المطر في صور مثيرة ونادرة .. مجلة فن التصوير اللبنانية _ ع٥١

Rain in exciting and rare pictures

We have repeatedly referred to the possibility of photography in rainy weather, but in this topic we will learn how to turn the rain itself into a subject in our photos, into an independent material, or by exploiting other side subjects.
The aim is to show rain as a main material in our shots.

It is not necessary that the most fun and exciting photographs are those taken under bright sunlight only. Unfortunately, most photographers view the first few drops of rain as a signal inviting them to withdraw into the dark room, or even to forget about photography altogether.
This is a shame, since a rainy day is a good time to achieve wonderful and sometimes dramatic effects, the kind that are impossible to achieve when the sun is shining.
When we decide to adopt the courage and go out into the rain, wearing waterproof shoes, and wearing a raincoat with some protection for the camera, we will be exposed to a lot of creative photographic possibilities.
And each of us has a different picture of rain. And very often these images are evocative of memories about a psychological state, a place, or a way of life. Also, taking such pictures is really a challenge, as is the process of re-creating the same feelings related to rain in the hearts of everyone who watches this picture, and rain can vary between a mere scattered drizzle and a seasonal flow that causes a flood, and this means that there is a wide discrepancy between the images that can be achieved.
Photographing the rain itself may be a difficult issue because our visual impression of the rain includes its movement, and although we do not see individual points that we can perceive its precipitation even when it is very accurate and its familiar linear effect is not clear, when you take a photograph under such conditions, it will not show anything of rain, and despite what the eye perceives as clear rain, this may not register on a photograph as anything more than general blurring.
As for the heavier rain, on the other hand, it appears in the photograph as flowing lines. Although the exact image will depend on the focus point and depth of field, with a limited depth of field, the graphic effect may be less clear than when a wide field is brought into focus.

We usually look for something dark in order to get an idea of ​​how much rain is falling, and this is true if we want realism that is often achieved by showing the rain as short lines, but this effect requires a very large shutter speed, which is generally difficult because of the weakness of the light.
And by using an electronic flash, it becomes possible to isolate individual rain points during their fall, but this may give an effect that does not resemble rain at all. Also, the few points that fall close enough to the camera to be seen clearly, we may get an overexposure that exceeds what it should be, while the distant ones blend into a general blur.
And it may be that the pictures that distinguish the rain itself are the most effective when there is an additional subject somewhat close to the camera, to focus on it. In this case, our work is to limit the depth of field to the subject area, and the rain itself is visible to the camera. One of the traditional topics here is the presence of people forced to stand in the rain, or to take shelter from the rain in the entrance of a building or under the umbrella of a store.
In general, we may find that we will benefit more from depicting the effects of rain rather than the rain itself.

One of the most attractive features of a rainy day is the transformation that occurs when everything becomes so wet that even the most ordinary surfaces, such as sidewalks, become pools of reflected light that shimmer and shine. These different and multi-type reflections emitted by the water are topics in themselves that we can spend our rainy day busy photographing. Let's search in particular for buildings, cars, or street lamps reflected on a pavement page. As for the winding surfaces, like a street paved with cobblestones, water collects in them in varying shapes, thus emitting exciting intermittent reflections that give wonderful impressions.
This, and still water on which raindrops fall will have almost the same effect. If we focus on the water page only, the possibilities of creative manipulation of the presented reflections are practically limitless if we go to think about them carefully and carefully.
Conditions like this often arise while it is raining heavily. The type of photos you take will often depend on the nature of this rain, and heavy rain in particular makes room for many photographic opportunities.

There is always the possibility of torrential rain that sends an amount of panic in the streets, as people rush about in search of a place to hide in, and bicker with their umbrellas and hats, and the rain turns into streams that flow on the ground like waterfalls, so the cats retreat fleeing to the nearest door, while children seem to be the only ones who interact with pleasure And Hamas, we find the smallest among them, regardless of what shoes they wear, and they hastened to walk in the nearest waterwheel. We also notice how the spectators at the site of a sporting event face the heavy rain that falls without expectation with umbrellas and head coverings that fall out at an amazing speed. It is worth noting that people are in such circumstances. In general, they are preoccupied with preserving their respectable appearance and dignity, so they do not notice that they have turned into interesting subjects in front of the hidden camera.

Trees and storefront umbrellas have their own source ready to take pictures during the rain, as they usually collect the rain and throw it as large unexpected points on passers-by who are not aware of it. We have to wait patiently and unobtrusively to catch the expression of disgust on the face of someone who has received a large blob that landed on the back of his neck.
When we become acquainted with turning rain into a subject for photography, we will notice that there are actually many different types of rain.
If it is a drizzle, we can enter it with courage, and the camera is protected by a nylon bag. It is a kind of rain that acts as a thin screen between us and our subject, and its effect is almost similar to that given by a soft focus filter.
But in the event of heavy rain or seasonal rain, the nylon bag may not be sufficient to achieve its purpose, and it is better to practice photography in a place where it is certain that it will rain.

We point out here that a rainy day needs a quick film, as long as the light level will be very low during heavy rain, but we must not exaggerate the exposure, otherwise the heavy mood that accompanies such rain will be damaged.
But poor fast film gives less vibrant colors with lower light contrast, which can lead to disappointing images. It is necessary to look for brightly colored things that achieve light contrast, such as: yellow raincoats, red traffic lights, or bright green herbivore leaves. When it rains quickly, people automatically turn on their lights to compensate for the lost daylight, if these lights are lamps. Cars or home lights. This we can exploit to achieve a wonderful effect in our photos.

A rain storm is not the most suitable place for a camera, and although the few rain drops that fall on the case or the lens filter will not cause harm, it remains perhaps better that we practice photography during the rain while we take refuge in a place that protects us from it. It is worth mentioning that the rain drops on a window glass are A classic subject if shot by itself as a close-up subject, or as part of a picture in which someone is looking out at the rain.
Also, the few minutes after the rain stops falling represent a useful period for photography in many cases. It is the moment when we sometimes see a crack in the tail of the storm clouds from which the sun's rays penetrate, and the moment when the possibilities of achieving unusual backlighting effects arise that should be exploited before the mix works. The wind and the sun soften everything.
Drops of water hanging from branches, leaves, flowers and cobwebs, for example. Create attractive photographs. Especially when it is lit from behind so that the water shines and sparkles on the subject.
With these smaller goals. It is worth taking a close-up shot in which we put the background out of focus so that maximum attention is focused on the effect of the water. Some of the most dramatic images can be achieved by focusing on details and close objects.
The colors of flowers or tree leaves, for example, change when they become wet, and with a close-up, individual water droplets happen to change the appearance of the surface of the subject beneath them, acting like a small magnifying glass. .

There is another effect that we often see immediately after the rain stops, which is the rainbow. This arc arises when the sun shines somewhat low on the rain, and it is seen in the opposite side of the sky from the sun. As for its strongest effect, it arises when it is seen against dark clouds.
However, rainbows do not last for only short periods of time, which means that we cannot choose our viewing point as we like, but when we are familiar with the conditions of its emergence, we can be vigilant, waiting for a good opportunity to take the picture.

The wide-angle lens will help us to show the curvature and any internal or external arcs, while the telephoto lens can be useful to focus on the place where the rainbow is seen in return for the advantages of the earth that gives it strange colors.

We can give the normal exposure to the photometer when photographing a joyful arc, although decreasing this exposure by half a stop may improve the dramatic effect and sharpen the colors dramatically⏹