charjohncarter
Veteran
I'm with you I really struggle at most times to get the contrast I want with overcast days. Like someone said minimize the sky, and see if you can include a mud puddle, preferably with reflection.
wgerrard
Veteran
I often look at photos I've taken in the described conditions with disappointment ... flat and lacking real bite and a generally somber look. I start messing around with curves and contrast attempting to get it to look the way I want and generally give up when the reality hits me that ... 'Hey, this is the way it actually was and the camera never lies ... live with it!'
Ain't that the truth! A well-exposed photo on a gray, gloomy day will produce a gray, gloomy photo.
peterm1
Veteran
While it can be difficult to shoot in these conditions there are advantages too. For a start its inherently low contrast means less likelihood of blown highlights. Mainly for this reason I think I prefer dull overcast days to bright sunny ones for some kinds of shots - street work for example although there is no denying the charm of a bright day for some landscapes.
You can also shoot for the conditions. I like some dark gloomy subjects shot in overcast. I think its called making a virtue of necessity.
Finally there are some ways of attending to the issue in post processing with newer tools. Vibrance adjustments work wonderfully well to brighten dull colors without over doing saturation. And local contrast filters (also called clarity filters in some editing software) are fabulous at pulling contrast up without ending up with too many dark or excessively bright areas. They make the most of detail in the image and can lift a dull picture tremendously.
The following was shot in obviously dull conditions (if you look closely you can see its raining) but a little local contrast adjustment and a tweak to color vibrance has made it a quite pleasant image of a pond in the rain.
Similarly here where I have emphasized the inherently storng autumn colors and the texture of the rain on the glass by using the same two filters. (OK the colors are a bit overdone I now have to admit in hindsight.)
Or you can bow to the inevitable and just go for tone and texture. Here I have boosted local contrast to bring out the detail in the image but instead of boosting color I have heightened the sense of gloominess by lowering the saturation / vibrancy. I think that effect better suits this particular image and capitalizes on the obviously gloomy conditions.
You can also shoot for the conditions. I like some dark gloomy subjects shot in overcast. I think its called making a virtue of necessity.
Finally there are some ways of attending to the issue in post processing with newer tools. Vibrance adjustments work wonderfully well to brighten dull colors without over doing saturation. And local contrast filters (also called clarity filters in some editing software) are fabulous at pulling contrast up without ending up with too many dark or excessively bright areas. They make the most of detail in the image and can lift a dull picture tremendously.
The following was shot in obviously dull conditions (if you look closely you can see its raining) but a little local contrast adjustment and a tweak to color vibrance has made it a quite pleasant image of a pond in the rain.
Similarly here where I have emphasized the inherently storng autumn colors and the texture of the rain on the glass by using the same two filters. (OK the colors are a bit overdone I now have to admit in hindsight.)
Or you can bow to the inevitable and just go for tone and texture. Here I have boosted local contrast to bring out the detail in the image but instead of boosting color I have heightened the sense of gloominess by lowering the saturation / vibrancy. I think that effect better suits this particular image and capitalizes on the obviously gloomy conditions.
Last edited:
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The conditions that I find more annoying are really common in Brisbane. When the sun can't make up it's damned mind and it constantly fluctuates between full sun and overcast ... often several times a minute.
On a couple of occasions I've just given up, spat my dummy out and gone home and sulked!
On a couple of occasions I've just given up, spat my dummy out and gone home and sulked!
wgerrard
Veteran
Thanks, Peter. Appreciate the advice. I'll use it, along with Roger's tip.
tomalophicon
Well-known
Overcast is in my opinion the best light for people shots. I do as mentioned earlier and increase development times for black and white film.
Most of Cartier Bresson's photos that I know appear to have been shot in overcast conditions. They don't look gloomy to me; most probably a result of increased development times.
Most of Cartier Bresson's photos that I know appear to have been shot in overcast conditions. They don't look gloomy to me; most probably a result of increased development times.
wgerrard
Veteran
Just to keep things clear, we're talking about C41 vacation snapshots, no portraits and no b&w HCB emulation.
tomalophicon
Well-known
Whoops. Whenever I'm on holidays I try to emulate HCB's portraits with black and white film. I should stop assuming everyone is the same as me.
wgerrard
Veteran
In all seriousness, the difference is, I think, in the rendition of colors. If colors appear mooted and washed out to the human eye because of weather -- poor light, mist, etc. between the eyes and the subject -- then that's how the colors will appear in an image. As Keith said earlier, post processing can only work with the data that's in the file.
B&W masks much of this problem, or at least camouflages it in an interesting manner.
B&W masks much of this problem, or at least camouflages it in an interesting manner.
Tin
Well-known
charjohncarter
Veteran
Actually I was thinking of B&W on overcast days. Color is a different story. Color has inherent contrast (in fact, Kodak recommended shooting in overcast weather). In California there are very few overcast days. So, adding development time (B&W) for a couple of frames during overcast weather isn't an option.
Leigh Youdale
Well-known
I found three things in Europe made a difference.
1. When it's wet, look for reflections rather than 'normal' scenes.
2. Light overcast as opposed to heavy dark overcast produces a wonderful luminance like a "giant softbox" as somebody mentioned earlier. But don't include the sky.
3. Choice of film. Now long gone but the switch from the slide film I was using at the time (Agfachrome) to Ektachrome 32 suited the northern hemisphere light much better. I presume the same may well hold true for C41 type films.
1. When it's wet, look for reflections rather than 'normal' scenes.
2. Light overcast as opposed to heavy dark overcast produces a wonderful luminance like a "giant softbox" as somebody mentioned earlier. But don't include the sky.
3. Choice of film. Now long gone but the switch from the slide film I was using at the time (Agfachrome) to Ektachrome 32 suited the northern hemisphere light much better. I presume the same may well hold true for C41 type films.
wgerrard
Veteran
That's likely very true, Leigh. I'd had little experience with the Portra 400VC, but chose it figuring it might put a little pop into what I knew were going to be less than bright days. I've some experience with Ektar and it performed much as expected. I've also shot 800 C41 in similar conditions and really didn't like the results.
sreed2006
Well-known
wgerrard
Veteran
I hadn't loaded anything online yet, but I pushed these few up...
Here's a crop from a shot along the Thames showing the clouds:
Sky in Bath:
Not affected by the weather:
Indoors at f1.9 and 1/15. It's a good thing I gave up caffeine:
Just because:
Here's a crop from a shot along the Thames showing the clouds:
Sky in Bath:
Not affected by the weather:
Indoors at f1.9 and 1/15. It's a good thing I gave up caffeine:
Just because:
sreed2006
Well-known
Bill, those all look fine to me. What more could you hope for?
wgerrard
Veteran
wgerrard
Veteran
Sigma DP2-S Shots
Sigma DP2-S Shots
Since members sometimes ask about the Sigma DP2-S, here are a few Edinburgh snapshots from mine. These received little or no processing in Sigma's software.
[
Sigma DP2-S Shots
Since members sometimes ask about the Sigma DP2-S, here are a few Edinburgh snapshots from mine. These received little or no processing in Sigma's software.
antiquark
Derek Ross
Also, on an overcast day, you can rely on surrounding objects to block some light to help give directional lighting. The simplest example would be shooting indoors near a window. Outdoors, you could try shooting under a tree, in a doorway, or an alley, for example -- someplace that will structure how the light comes from the sky.
And, like everyone else said: keep the sky out of the frame!
And, like everyone else said: keep the sky out of the frame!
antiquark
Derek Ross
Here's an example of using the surroundings to structure the light. These pics were taken 5 meters apart. I assume the one on the left is outdoors under an overcast sky, and the one on the right is in a doorway. Notice how the second picture has more direct lighting to the face, whereas the first image is illuminated from above.
(Not my picture, by the way!)
steve mccurry light lesson, singapore, 2009 by preposterous, on Flickr
(Not my picture, by the way!)
steve mccurry light lesson, singapore, 2009 by preposterous, on Flickr