There is just so much beauty in nature, and a rainy day is one of them. As a nature photographer, taking beautiful pictures on rainy days can be both challenging and rewarding. Unlike pictures you would take during a bright clear day, photography under the rain means you need to manage working with low light, lots of water, gray skies, gloomy weather etc.
In spite of this, you can create a fantastic portfolio with photographs taken on rainy days, because rainy sceneries have a way of changing an ordinary landscape into something truly breathtaking. Taking pictures on a rainy day gives you a ton of subjects you can work with, whether as a professional photographer, just adding more photos to your portfolio or an amateur photographer working on a photography essay with the help of Online Writer Rating.
In case you are looking for inspiration on where to start, here are seven things you can photograph on a rainy day to help you create a masterpiece portfolio.
1. Forests and waterfalls
Taking photographs in the woods or by a waterfall on a rainy day is certainly a sight to behold. The trees look so green and alive, and the waterfalls are in full flow.
A few things to note when photographing the waterfall on a rainy day is that you might have a change in colour after the rain has stirred up the water. So in place of clear water, you get to capture a sweet golden-brown rush of water. It would help if you also remembered that there would be low light conditions, so going along with a tripod will come in handy, because you may need to use slower shutter speed, and this means your camera needs to be stabilized.
Bear in mind that rocks get slippery, and the water current is usually pretty dense when it rains, so you need to be extra careful with your movement.
2. Lightning
When the rain gets heavy, and you’re stuck indoors, you could try taking some lightning photographs. An important tip on lighting photography is that you shouldn’t wait for the lightning to strike before clicking your camera, because if you wait, then you miss the shot.
To get a well-timed picture, place your camera on a sturdy surface or tripod towards the direction of the lightning. Then set the camera on Shutter Priority mode, set your ISO on the lowest level, and select about 15-30 second shutter exposure. Hopefully, you’ll get a shot of a decent bolt while the shutter is open.
3. Raindrops
Raindrops are quite synonymous with rainfall, so this makes it a pretty obvious thing to photograph on a rainy day. There are different ways you can photograph raindrops, it could be capturing the heavy pallets as they fall or the beaded drops you clinging to spider webs, flower petals, windows, or leaves.
If you wish to capture the rain while it is in motion, it is best to set up your camera on a tripod and adjust the shutter speed to see what works best for you. You can use a shutter speed of about 1/1000 if you want to freeze the falling rain. Or if you wish to streaked droplets, then you will need to set your shutter speed to about 1/125.
To capture macro shots of the raindrop, you need to look carefully around your surroundings for up-close pictures. Macro shots are a great way of adding texture and life to a moody background.
4. Mist
Rainy days often come with mists or fog, which is great to take pictures that require natural fog, so you don’t have to use any of that Photoshop effect. There are just so many layers to images captured in a mist; it gives a dramatic and mysterious vibe to your pictures.
When capturing photos in the mist, you need to take into consideration what time of day is best to take your pictures. Early morning or late afternoon are great times to get theatrical images that accentuate the mist and gives a nice contrast to your surroundings.
5. The Sky
The quote, “the sun always shines after the storm” comes to mind when taking pictures of the sky on a rainy day.
The sky is an excellent thing to capture on a rainy day. You can get striking images of the beautiful light streaming from behind the clouds after the rain or the vast and brightly coloured rainbows.
Prepare your camera just as the rain ends so you can get great shots as the sky lights up with the sun’s beautiful rays. You can also look out for abstract cloud formation of dark and light clouds scattered across the sky on a rainy day.
6. Reflections
Reflections from rain formed puddles are also great pictures to take for your portfolio aside from those you take from ponds, lakes, etc.
You can catch the ripples of the surface of the puddle, reflection of buildings, street lights and signage, etc. These are great ways to add some symmetry and unique texture to your photos. While taking pictures of reflections on a rainy day, you can use your camera on manual mode and make sure the setting on the exposure and focus is just right.
Another great tip when taking pictures in the rain made puddle is to change your perspective by changing the placement of your camera, so the image looks upside-down. The upside-down look gives the photograph a more appealing look.
7. Colours
Because the weather tends to get a bit gloomy and dark on rainy days, capturing bright elements within your surroundings is a great way to add some splash of colour to your pictures.
You can look out for bright coloured birds, butterflies, brightly painted parts of buildings, street art, flowers, fruits, etc. These objects can significantly add to the uniqueness of your photographs and create a nice contrast with the grey surrounding.
Conclusion:
Rainy days can be a bit of a downer, but it should give you more reason not to seize the opportunity to take pictures of beautiful sceneries filled with texture and dramatic effect. Remember always to stay safe and keep your camera dry.