It's Raining? Taking photos in the rain tips.
♦ Wears a raincoat for the camera. There are about a million on the market. The real problem is that you have with you when it starts raining. Everything that will protect your camera against any storm, to include a hurricane, it may be too bulky to carry. Currently, my choice is the Storm jacket by Vortex Media: simple but effective in many situations.
♦ Search for verandahs and awnings. Parked in a dry place and expected images come to you. Just be patient.
♦ Shooting from inside a car. This is often the best choice, besides being the most practical. Often it is possible to lower the window and stay pretty dry, especially if the wind comes from the opposite side of the car.
♦ Buy an umbrella. I always bring a small umbrella foldable in my camera bag. Measuring only 13 inches when folded but big enough to hold my camera dry. If you're in a city when it starts raining, look around and find a ombrellaio. I found one in Venice and I bought two umbrellas of different colors (why? There is a trick that I will tell you later). It would be nice if you had a trusty Assistant (or a very patient spouse) to reggerti the umbrella, otherwise you will be able to support the umbrella handle with your left hand at the same time holding the camera.
♦ Include the umbrella in your image. In fact, the umbrella can be useful for a nice frame. Do it a little go at the top of the image, especially when using a wide angle, it fills the top of the frame, providing a clear visual cue that Yes, indeed, it's raining. If the streets are full of people under umbrellas, you'll fit in with the crowd. But it can also serve as a most important thing. The clouds laden with rain seem dark, but are often the source of light in a scene. Then the clouds are bright and the scene below is dark. Use the umbrella to cover the clouds too bright and the scene will suddenly look much better exposure and (here's the reason the two umbrellas that I bought in Venice, I wasn't sure which color would give the best in my photos).
♦ Watch reflections. Unless there is a shower, it is difficult to actually see rain. Then you must let Visual clues to highlight is really raining. The rain has made the streets of Venice so sparkling at night during our stay. This is also the reason I chased that pigeon throughout the square, stood on the reflection of the window.
♦ No rain. Rain becomes more visible when it was posing. The light that passes through the raindrops focuses and is slightly brighter than the rest of the scene. Then find sources of light and shoot towards them. Could be a streetlight at night or it could be the Sun in the clouds. In any case, the rules are the same: first, you take more directly toward the light, you will see the raindrops; Second, if shots too directly towards a light source risk busting exposure. So always try that angle, in the middle. By the way, that you brought an umbrella can also serve as a lens hood.
♦ Then just a small "Flash". No, really, I'm serious. The flash lit the raindrops, it is usually a bad thing because he shoots too much light. But if you add just a little ( -3.0 stops) will emphasize the drops of pggia. This technique is misleading; You'll have to experiment. Maybe it won't work at all, but if it does, may be magic (also works with the snow flakes at times).
♦ look for the joy and misery. The rain transforms people. We react to rain with a range of emotions, from grim terror to rain floods until the wonderful joy of children: capture those emotions and you will have a great shot.
