- John's Pro-Photo Tips -
Using weather and time in photography
Although a lot can be done with software, you can also create photographic images using weather and time. Specifically, by drawing on the changes that the weather and time of day make to lighting your image.
To illustrate this, I photographed two images of my hometown, (Perth Australia), illustrating the impact of weather changes on lighting. They were taken two days apart and are unedited.
The first image, (Img 1), shot when the day was overcast, has very “flat” lighting, with a bland, nondescript sky. The second image, (Img 2), on a sunny day, has brighter, more contrasty light with a more interesting sky.
Photographing at different times can influence shadow detail and background contrast, as shown in the next two shots (unedited).
The brighter foreground detail in Img 3 is because the strength of light (exposure) under the palm trees is close to the background light of the city.
Whereas, the much stronger background light in Img 4 is the correct exposure for the background and therefore under-exposes the foreground. This creates an almost silhouette “frame” of the city behind.
Use weather and time to create
SUNSETS
Sunsets are another way of using weather and time in photography.
You can always count on sunsets for stunning, dramatic shots. The key is to take advantage of the few instances where shooting directly into the sun is crucial.
The most stunning sunsets are captured when the sun is close to or below the horizon. The sky remains illuminated by the sun thanks to the curvature of the earth, so the importance of timing is crucial.
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The following comment was originally posted to the same page my old website, now offline:
1 thought on “Create Images with Weather and Time”
DAMON09/05/2023 AT 5:49 PM
I appreciate your style of writing. Your blog is well-written and engaging.