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Cloudy Day Photography : Taking Advantage
of Nature's Diffused Lighting
Author: Anita Cross
Cloudy days are nature's softbox.
Cloudy days can present many opportunities for
great photographs. In fact, once you discover how easy it is
to get great results, you'll look forward to a cloudy day as
much, if not more, than a sunny day.
The studio photographer's arsenal includes a number
of tools to soften and redistribute light to the best advantage
of the subject. Among these tools is the Softbox which provides
soft, even lighting by using a diffuser in front of the light.
In outdoor photography, cloud cover diffuses the
light of the sun much like a photographer's softbox, producing
a soft even light that results in softer contrasts. While high
contrast can be quite dramatic, the softer contrast allows for
more detail in both the light and the dark areas of your photograph.
The softer light is also more flattering for portraits or candid
shots of people.
On your first few cloudy day adventures, consider
taking your digital camera. In spite of the differences in the
cameras, what you learn about how the lighting changes your
compositions and setup will be equally useful with your film
camera. And with the digital, you'll feel free to experiment
without the added cost of film on your mind.
Some difficult subjects which benefit from the
diffused light include waterfalls in shadowy forested areas,
sea life caught in a tide pool and wildlife hiding in the shadows,
as well as close ups of flowers and people.
Diffused lighting is not as bright as direct light,
indoors or out, and you will need to compensate with a slower
shutter speed. Or widen the aperture and adjust the depth of
field. You should count on needing your tripod for wide or long
shots. The picture can be blurred by even slight camera movement
with really slow shutter speeds, so use your remote if you have
one.
Anita Cross is a self-employed Internet Marketing
consultant, professional photographer and amateur writer. She
sponsors the Call
Of The Wild Photo web site, where you can find more Digital
Photography Tips from Anita and other professional photographers.