Pack your gear, suitable clothes and just head out. You will be very pleased that you did.
