Chasing bad weather
Over the past few years, I have experienced some real enjoyment of photographing in ‘bad weather’. I find myself continually keeping an eye on the weather forecast and, when a bad storm, dense fog or heavy snowfall is predicted, I know it is time to get out with the camera.
Why photograph in bad weather?
But what is so exciting about photographing in harsh conditions? Well, the answer is light and dynamics of the weather. The bad weather can create some of the most beautiful lighting and infuse landscapes with a unique sense of drama and energy.
When the clouds roll over the sun, they create a great softbox. Instead of harsh, clipped shadows and overly contrasty images, which you are likely to get with the bright sun and clear skies, the light in cloudy weather is beautifully softened, mimicking the softer light of golden hour. Have you ever noticed that the winning images in landscape photography competitions utilize dramatic light? Breathtaking skies before the onset of huge storms, dense rolling clouds above the mountain peaks, mysterious woodlands shrouded in dense fog. All these conditions create fantastic opportunities to draw your viewer in and add more substance to your captures. Dramatic light associated with challenging conditions can create a sense of mystery, add intensity and tension, as well as emotional depth.
Chasing ultimate conditions
Predicting weather is arguably one of the most important aspects of landscape photography; we are bound by the weather to determine the quality of light and drama. Many
Over the years I’ve learned to take any weather forecast with a pinch of salt
of the best landscape photographers, even those who aren’t total weather geeks, follow the weather. Like most aspects of landscape photography, especially when pursued as a personally expressive and creative endeavour, there are no hard or fast rules when it comes to integrating knowledge of weather into creative workflow.
I’ve spent hours watching forecasts and consulting websites to try and decide where and when to plan my outings. Over the years I’ve learned to take any weather forecast with a pinch of salt and started comparing various weather data together to make more informed decisions. None of my photographs were ever achieved through luck, although luck through opportunism does have a part to play. There are many helpful resources for landscape photographers to assist with planning and forecasts. I frequently use the combination of Accuweather, Met Office and Meteoblue for information such as cloud cover, visibility and precipitation. Additionally, when I am travelling abroad, I try to use local weather forecasts. For conditions such as fog or storms, I find Clear Outside, Met Wind and Tide Times quite helpful. Most of them will inform you of direction and strength of the wind as well as density of fog; additionally, tide times will provide you with the information on tides. This can be particularly good when used with applications such as Photopills or Photographer’s Ephemeris, which I use for planning sun/moon position at various locations. The results can be outstanding if you always research and prepare for given conditions.