biglouis Posted October 15, 2006 Share #1 Posted October 15, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I wonder what other members of the forum do about autumn/winter days when the contrast is reduced by the grey overcast which often occurs here in the UK? The picture below was taken during a walk in Regents Park yesterday. I've had to tweak the vibrance and contrast in Lightroom then add a little warming filter in PS to get the colours anywhere near anything interesting (and it still leaves a lot to be desired). Do you just give up until the sun returns or are their coping strategies? LouisB Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/7219-how-to-cope-with-grey-days/?do=findComment&comment=70714'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 15, 2006 Posted October 15, 2006 Hi biglouis, Take a look here how to cope with grey days. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
richam Posted October 15, 2006 Share #2 Posted October 15, 2006 I spent 8 years in Germany and learned to like the grey days, of which there were many. When the sun is out, I much prefer early morning and late afternoon, and avoid mid-day shooting. I like grey days because you can shoot all day. Contrast and shadows are down and the capture medium (digital or film) does not need a lot of dynamic range. I think you got it right with this shot, need to find colorful scenes and subjects when using color. That way it's possible to maintain visual interest when the sun is behind overcast skies. For BW shooting, grey days provide the opportunity to capture high contrast subjects without blown highlights or loss of shadow detail. I've done some nice cityscapes around Frankfurt, where modern glass and steel buildings and other structures are too contrasty to capture well in sunlight. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradreiman Posted October 16, 2006 Share #3 Posted October 16, 2006 i tend to shoot black and white on grey days and when i wake up and see an overcast sky it now pleases me. it does seem easier to get good exposures throughout the day with an overcast sky. not much luck with color because there isnt enough sunlight to illuminate the various colors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted October 16, 2006 Share #4 Posted October 16, 2006 Overcast light can be some of the most subtle and beautiful light there is. For one great example of a photographer who used that light well, see Paul Strand's book "Tir A Mhurain". Out of print and rare for many years now, it was recently reprinted and is certainly worth owning. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted October 16, 2006 Share #5 Posted October 16, 2006 Louis: The secret to overcast days is to not include the sky in the picture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted October 16, 2006 Share #6 Posted October 16, 2006 Or include lots of sky in the frame... Those Strand pictures made in the Scottish Hebrides Islands are sometimes full of sky. When I was photographing in Ireland, I loved that soft grey light. One answer to your question is to look closely at the other visual arts, especially painting and drawing. Look at how painters use this kind of soft light. It's easy to forget that there's a long and deep history of visual art that preceded (and has been contemporary with) photography. There's a tremendous amount to be learned from that history since many of the visual challenges we struggle with as photographers have been part of all kinds of visual art. I don't know if this will be helpful to you but I'm primarily a black and white photographer and when I think of grey light, I'm almost always thinking in terms of B&W pictures. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
humanized_form Posted October 16, 2006 Share #7 Posted October 16, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) the lack of contrast of a grey day can be a lot of fun when doing color stuff, with just a tiny bit of flash (if you are close to the subject) you can make colors really pop. kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodaktrix Posted October 16, 2006 Share #8 Posted October 16, 2006 I prefer a grey days light over any other light when shooting outdoors. Best regards oliver Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted October 16, 2006 Share #9 Posted October 16, 2006 She gets pretty harsh and bright here in Australia, summer and winter, so a overcast day is a relief..... a summer's day in the city is called enjoy and leave the camera home. Went out to take some photos at the home of 'the silent ones', stinkin hot 37ºC, gave up too contrasty and talked to the old Greek ladies about the dearly departed instead Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overgaard Posted October 16, 2006 Share #10 Posted October 16, 2006 On grey days you can also go and shoot the things you normally wouldn't on sunny days because there is to much contrast and reflection. Oceans, lakes, windows, cars ... many things look dull in grey days - but glows on a film. Also, Fuji Astia is a great film for grey days. Very grey and dark day some time ago (SL mot 80mm F/1.4 on ISO 100 Asita) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/7219-how-to-cope-with-grey-days/?do=findComment&comment=71027'>More sharing options...
Michael-IIIf Posted October 16, 2006 Share #11 Posted October 16, 2006 When I was photographing in Ireland, I loved that soft grey light. In Ireland we have an expression for it: "Grand soft day, thank God" - and then that usually involves rain as well. You learn to like it. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/7219-how-to-cope-with-grey-days/?do=findComment&comment=71029'>More sharing options...
john_r_smith Posted October 16, 2006 Share #12 Posted October 16, 2006 Grey days (and we get a lot of them in Cornwall) are good for - * Close-up colour work. Colours can often seem more saturated under an overcast sky. * B/W architecture. Harsh contrasts often detract from the detail of stonework and roofscapes. * Portraits outdoors using available light. Diffused light is kinder to the subject. * And as others have mentioned, studies of shiny, reflective subjects like cars and motorcycles will often work better where clouds fill in the shadows and reduce highlights. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted October 16, 2006 Share #13 Posted October 16, 2006 For black and white, red filter; for color polarizing filter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted October 16, 2006 Share #14 Posted October 16, 2006 Gray days usually provide better light for both color and B&W, unless you like your color pictures to have picture postcard skies. In his Japan book, Michael Kenna writes how he'd go to sea-side sites at dawn only to find scores of amateur photographers there when the weather was good; but when he went on gray or rainy days, he would be the only one — and he says that is when he got his best shots. —Mitch/Paris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrewer Posted October 16, 2006 Share #15 Posted October 16, 2006 Wow! There are lots of practical and interesting ideas on how to cope with gray days in this thread. I never would have thought about cars and lakes/water etc. and tourists like you all have suggested. Gray days are a greater challenge to make good pictures, but if you play around a little the files can yield more interesting results. Pardon my license with manipulating this file of yours LB with Shadows/Highlights and adding a little more contrast with Levels and a very subtle Gradient, but it does have a little more pop (in my opinion). Thanks. Allan Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/7219-how-to-cope-with-grey-days/?do=findComment&comment=71265'>More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted October 16, 2006 Share #16 Posted October 16, 2006 In Ireland we have an expression for it: "Grand soft day, thank God" - and then that usually involves rain as well. You learn to like it. [ATTACH]11817[/ATTACH] Right! And what I used to hear as a consolation (said from one person to another) is: "Ah, but it's a soft rain". BTW, I remember loving it especially when I lived in Barna in a little apartment the overlooked a harbor and the ocean. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted October 16, 2006 Share #17 Posted October 16, 2006 My Wedding Day motto for perfect weather:- No wind; No sun; No rain !! Any one of them works against you. Wind and the bride will hate her hair blown about; Sun and everybody squints and blinks get longer; Rain and everybody wants to stay inside and no way will the bride get her dress wet. For landscapes and urbanscapes, I love rain and wind, but sun has got to be early, late or fleeting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry Posted October 16, 2006 Share #18 Posted October 16, 2006 Do what I do: Quit looking out the window, draw the blinds and get back to work. (Today's view out of my office window.) Larry Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/7219-how-to-cope-with-grey-days/?do=findComment&comment=71314'>More sharing options...
frc Posted October 16, 2006 Share #19 Posted October 16, 2006 Living in the Netherlands i've gotten used to cast days. It'd be more likely here to put the question like: how to cope with sunny days. Only joking, a few examples. The last one was made in France. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/7219-how-to-cope-with-grey-days/?do=findComment&comment=71417'>More sharing options...
biglouis Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share #20 Posted October 17, 2006 Alan Thanks for the advice, the image actually looks really good now. I'll have to try tweaking my pictures in a similar way in future LouisB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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