Shoot in Bad Weather – Part One!

“There is no bad weather, just weather!”
-Unknown Climber

Have you ever had a photography shoot or trip planned and then found out that there was going to be bad weather? It has happened to all of us.

It is especially frustrating because most of us aren’t professional photographers that can just head out the next day when the conditions are ideal. Some of us are professionals that have to deal with bad weather wrecking carefully laid plans, ruining very limited time, and pushing you up against deadlines!

Bad weather is just another reminder to make the most of the time you have available.

Step back for a second and consider the ideal circumstances for the photo shoot or photograph you are going for. Got it in your head? Okay so now think about those ideal circumstances as only one set of circumstances that are available to you.

That is right, the ideal is actually only one way of doing something. Picture the iconic photo location and jump onto flickr and type in the name of it.

If you type in something like “Delicate Arch, Arches National Park,” or “Valley View, Yosemite National Park,” or “Great Smoky Mountain National Park” there are going to be a lot of results. Not all of them are photographed under the same ideal conditions. True as well that not all of them are good, but really striking images will be photographed in a variety of conditions, not just the seemingly ideal conditions.

In fact you may find that the ideal conditions you were looking for are actually not the best conditions at all. This is where bad weather can be a huge benefit for you in your photography. Bad weather often presents you a new variety of photographic opportunities.

You can almost always plan on a slightly cloudy sky sunset giving a similar result. If you don’t believe me watch the sunset at your house over and over again and see what you get. It will often be wonderful but it is basically the same type of result each night. Each place has its own character.

Bad weather is great because it can take the character of a place and throw it into a rare “drunken rage” that rarely ever comes out. This is something that the iconic conditions will never present to you, and I can almost guarantee you will be the only one or one of only a few people there to photograph it. These erratic conditions can be very unique if not once in a lifetime.

I recently had a day just like this. I was heading out to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west of Las Vegas, Nevada. I had planned to go with my wife and enjoy a great holiday. The weather turned quite sour with wind and rain dominating. I decided to go out anyway and see what we found. We found very few people. A few dozen at most compared to the thousands usually there. Once we started hiking we saw nobody for hours.

The “bad weather” also totally reshaped the place. It didn’t seem like a desert at all. There were small waterfalls all over the places. The plants that usually look like they are hanging on for dear life seemed vibrant and alive, like they were breathing for the first time in months. The rocks now soaked had a moody character to them.

Overall the photography was amazing! I was able to photograph Red Rock Canyon in a totally new light. I have visited more than 20 times in my few years here and this was totally unique. I have visited this area on two other occasions when “bad weather” was around, and found a totally unique light each time.

So when “bad weather” is present wherever you were thinking about heading out to, consider not canceling the trip. You may find quite an amazing and unique subject if you do still head out.

Things may end up not being that great at all, but remember how many pictures never turned out in what were supposedly the ideal circumstances? At least you won’t be as likely to be taking similar pictures to the people standing next to you in the ideal circumstances. When you do head out you may be about to discover what that “drunken rage” character is like for where your headed and have pictures that are completely unique!

That is what I love about “bad weather,” the unique pictures and adventure that wait for me each time I had out into the unknown!

What type of bad weather is most intimidating for you to photograph in? Which is your favorite? I prefer snow and rain storms!

This is part one of Shooting in Bad Weather. Be sure to come back and see part two which talks about finding bad weather, and part three which talks about gear for bad weather.