Before we go on a trip or start a shooting session in bad weather conditions we should try to answer the following:

• What exactly are the weather conditions and what is the forecast?
• Why are they bad?
• What are the effects of the prevailing conditions?
• What are the advantages?
• What are the problems and how do I overcome them?
• What type of photographic situations should I avoid?
• What precautions (photographer and equipment care) are required?

The Bad Weather Conditions discussed here are:

• Overcast Days
• Rain
• Snow
• Fog and Mist
• Haze
• Wind
• Cold Days

Overcast Days

• Diffused light; no harsh shadows, great for portraits of people and wildlife, best for flower photography.  Also adds mood to pastoral landscapes
• Flat light reduces unwanted facial features
• When shooting white water (waterfalls or cascades) the flat light reduces contrast and allows for details in the water and in the darker background
• Gray sky produces clear background, which can be used for sandwiches with other images
• Very dark sky or nice cloud formations produce very attractive backgrounds
• A flash may be used to compensate for some of the lost details
• To avoid washed-out background; shoot low, fill the background without the sky
• Use a polarizer filter to enhance cloud formations and darken the sky
• Exposure considerations; use faster lenses and/or film

Rain

• Rain has a strong softening effect on the light
• Dark tree trunks produce beautiful lines in the picture
• Rain hides far backgrounds
• Rain adds interest to mundane subjects (look different)
• Look for special effects:
  • shoot through the window/windshield
  • reflections from puddles and roads
  • water droplets on flowers, cars, windows...
• Look for rainbows
• Try night photography in the rain
• After the rain: be ready for different conditions:
    clearing, dark clouds, sky stays gray
• After the rain colors become very saturated
• Use an umbrella for protection
• Cover the camera and lens with a plastic wrap

Snow

• Snow adds texture to the picture
• It covers the ground and eliminates distracting details
• Snow creates very moody shots
• If the snow is light- the effect of depth increases; if the snow is dense- the picture will appear almost two dimensional and colorless
• Carry an umbrella for protection
• Cover the camera and lens with a plastic wrap
• Exposure compensation will be required if bright snow dominates the scene

Fog and Mist

• Fog blocks distracting backgrounds
• Backlighted subjects appear in very warm colors
• They create moody landscapes
• Fog and mist have a strong softening effect
• They produce interesting low sun pictures
• Look for lines, shapes, forms and patterns
• Subject details are not going to stand out.
• Concentrate on the large compositional elements in the picture

Haze

• Haze gives dimension to the picture
• It adds warm colors to landscapes at sunrise and sunset
• Haze acts as a huge light box; it diffuses the light
• It produces warm backlighted subjects
• Haze reduces color saturation (very soft colors)
• Use a UV or Haze filter
• Look for lines, shapes, forms and patterns.  Subject details are not going to stand out.  Concentrate on the large compositional elements of the picture
• Shoot close; don't attempt to shoot far landscapes for color or detail

Windy Days

• Show the effects of the strong wind
• Try multiple exposures that show movement of flowers, leaves and small branches, but keep stationary objects sharp
• Use fast shutter speeds to freeze movements caused by the wind
• Protect your small subjects from the wind (flowers, etc.)
• Use a heavy and sturdy tripod

Cold Days

• Less people - more wildlife
• Cold days are often very clear days
• Photograph frost patterns on windows, plants, and objects
• Look for ice patterns
• Keep batteries and the photographer warm.  Use NiMH, rewind manually, defrost film, wait for foggy lenses to clear
• Pad the legs of your tripod