Have you ever wondered why rainy days are just great for staring longer at things? I mean, it's pleasing to one's gaze somehow. This moody aesthetic comes with a great tool for us photographers, and today I want to share my thoughts on making gorgeous-looking cityscape images during the rainy season.
Some technicalities
Imagine you are trying to capture a gorgeous detail on the ground you stumbled upon while walking down a street close by. Suddenly, you remember that a subject like this might benefit from using a rich aperture value, so you go with something generous like f/3.5.
Under bright lighting conditions, using this aperture would require you to compensate via ISO and shutter speed. Low ISO is great for delivering the best quality, so we are good on that side. Left alone, shutter speed will do the work for us by closing fast, like 1/500th of a second 1/1000 of a second, or even faster!
On a general level, landscape and cityscape photography usually benefit from slower exposition values. Therefore, you might expect to avoid such requirements from your scene. And that's when the weather comes into play!
Cloudy, overcast and rainy weather conditions are perfect for naturally slowing our shutter speeds. Is like having a free softbox on top of your scene delivering the most soothing light ever. Even for us human beings is easier on the eye when the light is dimmed a bit don't you think?
Simple Ideas on Storytelling Photographs for Rainy Cityscapes
Nowadays, amidst the ubiquitous presence of precooked content online, storytelling is the ultimate goal to achieve; applies to both visual and textual media. Reaching such heights is a tremendous task, so we've come up with a bunch of ideas for you to start forcing your creative nature out of its box.
Look for Rain-drops
These are the building blocks of the visual feast we are surrounded by when embarking to photograph in rainy conditions. And by looking for drops, think beyond trying the capture them via the aid of a fast shutter speed. Look for crystal-clear droplets that have landed on windows or leaves. These will be challenging of course, so are a great excuse for experimenting with interesting compositions like a Dutch angle or even a macro approach.
Look for Reflections
Ponds and small patches of water are perfect for mirroring alternate realities surrounding ourselves. About reflections, earlier this week I saw a girl on Instagram using her phone to create fantastic-looking reflections. Honestly, any wet surface could do the trick!
Look for People
Light-rain conditions conduce people to behave in poetic ways, and capturing such behaviour is one of the most exquisite experiences I've had when doing street imagery. No matter if you are on the streets with your camera or behind a hazy window from a comfortable small cafe, images of people walking down the rain offer great subjects for telling stories with our cameras or phones.
Check the Weather!
Really, some cities are quite unpredictable when it comes to weather. Simple tools like weather-apps are sufficient for guaranteeing a decent amount of control about what to expect regarding rainy conditions during the day. Nevertheless, Mother Nature always find ways to surprise us.
Welcome, to a Visual Buffet!
Don't know how to improve your rain photography? Check out this Creativity Catalog! Get instant access to download this 207-page guide covering 20 chapters of creativity-sparking assignments and ideas!
Oh, and don't forget a good jacket or an umbrella if your camera isn't weather-sealed — just like mine!
1 Comment
This is an impressive collection that really showcases how rain presents opportunities for artistic expression and encourages us to venture out, experiment, and embrace the beauty that can be found in the rain.
Thank you for the article!