Paris Stock Photo Expedition - Day 4: Tips for Shooting in the Rain

So it’s raining… should you cancel your model shoot?
No way!
Bonnie, here, coming to you on our last day of shooting at the Paris Stock Photo Expedition with Lise Gagne and Shelly Perry.
Today, half of the group headed out into the streets of Paris with Shelly to photograph models being “tourists.” Of course, this being springtime, about half way through our shoot it started raining.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
After all, rain means clouds, which give a soft light that’s good for portraits. And then you have reflections and umbrellas to play with, too!
If you’re taking pictures of a person outside and it starts raining, try this:
** Give your model an umbrella and play with the water coming off of it.

Valerie Wickland

Lynn Michels
** Find a bridge. Often, when the light is bouncing off of wet pavement, you can still get really good light under a bridge or other covered area.

Bonnie Caton
** Look for reflections to spice up your images, and include them in the composition.
** Change up the mood of the photo. Sometimes rain and fog add a sort of poetry to a sad/lonely image — and there’s a need for those in stock, too.

Aimee Everly
** If it’s really coming down, go indoors and use window light.
Bonus Tip: When you process your cloudy and rainy photos, take a look and see if you like them better in black and white.

Bonnie Caton
Here are some other shots we got before it really started coming down. Notice how nice the light is under cloudy skies:

Elizabeth Coughlan

Valerie Wickland

Jerry Newsome

Barbara Kelley

Maggie Martin
What an adventure it’s been shooting with Lise and Shelly here in Paris. There’s nothing like going out and taking tons of photos, then coming back and talking about them over a glass of red wine.
That’s what’s so amazing about these trips. You meet people with similar interests, all going for the same goal, all inspired by the day, and it gives you a huge boost to continue on when you get home.
I can’t wait until our next adventure. Until then, I better go out and get my last Parisian crepe.
À bientôt!
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]