Rainy Day Photography

I’ve challenged myself to shoot every day in 2021. That’s right, I’ve got a 365 Project. But Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate with photographers. If you live in the north, you get snow. If you live in Florida, you get rain in the winter, and sometimes it gets very cold. Winter 2021 has been like that.

To keep shooting when the conditions don’t permit you to shoot outdoors, you do what I call Rainy Day Photography. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. When the weather’s lousy and you want to shoot, look around the house. Here are a few suggestions of things you can photograph:

- Food: Look through your refrigerator. You can photograph fruit, vegetables, eggs and more.
  Heirlooms: Look through your family keepsakes. Maybe your grandfather left you a pocket watch, or perhaps you have vintage cameras.
- Silverware: You can photograph silverware with food, or arrange knives, forks and spoons into an interesting pattern. I created an interesting image a piece of watermelon with a fork.
- Glassware: Photograph vases or wine goblets. I prefer to drink my wine, but I mixed up a reasonable facsimile of red wine using red ink and water.
- Flowers: If your wife or girlfriend likes flowers, bring her some. It will bring a smile to her face, and give you something to photograph on a rainy day.
- Small objects: If you have a macro lens or extension tubes, create close-up images of watches, fruit, coins, and other household objects.

Rainy Day Photography Lighting

I’m not a fan of on-camera flash. If I have to use on-camera flash, I use a diffuser. Sometimes I’ll use window light, which on a rainy day is soft and diffuse. I’ve also used a small LED light like a Manfrotto Lumimuse to illuminate my subject matter. I also have an auxiliary flash that is triggered by the camera flash. I point it toward the ceiling and get soft diffuse light.

Next time you want to shoot and conditions are not favorable for shooting outdoors, grab your camera bag and look around the place where you live.