Rain Blues!
Now that the rains are here, should I pack up my photo gear?
As long as reasonable care is taken to prevent water getting on to your equipment, there is no reason why anyone should pack up photo gear during the rainy season. Remember, some of the best photos are shot during the rains. Of course there will be days that are totally overcast and gloomy, or raining cats and dogs. This could be the time to practice your indoor skills. Brush up on your flash photography. Try softening the flash light through a diffuser (a plain white bed-sheet will do in an emergency), or a commercially available flash umbrella. Practice your macro photography on any garden item you may find. Try indoor portraits of family members. If shooting outdoors, carry a rain umbrella. I always wear a raincoat, and also use a large umbrella at the same time. The umbrella shelters my camera (and my head) while the raincoat protects the rest of me. If the wind blows strong (and it usually does) and rainwater comes through your umbrella too (show me a real 100% waterproof umbrella), you could slip the camera into the raincoat for further protection. It helps if you have someone to hold your umbrella, because on windy days, holding an umbrella with one hand and the camera with the other is rather difficult. Also ensure that you have good rain shoes; walking around with wet feet is not really comfortable! Look for close- ups of flowers, water drops just about to slip off a slender leaf, small insects, butterflies, and caterpillars. Watch out for the sun breaking through the clouds; keep an eye out for rainbows; photograph swaying trees in the howling wind; if up in the
mountains, you’ll definitely find many streams and waterfalls – try different shutter speeds to create movement or freeze the movement of the water.
Important: If you see a thunderstorm coming your way, take extra care. The pointed center-rods of umbrellas could attract lightning. Standing under tall trees is not safe for the same reason. Get yourself to believe that you enjoy walking around in the rain; if you make up your mind that you dislike rain, then no one can help you. When back home, clean your gear with a soft lint-less cloth, and place the equipment in a humidity-controlled dry box. This will help to avoid fungal growth.