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Category: How to do Landscape Photography and Nature Photos

Photography Question 

Judy vanHaaster
 

How Do I Capture Rain?


We have had weeks of dry weather here is BC, well today all that changed and it is raining very very hard. I have tried to catch this but so far have not had any luck. Any ideas?


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September 29, 2005

 
- Dr Silly

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  Use a bucket.LOL a little humor from
Dr Silly


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September 29, 2005

 

Bob Cammarata
  Try an ISO of 400 and, using available light, meter for the background. Your shutter speed setting will determine how the rain drops are portrayed. A speed of 1/500 second should be fast enough to freeze the individual drops. At slower speeds you will get streaks. (The slower the speed is, the longer the streaks.)

You could also try using flash. With a fast shutter speed and a powerful flash unit, you will freeze many drops but you may not get much of your background to record.

The ideal scenario would be to use a combination of the two techniques listed above. Meter for ambient light and use a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/60 or 1/30 second in addition to a flash unit. Set your camera's flash to rear-curtain sync ...(if you can). With this setup, you'll get your background to record, the raindrops will streak to show motion, and each individual drop will be frozen in place by the flash.


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September 29, 2005

 
- Carolyn M. Fletcher

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  Doc beat me to the bucket response.


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September 29, 2005

 

Judy vanHaaster
  Alright you guys, very funny, Actually I had a good laugh, thanks for the help. I will put all of your suggestions to good use. LOL. Have a great day. Judy


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September 29, 2005

 

Samuel Smith
  thank you dr silly.and bob.laugh and learn,what a concept.


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September 29, 2005

 
- Dr Silly

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  Laugh and learn great concept. Sorry Carolyn.

Glad I made you laugh Judy, thats the only answer I know. Also glad Bob know the answer.

Dr Silly :o)



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September 30, 2005

 

David King
  There are several companies that make rain gear for cameras ranging from underwater-type housings to plastic, form-fitting covers. For light drizzle I've used plastic bags then raised an end up over thelens to shoot.

Some of the greatest shots are taken in the foulest of weather. Rain is unique in that every drop is a tiny lens that refracts the light coming through it. The result is that it diffuses the background but in a way very different from most diffusion filters -- and the effect increases with distance as you look through more and more raindrops. The heavier the rain the greater this diffusion efect is. We humans tend not to notice it since our pattern-recognizing brain looks "between" them and creates the picture we know is actually there. THe camera will, however, see the effect. Play with it at different shutter speeds. Frozen drops create a different effect than streaking ones. To catch the drops look for good side or back lighting. And definitely don't miss the part right after the rain when the air is washed clean, the lighting is still soft, everything has a wet coating, and colors are just rich and saturated in a way we normally don't see.

David
www.ndavidking.com


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October 04, 2005

 
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