Cloudy Weather and Rain

Exercise - Cloudy weather and rain (4-6 photographs for the first part, 3 for the second and 2 for the third)

For the first part of this exercise, I was asked to take a number of photographs to demonstrate  the difference in taking the same photograph under differing lighting conditions, in this case under a sunny then overcast sky.

The first pair of photographs were taken less than a minute apart, the weather was overcast with the sun breaking through the clouds. Each photograph is quite different in it's appearance. The photograph on the left was taken under the overcast sky. It has a blue tint to the colour. In the second photograph taken under sunny skies, this has has a orange tint and a warmer feel to it, shadows are also more pronounced. As stated both were taken less than a minute apart, an hour or so before sunset. The cameras WB setting was set to sunny for both. There is 1 stop difference between the two photographs. 

In the second set of photographs of this not very often used bench, the difference is not as clear as the first pair of photographs. The green grass and foliage in the overcast photograph are muted and as before, the overall feel and look of the photograph is one of very little contrast. Where as when the sun came out a minute or so later, even though a little hazy, the grass appears brighter, with the greens and browns more pronounced. The shadow created by the bank behind the seat created contrast within the photograph.  

Again the above pair of photographs were taken about a minute apart. The overcast conditions have produced an even diffused light and giving the photograph a subtle blue tone. Under sunny skies the photograph has a different feel altogether, the shadows are stronger and colours richer. 

The second part of this exercise called for overcast conditions, something that wouldn't be hard to find this time of year! 

The overcast sky creates a diffused light, much like using a light box in a studio. The cloud scatters the sun's light rays, causing them to strike the stone in this photograph from many angles. This produces very soft shadows which allow the detail on the stone to be seen clearly.

In this photograph of the platform at Okehampton railway station the diffused light created by the overcast sky has created soft shadows which has resulted in a even spread of light. If the same photograph were to be taken with a clear sunny sky, the rays from the sun would create large areas of shadow and the area under the canopy on the platform would be in shadow and the detail seen here would be lost. 

In this photograph taken on an overcast day shows the diffused light creating even light across the photograph. The detail can still be seen between the cases as a result. 

The green part of the loading ramp, painted in gloss paint would cause direct reflection of the rays of the sun if taken in sunlight. This could create possible problems depending on the angle of the sun in relation to the camera. 

The study notes suggest looking through my photograph collection and identify one or two that were taken on a cloudy day and I could definitely say they would not be better taken in sunlight. 

This photograph I took a few years ago on a beach in North Wales. I wanted to get the detail of all the pebbles. The diffused light allowed the photograph to be evenly lit, allowing all the detail to be seen. If taken in direct sunlight, the contrast would have caused hard shadows and the detail in the darker areas would have been lost.  

This series demonstrate that sunlight on a clear day is an example of a high contrast light source, and conversely on an overcast day sunlight becomes a low contrast light source. 

The final few photographs of this exercise required something that is not uncommon in Okehampton, rain! 

Rain is something that most photographers avoid, not wanting to get their precious camera wet. Most modern cameras are ok to use in the rain, with a few precautions. 

Rain can produce interesting visual effects, such as ringlets as the rain strikes puddles. This photograph shows the effect of the water splashing as my glamorous assistant walked through these puddles, braving the rain to help me in this exercise. The diffused light of the overcast sky and reduced light meant that I raised the ISO to 800 in order to gain the necessary shutter speed to freeze the water splashes. 

The A30, gateway to sunny Cornwall, well not quite on this day. The rain and low cloud have given this photograph a decidedly autumn feel. The headlights reflecting of the on coming car show that the wet road surface creates reflections. 

The misty appearance of the hills in the background indicate that this sort of weather can have a dramatic effect on the feel of a landscape photograph. 

As I have shown in the previous photographs, the sun can alter an image, the shadows caused by the trees and the colours of the surrounding foliage would be remarkably different. Imagine this photograph on a sunny summers day, a very different looking photograph.