How do I shoot rain photography? I love the look of photos that show all of the raindrops falling down, but sadly I can't seem to get it right when I shoot them. I try opening the...

Cheef Loc: Arkansas

I love the look of photos that show all of the raindrops falling down, but sadly I can't seem to get it right when I shoot them. I try opening the exposure time longer (Usually about 2 seconds) to try to let the raindrops turn into streams on the photo but they still don't appear at all... any suggestions are greatly appreciated

nafplyr Loc: Chicago

Hey I am with you, I hope you get a lot of post on this one.
I would like to know myself.
Thanks for asking the question, sorry I was no help.

PaulG Loc: Western Australia

Cheef wrote:

I love the look of photos that show all of the raindrops falling down, but sadly I can't seem to get it right when I shoot them. I try opening the exposure time longer (Usually about 2 seconds) to try to let the raindrops turn into streams on the photo but they still don't appear at all... any suggestions are greatly appreciated

Far too long an exposure, that's why they're not coming out. Try a fifteenth sec. It will obviously depend on the light and the rapidity of the rain so you will need to experiment. A lot of variables are involved so it's a bit hit and miss but try fractions of seconds and obviously a tripod. You might want to experiment with a flash also; I've had some fabulous luck with that.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

yep, that 2 seconds is way too long. It helps to have a cool subject that draws attention to the rain. Like a young child playing in the rain catching raindrops with her tongue. Or a band member playing a trumpet in the rain with rain drops on the bill of the hat.
and if you don't have a camera and lens with rubber seals, get a walmart plastic bag and wrap your camera in it. tear a hole for the eye piece and some rubber bands to hold it tight against the lens shade. you can also pop open an umbrella over your head (camera) and stick the bottom in your pocket and hold it in place with your arm.

Gitzo Loc: Indiana

jim quist wrote:

yep, that 2 seconds is way too long. It helps to h... (show quote)

Lol! Here's another GREAT trick of mine.......stand on the front porch, (under the roof), and take your pictures of "what ever" out in the rainy front yard!

Singing Swan

I've had a bit of luck doing this with a darker building or some such as the background~~ something simple and not busy so the rain shows better; and the use of flash. And it helps if it's one of those rains where each raindrop is teaspoon sized :)

Atomicmechanic Loc: Corinth New York

I would try using the camera in manual, and also put the lens in manual focus. I think the cameras computer is having trouble processing the information. Like others posted, try setting the camera to a preset exposure time, maybe one fifteenth of a second, and meter the camera manually. As also stated, try it while it's raining out, shooting from the front door and adjust the speed and the exposure. With digital cameras the result is almost instantaneous, so you can see if you are on the right track or not. Also try using a tripod for the slower speeds and a remote for the shutter release. Get some great shots and share them with us.

Wazzer2002 Loc: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada

Atomicmechanic wrote:

I would try using the camera in manual, and also p... (show quote)

I shoot a lot of outdoor sports where the players are moving quickly. Nikon D5100 sports mode, make sure focus is on auto area, or 11 point tracking. Keeps the subject in focus and also did the rain drops pouring down.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

Cheef wrote:

I love the look of photos that show all of the raindrops falling down, but sadly I can't seem to get it right when I shoot them. I try opening the exposure time longer (Usually about 2 seconds) to try to let the raindrops turn into streams on the photo but they still don't appear at all... any suggestions are greatly appreciated

The simplest way to get rain to show up is with a flash. Of course, the flash is so quick that it will stop the raindrops while your normal exposure will show their movement.

You can experiment with this using your on-camera flash or an external flash using front- or rear-curtain sync (see your manual) until you get the effect you are looking for.

You can also focus manually to get the nearby raindrops into focus -the background will be somewhat blurred by the rain anyhow.

EstherP

Cheef wrote:

I love the look of photos that show all of the raindrops falling down, but sadly I can't seem to get it right when I shoot them. I try opening the exposure time longer (Usually about 2 seconds) to try to let the raindrops turn into streams on the photo but they still don't appear at all... any suggestions are greatly appreciated

This reminds me of trying to take a photo of a subject behind a chicken wire fence: focus on the subject and the fence will disappear if the fence is in front of the depth-of-field area and there is suffient space between the fence and subject.
I wonder if this happening with the rain as well? The drops closer to the subject maybe too small/far away for the camera to see, while the ones closer by disappear like the fence does.
EstherP

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Sometimes rain can look like dust spots

Cheef Loc: Arkansas

Well I've had te aperture as closed as possible to let in less light side I was leaving the exposure open, so I had a very far depth if field.

Cheef Loc: Arkansas

Well I've had te aperture as closed as possible to let in less light side I was leaving the exposure open, so I had a very far depth if field.

photoninja1 Loc: Tampa Florida

The best results I've hade with this were shooting from a distance, maximizing DOF, and shooting into a dark background with shutter speeds from 1/60 to 1/125. There are lots of variables so play with it.

EstherP

Cheef wrote:

Well I've had te aperture as closed as possible to let in less light side I was leaving the exposure open, so I had a very far depth if field.

:) Isn't this the wrong way around? The smaller the aperture (larger number) the deeper the depth of field. The larger the aperture (smaller number) the shallower the depth of field. Open (or long) exposure really doesn't have change the depth of field.
EstherP