Making the most out of the season
We can't always have dry weather (especially in the UK!), so the other day when the weather was forecast for being dull, grey and rainy I decided not to roll over and go back to sleep, but to get up and see what shots I could get. Although I could see the benefit of stormy
skies in landscapes, I wasn't entirely convinced by the notion of bad weather still providing good conditions for shooting...wet weather gear on, I headed to a local woodland to see what I could find. The light rain had coated everything, saturating the colours of the woodland. Using a tripod was essential as the low light conditions made shutter speeds too slow for shooting hand held, and I also used a cable release to help reduce camera shake. I also found shooting using the white balance set to 'cloudy' helped enhance the orange tones of the leaves and gave warmth to the images. In these conditions I felt macro shots worked the best with the rain enhancing the colours, whereas a few landscapes I tried were really missing a burst of light!
Sometimes the weather can surprise you. On another occasion I'd set out early, with the forecast promising sunshine and clear skies. Watching the cloud cover increase as I drove to my destination though, I wasn't so sure! However I figured since I was there I might as take some photos. As the day went on the skies cleared and bursts of sunshine helped to highlight the leaf colour within the woodland, and I ended up with a range of different shots. Spending the day there I was able to start to get to know the location, discovering the best patches for colour and light. Definitely worth a re-visit next year!
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