The New York Times
Friday, January 6, 2012
Five Tips for Rainy Day Photography
By Roy Furchgott
Not many of us will risk our lives racing into the path of a tornado to photograph the funnel, like cameraman Jim Reed, but many of us will risk our cameras in the rain trying to get a shot of a kid's soccer game or an impressive cloud formation.
Mr Reed offered some tips to help snap shooter operate in inclement weather. while some of these tips are for shooting video, they apply to still photography as well.
1. Shoot Quickly. When photographing tornadoes, Mr Reed doesn't have the luxury of standing in one place long. "My average shoot time is 90 seconds once my feet are out of that vehicle," he said. Even in driving rain, that means the camera doesn’t get too wet. But to get the quick shots, he sets everything on the camera except focus before stepping into the damp. When not actively shooting, “I just tuck my camera under my rain jacket.”
2) Towel Off. “One of my favorite tools is a lot of towels,” he said. He buys packs of them at discount stores. “I have them in every pocket of my vehicle so I can dry my gear if it gets wet” he said. “Just be sure to wash them first because of lint.” Or you can go with a lint-free microfiber chamois, which can be rung out and used over and over.
3) Bag it. Although not a huge fan of camera covers or housings – they slow down his shooting, he said — Mr. Reed did praise the camera covers fromAquatech, which are made to fit specific cameras with clear windows where the LCD viewers are and Velcro openings. He said he also had success with covers he jury-rigged in the field. “I have had luck with rubber bands and Wal-Mart sacks,” he said. But take the sack off as soon as possible. “It can backfire,” he said. “It can trap moisture,” which can then seep into the camera.
4) Stormy Weather. If you are trying to catch dramatic weather shots, you’ll want to set your camera manually. Raindrops can confuse the automatic focus, and overcast skies can confuse automatic exposure. “One of the first things I learned shooting clouds or snow is you have to overexpose or it comes out an unpleasant grey,” said Mr. Reed. Go up one extra stop, so if the camera meter says f5.6, go to f4, he said. He also encourages people to bracket, meaning to overexpose and underexpose as you learn how it affects your shots.
5) Twilight, the Photo. A great way to get a dramatic shot is a timed exposure as the sun goes down. “People who know me say I am a twilight junkie,” said Mr. Reed. You can often get great shots up to an hour after sunset. “We wouldn’t see it standing there, but if I shot a one-second exposure, you’d see a sky color mixed between turquoise and cobalt blue.” You need a tripod for that shot, and a cable release, so you don’t shake the camera when you press the shutter. Or you can try another trick from Mr. Reed’s camera bag. “On most cameras you have a timed release, so set it for a second and step back.”
Friday, January 6, 2012
Five Tips for Rainy Day Photography
By Roy Furchgott
Not many of us will risk our lives racing into the path of a tornado to photograph the funnel, like cameraman Jim Reed, but many of us will risk our cameras in the rain trying to get a shot of a kid's soccer game or an impressive cloud formation.
Mr Reed offered some tips to help snap shooter operate in inclement weather. while some of these tips are for shooting video, they apply to still photography as well.
1. Shoot Quickly. When photographing tornadoes, Mr Reed doesn't have the luxury of standing in one place long. "My average shoot time is 90 seconds once my feet are out of that vehicle," he said. Even in driving rain, that means the camera doesn’t get too wet. But to get the quick shots, he sets everything on the camera except focus before stepping into the damp. When not actively shooting, “I just tuck my camera under my rain jacket.”
2) Towel Off. “One of my favorite tools is a lot of towels,” he said. He buys packs of them at discount stores. “I have them in every pocket of my vehicle so I can dry my gear if it gets wet” he said. “Just be sure to wash them first because of lint.” Or you can go with a lint-free microfiber chamois, which can be rung out and used over and over.
3) Bag it. Although not a huge fan of camera covers or housings – they slow down his shooting, he said — Mr. Reed did praise the camera covers fromAquatech, which are made to fit specific cameras with clear windows where the LCD viewers are and Velcro openings. He said he also had success with covers he jury-rigged in the field. “I have had luck with rubber bands and Wal-Mart sacks,” he said. But take the sack off as soon as possible. “It can backfire,” he said. “It can trap moisture,” which can then seep into the camera.
4) Stormy Weather. If you are trying to catch dramatic weather shots, you’ll want to set your camera manually. Raindrops can confuse the automatic focus, and overcast skies can confuse automatic exposure. “One of the first things I learned shooting clouds or snow is you have to overexpose or it comes out an unpleasant grey,” said Mr. Reed. Go up one extra stop, so if the camera meter says f5.6, go to f4, he said. He also encourages people to bracket, meaning to overexpose and underexpose as you learn how it affects your shots.
5) Twilight, the Photo. A great way to get a dramatic shot is a timed exposure as the sun goes down. “People who know me say I am a twilight junkie,” said Mr. Reed. You can often get great shots up to an hour after sunset. “We wouldn’t see it standing there, but if I shot a one-second exposure, you’d see a sky color mixed between turquoise and cobalt blue.” You need a tripod for that shot, and a cable release, so you don’t shake the camera when you press the shutter. Or you can try another trick from Mr. Reed’s camera bag. “On most cameras you have a timed release, so set it for a second and step back.”
