Just a short blog this week as I’m busy, busy, busy atm, but I hope to provide a morsel of food for thought, even if I only mange to churn out a sentence or two :)

I’ve written before about different seasons, or times of day, and how they can drastically effect your opportunities of finding that elusive winner from the same environment. It’s what makes trudging the same spot over and over, year after year worthwhile. Where I feel I’ve found a real goldmine in recent times though, is from stepping out in inclement wet weather…. the more horrendous, the better. Even popping out for 15 mins, I always seem to come back with something that really resonates. Perhaps it’s the blend of surreal beauty combined with a metaphor for melancholy? The ups and downs of everyday life captured in a fraction of a  second. There is also the clear appeal of ensnaring scenes in weather conditions that most photographers steer well away from. Unusual is usually a good thing in photography after all. 

I’m now genuinely excited to see rain forecast when I have a planned shoot coming up. Part of the technique (or lack of) that I’m employing is to wander without a tripod at night, and let the flash freeze the raindrops and subject matter. It’s those static water droplets that, for me, really bring the fizz to the party. Recording what our eyes are unable to is what fascinates me most about this game. To think that those water drops will contain some H2O particles generated from peoples breath via intracellular reactions, it’s enough to make my mind pop. So let me take this opportunity to thank you for breathing, and subsequently contributing to the water cycle. And by all means please keep it up.

The key to avoiding it being the most deeply unpleasant outing ever is by wearing appropriate clothing, including your footwear. If you’re all waterproofed and cosied up in there, I find it’s actually rather enjoyable to trot out in the hammering rain. I feel a little like a child dancing in puddles, and thats a good headspace to be in when capturing the wonders of our everyday surroundings. Although I’m lucky that my camera AND lens is water resistant, my flash isn’t so I just pop a plastic bag over the whole lot and whip it off when I need to. Basic but effective. 

So next time the grey clouds roll in overhead, perhaps it could be time to grab your camera instead of making a hot chocolate. I’m confident you’ll be surprised at what you come back with. Just make sure you repair that hole in your shoe first, and have the hot chocolate and towel ready for when you get back.