2022 Weekly Photo Challenge
Week 8: Weather
I don’t know what the weather has been like where you are, but here in South Dakota, we’ve been pretty chilly for the past few months. We’ve had a few stretches of blue skies since Christmas, but even when the sun comes out, it’s been pretty dang cold. We had a decent snowstorm back in mid-December and now, just about two months later, most of the snow from that “weather event” has finally melted off…just in time for another significant snowstorm to loom on the horizon for later this week!
Many people grumble and grouse about cold weather, gray skies, and water in various forms falling from the sky. But for a photographer, “bad” weather can be a true gift. Clouds can add texture to an otherwise monotonous sky. Sunrise and sunset are so much more interesting when clouds come into play. Rain and snow can give new life to an ordinary winter landscape. And even when the sky is just gray and overcast, that can make for some really nice diffused lighting with no extra studio equipment needed!
But your challenge this week is not simply to take a picture that takes advantage of the weather. Instead, I want you to watch the weather this week, and try to create an image that has the weather as its main subject, or one that really conveys the idea of the weather to your viewer.
Now, you might be tempted to check the weather forecast and look for a day when it’s supposed to rain or snow so you can snap a quick shot as it falls. But be forewarned, this can be harder than you might think. Your brain is a lot better at “seeing” precipitation than your camera. Most cameras will struggle to show even a torrential downpour, because an individual raindrop or snowflake is too fast-moving, too small, and too insubstantial for the camera’s sensor to capture. Besides, what are you going to do if doesn’t rain or snow? It’s pretty hard to take a picture of sunlight, right?
Instead, you might want to consider creating an image that shows the effects of the weather. Like the image above of the snow-covered firewood, this image of a tree covered in frozen fog leaves little question that you’re looking at a cold winter night.
Of course, cold & wet aren’t the only kinds of weather! You might get lucky this week and be somewhere with bright sun, warm temperatures, and just the right about of breeze for spending an afternoon in a hammock!
So the questions for you now are: a.) What’s in your 7-day weather forecast? and b.) How do you plan to capture & convey that weather?
Eric Culver Photography 