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A Rainy-Day Photography Guide
Although some photographers would rather wait for clear skies, many enjoy photographing during a rainy day. Taking pictures on a rainy day can offer a unique perspective, allowing you to capture the beauty and moodiness of the weather.
What to Consider When Photographing During the Rain
If you’re planning to photograph in heavy rain, consider using a waterproof camera, a rain cover, or a protective sleeve for your camera. This will allow you to confidently capture the elements or your subjects without worrying about damaging your equipment. Luckily, Tamron lenses all have weather-sealing to prevent moisture from entering the lens when out in inclement weather. And our Fluorine coating on the front element makes cleaning off raindrops a breeze.
You can also look for dry spots to snap pictures, such as through a window or outside while holding an umbrella. Just remember to towel-dry the rest of your equipment after you’re finished and use a lens cloth to remove any raindrops that may have gotten on the lens.
Look for puddles, wet streets, or even raindrops on windows to capture interesting and creative reflections of subjects. Play with different angles and compositions to enhance the reflection effect. Filmmakers and photographers frequently produce this effect by throwing water on the ground.
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5 Rainy Day Photography Tips
• Unlike fall photography, which requires warm white balance settings to enhance autumn colors, rainy days photography calls for a faster shutter speed to capture raindrops and a lower ISO to minimize noise.
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• A tripod prevents fuzzy pictures and camera shake, especially in dim lighting. It ensures clear and defined rain photography whether you’re taking nighttime rain shots or any subject that calls for a long exposure. Remember to turn off the image stabilization on your camera and/or lens when using a tripod.
• Raindrops falling can add motion and drama to your images. A quick shutter speed is essential for photographing rain to stop the raindrops’ velocity and capture well-defined elements.
• Rainy days often offer soft, diffused light, so consider adding a light source behind the rain. Look for natural or artificial light sources, such as bright windows, billboards, or traffic lights. These can add depth to your compositions by giving the rain a wonderful glow. When shooting at night, use any available light source or bring your reflector to spotlight the raindrops effectively.
• Manual focus is essential when photographing the rain to focus well on the main subject matter. By using this setting, you have complete control over the area of focus. Draw attention to the components in your composition that are brighter or darker for an interesting composition.
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Ready to get started? Browse Tamron’s range of lenses for the right equipment for your rainy-day photography and remember to protect your equipment from any element you may be working in!
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