Photography Tips: Shooting in Unfavorable Weather

It can be really frustrating when you have a concept for a shoot and set out thinking the weather will be in your favor, only to be humbled by mother nature. Sometimes we can use the weather to our advantage when shooting and other times it just isn’t helping capture the idea we have in our head. Understanding how to pivot in unfavorable weather and utilize concepts of lighting to bring an image to life is a great skill to have.

When I was in the Azores in September of 2024 I ended up having fog and rain every day I tried to go out and shoot some iconic shots of the island. It was so bad that I didn’t even get off one of the shuttles because I couldn’t see five feet in front of me. But exercising some patience throughout the week I was still able to capture some cool shots. Here’s how I decided to change course and still come away happy with what I got.

First rule of thumb is to ensure you protect your gear! Some cameras will have a little bit of water resistant features, but using a lens hood can help prevent rain from dripping onto your lens, and ensure you have a safe and dry place to store your camera when not using it. Pay attention to the wind conditions and the debris that could be swept up and potentially scratch your lens.

Redirect your expectations and find the beauty in bad weather. Utilize the fog or clouds to add some depth and composition to your images. You can also utilize reflections from the rain as a way to get creative as well.

Pay attention to the lighting as well. Your settings will be different than a bright sunny day when you can have a low ISO.

This image was taken in Cape Town, South Africa. The fog here added some depth to this image of Lion’s Head.

The fog here showed a layer over the crater walls but it helps draw the eye to the middle of the image and the pink house contrasts the green foliage.