Cloudy day shooting: Any ideas on how to bring out the best, the most interesting, the most quality in cloudy day photography?

ray mraz Loc: High Ridge, Mo

Any ideas on how to bring out the best, the most interesting, the most quality in cloudy day photography?

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

ray mraz wrote:

Any ideas on how to bring out the best, the most interesting, the most quality in cloudy day photography?

I'm trying out using my flash.
It's been kind of gloomy here. And so far, it has seemed to have helped.
But I kind of worry about my subjects eyes.
People can complain. But birds, bugs, and spiders can't.

hlmichel Loc: New Hope, Minnesota

SonnyE wrote:

I'm trying out using my flash.
It's been kind of gloomy here. And so far, it has seemed to have helped.
But I kind of worry about my subjects eyes.
People can complain. But birds, bugs, and spiders can't.

I shot birds at the beach with my speedlight. The gulls would fall to the sand when the light hit their eyes.
I was soon in the middle of a screeching cloud of angry gulls. I think that was the last time I used a speedlight on animals.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

hlmichel wrote:

I shot birds at the beach with my speedlight. The gulls would fall to the sand when the light hit their eyes.
I was soon in the middle of a screeching cloud of angry gulls. I think that was the last time I used a speedlight on animals.

And there's a long running debate on another forum about the safety of using flash on newborn babies. At least they won't attack until they are teenagers...

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

hlmichel wrote:

I shot birds at the beach with my speedlight. The gulls would fall to the sand when the light hit their eyes.
I was soon in the middle of a screeching cloud of angry gulls. I think that was the last time I used a speedlight on animals.

Uh, yeah. I don't think I'd want a repeat of that! Gulls can be pretty nasty. Maybe they are like Crows or Ravens, one gets hurt and they gang up and raise a squawk. :?:

I've been trying mine on some humming birds in the twilight hours. It really made the males colors bright.
They seemed to stop and look around for a sec, then go on feeding.
But still I kind of wonder about it.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

ray mraz wrote:

Any ideas on how to bring out the best, the most interesting, the most quality in cloudy day photography?

Umm, I've never really shot a day before! I'm trying to think of my composition, I think I would need to do landscape orientation to get the entire day in the frame.

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

ray mraz wrote:

Any ideas on how to bring out the best, the most interesting, the most quality in cloudy day photography?

Set your White Balance to cloudy. Also setting picture control to vivid may help if so equipped. You didn't mention what camera you are using.

blackdog64

If the clouds have variations in colour (grey bits, white bits, black bits) why not try converting them to black and white, especially using "contrast filters" which emulate the days of film and using coloured filters to change contrast. For instance, a white cloud against a blue sky converted to black and white using a red filter will result in very white clouds against a dark sky (where the sky was blue).

Or try shooting macro, if you have the lens.

glgracephoto Loc: Arlington, WA

For landscapes, with dull gray skies; this is when closer scenes work better, where the sky does not take up as much of the image. Certain subjects also do better with the soft light of cloudy days, like flowers, and waterfalls, forinstance.

I would think the softer light would also work well for outdoor natural light portrait shots.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

PP tone mapping will draw some shape to the clouds.
GGracephoto has the best idea - use the soft light to its advantage. Shoot flowers and them there things that go shiny in sunlight like windows, polished cars etc.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

ray mraz wrote:

Any ideas on how to bring out the best, the most interesting, the most quality in cloudy day photography?

A CPL can add lots of life to a cloudy sky.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

n3eg wrote:

And there's a long running debate on another forum about the safety of using flash on newborn babies. At least they won't attack until they are teenagers...

No, but they can poop and pee a lot and often.
Might be better to be attacked and just get it over with! :lol:
SS

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

A cloudy day can be great for shooting flowers or leaves. It creates a great soft box. Bring along a spray bottle for water droplets and have a good time.
Jack

ray mraz Loc: High Ridge, Mo

That's a different angle on the subject, Sonny

ray mraz Loc: High Ridge, Mo

Whoa!