Written by: Sauvik Chatterjee
As a photographer if you love clicking pictures in natural light then you know that not every day is the same. Sudden weather changes might make you hesitant on going out and taking pictures. We have a few tips for you that might make you confident about taking out your camera on a cloudy day and clicking stunning photographs.
Camera settings are important
Whenever an experienced photographer shoots in RAW, the light is tough to meter, then you might choose to take underexposed pictures. It gets easier to edit an underexposed picture than an overexposed one. In any case, you have to change the settings to click pictures on a cloudy day. Adjusting the ISO from 100 to 400 or 800 with correspondence to the light will give you a better result.
The sky might prove useful
Clouds form different types of shapes. If the landscape picture you are taking looks a bit bland, you can always wait for clouds to appear and include various cloud formations in it. This inclusion will brighten up your picture and give it a unique look.
Try using movement with long exposures
Tweaking with the shutter speed to get long exposures proves to be good both day and night. When you add the clouds’ texture and form to the long exposures it creates something truly unique. After placing your camera on a tripod, focus, use ND filters, and keep a remote ready. Set your shutter speed to 5 seconds or more to get the optimum result.
Sun rays will lighten up your picture
Just like clouds, sun rays will add something dynamic to your photographs. Clouds act as a sieve and pour out the pure sun rays for you to capture. You might just call it a gift from heaven as your photographs will get a mysterious trait because of it. Be careful and keep a light meter handy with you to judge if the scene is too overexposed.
Capturing the reflection of clouds
Creating good compositions and experimenting might prove great for your photographs. You could use any reflective surface like lakes, ponds, and glasses and take pictures of clouds when it reflects on these surfaces.
So, it is evident that clouds and sun rays will prove to be your friends on a cloudy day. Experimentation and exploring new avenues is the key to evolving at a certain craft. These tips should give you the courage to set out with your camera and make a cloudy negative day a positive one.
Written by: Sauvik Chatterjee