All photographers heave dealt with the inconvenience of rainstorms ruining their outdoor shoot, especially during a Florida summer. Even when you keep a close eye on the forecast there is no guarantee of long-lasting sunshine, and gray clouds could roll in any time to steal your light and soak you and your subjects.
As Tampa residents, our staff is all too familiar with freak showers and mud patches. We even had to deal with some during the grand opening event at our location in Carrollwood last weekend. We pulled out all the stops (and canopy tents) to ensure everyone still had a great time and captured great images, and we want you to be able to do the same.
The best photographers see a change in scenery as an opportunity to capture new and unexpected images. Rain inspires a range of emotions from childlike glee to somber reflection. The people and scenery captured on a rainy day can provide a nice break from the usual sunny smiles sought in most outdoor photo sessions, but you have to know how to make the most of the occasion.
Gear
If you’re carrying $1000+ worth of equipment outside, your first thought should be “how will I keep everything dry?” There are scores of individual bags and covers for cameras and other electronics meant for various kinds of weather, but each one takes up more precious space, adds weight and might get lost. Sometimes the simplest solution is best: plastic bags.
Ziploc bags, grocery bags, trash bags – anything that can fit your camera and a hand to operate it will suffice as a makeshift raincoat. Simply cut or tear a hole in the bottom of the bag for the lens to peep through, and operate the dials and viewfinder through the intended opening on the other side. One pro-tip is to utilize a lens hood to keep the bag out of the shot and the rain off of your lens.
These bags are also useful for tying around shoes (out of frame), placing on wet seats for subjects, and placing under photographer knees and bellies when seeking a different angle. It might be wise to have a roll of trash bags in your vehicle at all times in case of unexpected rain, and also to clean the french fries and gum wrappers out before picking up your date on the weekend.
People
In addition to the equipment, you may also want to keep yourself and your subjects dry during the shoot. Operating a camera while holding an umbrella can be difficult. It may be wise to bring an assistant along to hold the umbrella for you (this could also cut down on plastic bag usage). It can be cute to have your subjects hold an umbrella as well and further emphasizes the rain (which can sometimes be hard to capture explicitly). For bonus points, try shooting candid street shots with the edge of your umbrella in the top of the frame, to add some interest and/or block out the overexposed sky.
Shooting under or near an overhang is also advisable, as this provides an alternative to umbrellas and bags, and provides shelter from the rain between shots. In small towns, like Carrollwood, with no big building cover, you can shoot from inside a vehicle. This can work for modeling shoots as well as candid ones (so long as you’re not holding up traffic). This provides a portable overhang and storage place for equipment and clothing changes, just be sure to bring along some towels to keep the interior dry when people duck back in with wet/muddy shoes.
Thankfully, Gio’s loafers survived the Great Northdale Flood.
Technique
As mentioned above, raindrops can be difficult to capture in an image. Overcast skies mean low light, so a wide-open aperture is usually recommended. A faster shutter speed will give you a better change of capturing individual drops, while a slower one can show off nice cascades of water falling from buildings and onto people/objects.
It is easiest to capture droplets when they are lit from behind, so a break in the clouds or light from building windows and signs can help make the rain much more visible. Neon lights and marquees in urban spots like downtown Tampa and Ybor look great in the rain and provide just enough backlight for this technique. You can even try adding just a little flash from the camera itself.
Bear in mind the emotion you’re looking for. Find people smiling, running, or brooding and plan your picture accordingly. Slightly slower shutter speed for blurred action shots of people seeking cover, or high speeds to catch the moment of a splashy puddle jump. Frame a skyscraper in angry clouds for oppressive drama. Look for reflections in the water along the curb of the road.
Turn Difficulty into Opportunity
It may feel like your shoot is ruined, but even wedding photos can be salvaged with a little creativity and ingenuity. If rain really, truly is not appropriate for your images wait about an hour for it to change (we’ve experienced some extremely bipolar weather in Carrollwood), or reschedule for another day soon. Otherwise, pop open your umbrella and make lemonade.
Play with a few different white balances (sometimes Shade looks even better than Cloudy, you never know!) and be grateful for the natural softbox effect created by the overcast sky. No harsh shadows and nice even lighting; try that on a glaringly sunny day. As long as your equipment and people come back functional, and you tried something new, the shoot was a success. Check out our main website and our Facebook for more tips and tricks, and see how we Tampa folks get creative under pressure.
Kalon Imaging 