Bad weather?

PNWPhotos.com a friendly and growing community of photographers with an interest in the Pacific Northwest region. We feature a Photography Discussion Forum and Pacific Northwest Photo Gallery. It's a fun and friendly place to talk with other photographers, ask questions, share you knowledge, view and post photos and more!


ddietiker

ddietiker

New Member
Makes for great photography. How often do you look outside or read the weather report and see lousy weather ahead? Time to stay home right? Mostly cloudy? check... Rain? check... time to head out the door.

You cant be a nice day landscape photgrapher if you want to get great shots. Which also means you need lots of patience once you are out there in the elements. I went to the Oregon Coast for a few days, the weather report said mostly cloudy and chance of rain. Well it was cloudy and it did rain, but in between I got this.

Central Oregon Coast near Newport, Nikon D3x, 24-120 f4 @ 38mm. CP to cut water glare. Two exposures, one for highlights and one for shadows combined by hand in photoshop.

original.jpg
 


I particularly like the splash that I see in the lower left corner. Not easy to merge two exposures when working with a lot of wave action like this.

Well done.
 
JaniceL just took the words out of my head, was going to comment on the spray that looks like 4th of July fireworks.
 
The Norwegians have a saying...

"There's no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothing."

Excellent shot. I've come to expect that from your posts, and you don't let me down.
 
NinaS said:
beautiful shot, love the waves at the rocks, the colors are amazing too :)
Click to expand...

BobH said:
Very nice! Looks like good weather, at least for photography.
Click to expand...

JaniceL said:
I particularly like the splash that I see in the lower left corner. Not easy to merge two exposures when working with a lot of wave action like this.

Well done.
Click to expand...

Snuffy2 said:
JaniceL just took the words out of my head, was going to comment on the spray that looks like 4th of July fireworks.
Click to expand...

Mike-PDX said:
"There's no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothing."

Excellent shot. I've come to expect that from your posts, and you don't let me down.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Bad weather for sight seeing is good weather for photography. Clothing is a key to making the trip comfortable, though I did get wet walking in the water.
 
very nice, Doug... out on the coast, at least, a forecast like that can definitely mean good stuff. I got a really nice dramatic shot at Cannon Beach over Labor Day that would've been boring had the clouds not been present. but when the cloud cover sits like a gray blanket overhead, like it does so often in this area, it's not such a welcome thing. good for waterfalls, perhaps, but that's about it. it's been my experience that cloudy days can be spectacular, but there need to be breaks in the clouds, like what you captured above.
 


squirl033 said:
very nice, Doug... out on the coast, at least, a forecast like that can definitely mean good stuff. I got a really nice dramatic shot at Cannon Beach over Labor Day that would've been boring had the clouds not been present. but when the cloud cover sits like a gray blanket overhead, like it does so often in this area, it's not such a welcome thing. good for waterfalls, perhaps, but that's about it. it's been my experience that cloudy days can be spectacular, but there need to be breaks in the clouds, like what you captured above.
Click to expand...

I have spent plenty of time waiting for a break in the clouds/rain at sunset/sunrise only to be disappointed numerous times Rocky. Or it opens up just enough to tease... Many folks don't realize the time and effort it takes to get great light. I spent 4 days on the coast and came away with 2 shots I like, which to me is a very good trip. At this location I was there 2 days scrambling around those slick rocks, getting my clothes wet and waiting for the light. One evening was a total bust. But when it all pays off you feel pretty good. ;)

Digital Latte said:
Very nice image
Click to expand...

amcgann said:
Lovely! Looks like a painting!
Click to expand...

Thanks Folks.
 
ddietiker said:
I have spent plenty of time waiting for a break in the clouds/rain at sunset/sunrise only to be disappointed numerous times Rocky. Or it opens up just enough to tease... Many folks don't realize the time and effort it takes to get great light. I spent 4 days on the coast and came away with 2 shots I like, which to me is a very good trip. At this location I was there 2 days scrambling around those slick rocks, getting my clothes wet and waiting for the light. One evening was a total bust. But when it all pays off you feel pretty good. ;)
Thanks Folks.
Click to expand...

yeah, i hear that! it seems like it's actually a bit etter on the coast... the clouds may roll in, but they break up faster, and move on. here in the Seattle area, they often just sit there. then again, you get days like today, where it's lead-gray and raining in the morning, and by noon it's breaking up... ya just never know. i spent a week at Bandon a couple of years ago, and it was overcast there the whole time, even though 20 miles north or south was clear. every day i waited at sunset for a break in the clouds, and nothing, but the last day i was there, the clouds lifted above the horizon JUST enough to get me a fabulous shot of the sunset light coming in under the clouds...
 
if bad weather makes for great photography, Washington must be home to the best photographers in the world... Seattle is the 3rd cloudiest city in the nation, and has the second highest number of rainy days...

YECCCHHHH!!!
 
The problem with Seattle's weather is that it's often quite boring. Occasionally you see the big thunderheads, towering clouds, or other interesting skies.

More often you get what I call "the giant softbox". A boring flat grey sky, with little or no variation in the clouds. That can be a real challenge to work with.
 
Here is what I look for, incoming weather after a weather break for morning shooting and outgoing weather for evening.
 
Douglas, you've found ...

...another usage for the old addage "Red sky in morning - sailors take warning. Red sky at night - sayors delight." Either way you have a chance for a red sky - landscape photog's delight! :)
 
The clouds themselves often aren't dramatic enough to be good subjects. I had to laugh though, today we had some really cool clouds, along with sunbreaks, dramatic shafts of light, the whole deal. But that's not real common.
 
BobH said:
Like I said "a giant softbox". It can be handy for things like that, but the clouds themselves often aren't dramatic enough to be good subjects. I had to laugh though, today we had some really cool clouds, along with sunbreaks, dramatic shafts of light, the whole deal. But that's not real common.
Click to expand...

yeah, i got a brief glimpse of that on the way to work. clouds like that i don't mind... what drives me nuts are the low, heavy, dull clouds that just sit here... no damn good for anything! the light gray, higher overcast can be good for waterfalls, rivers, stuff like that, but it sucks for more expansive landscapes. broken clouds are often very dramatic, and i don't mind those, but so often all we get is that flat, dull blanket of gray that does nothing but ruin the light...
 


You must log in or register to reply here.


Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top