By Katriel So many photographs are taken on nice, sunny days. It’s rare to see a picture shot outside during inclement weather but pictures taken during a rainstorm or other bad weather can add interest and mood to a photograph. I understand that people may shy away from taking pictures when it is snowing or raining in order to avoid damaging their camera or lens. So to protect myself from lawsuits and because I sincerely mean it I say to you: follow your camera’s manufacturer’s advice. This article is about my experience and is not a tutorial. I repeat. Follow the guidelines of your camera and lens manufacturer(s). This article is for entertainment purposes only. Did you know that you can buy a weatherproof point-and-shoot camera for under $200? I once owned a weather-proof, wide-angle, point-and-shoot, film camera. The camera’s housing was built to withstand rain, snow and shallow dips into an ocean or a pool. Available are more expensive cameras that can withstand the pressure of let’s say a scuba dive of 100 feet or more. Special cases can also be purchased to fit the camera you already have and you can buy what’s called a rainsleeve: a clear plastic that covers the camera and lens, and keeps your hands dry. Rainsleeves can be bought for under $30. But what do you do when you’re out for a walk and a soft, misty rain starts falling and you want to capture the raindrops but the camera you have with you is not weatherproof and you don’t have a rainsleeve? What this photographer has done is… Please follow your camera manufacturer’s guidelines instead. (And I may repeat this a few more times.) What I have done has depended on what else I was carrying. In the case of an umbrella, I’ve placed the camera within the umbrella’s range and shot one-handed. When I didn’t have an umbrella but had a purse, a piece of paper or a book then I placed these items over the camera if they were big enough to protect the camera and lens from the rain or snowfall. You may wonder what have I done when I had nothing that could act as a protective covering and the manufacturer explicitly stated in the owner’s manual not to get the lens wet? Truthfully, when taking pictures for myself I am more cautious and am less likely to operate my camera in bad weather without protecting it but I have done it. And I have definitely done so for a couple of clients because deadlines must be met. So far, I have not caused any damage to any lens or camera. Even when I was shooting for a client, however, I’ve only continued shooting in the rain or snow when the precipitation was no more than a drizzle. The result was pleasant. The image had a romantic feel to it.
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