Weather can dictate a lot of elements of a shoot, and in some cases, it can ruin it altogether. That doesn't always have to be true though, and you can even use the elements to your advantage.
Whether you're shooting a wedding, an outdoors event, some portraiture, street photography, landscape — whatever — rain can really ruin what you were going for. However, if you embrace the poor weather, you might just come out with something unexpected. When I started out photographing weddings, for instance, I would dread poor weather, but there's a lot you can do with it. The classic umbrella shots have done the rounds for years, and there are usually arches and ornate architecture at venues that will act as cover.
When it comes to street photography, I honestly believe that rain and cloud can be beneficial. Yes, the long shadows and high contrast images in black and white of golden hour are nice, but the moody and most memorable, for me at least, are when the weather is dreadful. The above shot by renowned street photographer, Paola M Franqui, is an incredible example, but her Instagram feed is full of similar, dramatic and cinematic images.
How do you approach photography in the rain?
Perfect! !!
Before looking at the video, I see tip #1, don’t lie in the puddle.