Embracing the Elements: Landscape Photography in Bad Weather
Winter can be cold, beautiful and filed with snow. But often it's full of grey fog, rain and Ice. learning how to enjoy and find beauty in “bad weather” is such a valuable skill, both for your physical health, mental well-being as a outdoor enthusiast and landscape photographer.
With this article I wish to inspire you to go outside and enjoy nature even if the weather is challenging.
This composition with the snowy patterns in the foreground and the fog separating the midgeound from the background really spoke to me, and I was really happy with how it turned out.
It was one of those days where the fog hung low like a grey blanket, wrapping everything in its embrace. The rain took short breaks every now and then, melting the snow and making everything slippery. I wasn't in the mood to go outdoors, but I went anyway, feeling like curling up under my duvet. I brought my camera, as I always do, and started walking around a local lake that was covered in ice. I didn't find anything particularly photo-worthy until I started looking for patterns in the ice. The heavy fog helped to clean up the composition, and I was able to take some pictures that I was very happy with, despite the challenging weather.
I felt it felt natural to make this photo as a black and white , trying to portray the feeling of heavy fog, rain and snow. The moody weather defenetly has its own beauty.
With a lot of rain comes puddles and chanses of getting som nice reflections, a reflection can often help to create balance in an image. I sometimes feel like I use a little bit to much of them in my photos, but then again, can there really be to much of a good thing?
Another person dressed for the rain out walking. In this image I was so lucky to have the person walking straight into the natural frame created by the tree. .
For the black and white edit, I made a mask for the background in Lightroom cc , and dragged the menting slider all the way down, leaving the colors of the subject with a b&w background/landscape.
I used this technique to create “pop” in the image and to emphasise the grey and moody weather.
After walking and taking pictures for two hours in fog and rain, Even though i was socked and cold I felt considerably more happy and peaceful. I Even got a few photos. Im sure that next time you feel Like just staying inside , if you go, you won't regret it.
Leave a comment if you got something to add or if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.
I hope that you found it informative and helpful. As someone who struggles with dyslexia, I want to let you know that I used a writing tool called OpenAI's GPT-3 to assist in the creation of this piece. GPT-3 has been an invaluable resource for me, helping me to fine-tune my writing and express my thoughts more clearly. While I was responsible for the overall direction and content of the post, GPT-3 helped me to refine the language and make the writing more cohesiv.
This month, I’m thrilled to share an inspiring interview with Rico J. Needham, a Chicago-based photographer, filmmaker, and visual storyteller. Rico’s work spans street photography, photojournalism, and filmmaking, all rooted in his desire to capture fleeting moments and tell compelling stories. In this interview, Rico opens up about his creative journey, the role of faith in his life, and the unique perspectives he brings to street photography and content creation. Whether you’re just starting out in photography or have been doing it for decades, Rico’s insights will motivate you to see the world in a new way.