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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
That's a different angle on the subject, Sonny
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