Regardless of whether you’ve captured shots on a smartphone or a proper camera, you’ll know that the time of day can impact your images’ look and feel dramatically. Weather can also play a role in the overall messaging of your pictures, and you might need to adopt specific styles that better suit the conditions you face.
Lighting and storytelling are two of photography’s most fundamental elements, and thinking about both of these before you go out with your camera is crucial. To give you a helping hand, we’ve highlighted five fantastic conditions for capturing beautiful images—and offered tips to prepare for them accordingly.
The Best Conditions That Will Give You Beautiful Photographs
You can capture beautiful photos at any time of day and in almost all kinds of weather. However, most photographers have a preference; below are five popular times to shoot.
1. Rainy and Overcast Weather
For most people, having to go outside when it’s raining brings a sense of dread. However, many photographers will tell you that bad weather often brings the best shooting conditions.
Capturing images in rainy and overcast weather has several advantages. The lighting is often less harsh, meaning you’ve got more room for maneuver; even if it’s midday with gray clouds in the sky, you shouldn’t struggle too much in this respect.
Rainy weather is also enjoyable for photography because most people are indoors. As a result, you’ll probably have the entire shooting location to yourself.
Rainy and overcast weather is great for most kinds of photography, but you might have more luck if you try something like streets or portraits. Depending on how low the clouds are, capturing skylines might be a little more difficult.
2. Right After Heavy Snowfall
If you live somewhere like Canada or Finland, you’ll know all too well how inconvenient too much snow can be. However, we can’t deny that snow makes almost any landscape automatically look more beautiful.
Taking photos during heavy snow is often challenging, but it is a little simpler to do so once the storm finishes—even if it’s still cold. You can capture several interesting subjects when snow falls on the ground, including snow-capped rooftops and people having fun on their sleds.
Depending on how cold it was, you might also have the chance to capture unique shots—such as a frozen river or sea.
You’ll need to wrap up warm when photographing snow. Wear a good pair of undergarments and bring a wooly hat with you. A sufficient jacket, gloves, and a warm sweater or turtleneck will also help.
3. Blue Hour
Blue hour is a tricky time of day to photograph because you’ve got a pretty small window. It occurs twice daily in most places: just before sunrise and shortly after sunset. During blue hour, you can see a little better than at night—but you’ll often still require streetlights.
Blue hour is more subdued than golden hour, and for many people, it signifies solitude. You can potentially get away with not using a tripod closer to sunrise or sunset, but you’ll almost certainly need to use one during the darker periods.
You might struggle to figure out when blue hour is in your local area, so using an app is a good idea. Unscripted will show you the times for this period, and you’ll find plenty of others for both iOS and Android devices.
4. Nighttime
Night photography is notoriously difficult to master, but trying to do so is a lot of fun. Taking pictures once the sun has gone down offers plenty of opportunities to experiment with light and shapes, and you’ll learn a lot about photography’s fundamentals.
If you live somewhere with limited daylight hours during the winter, nighttime photography is an excellent way to prolong the amount of time you can dedicate to taking pictures. And like capturing images in rainy weather, you’ll have fewer people in your way when out and about.
You can try several nighttime photography styles, including:
- Portraits
- Architectural photography
- Astrological photography
When shooting images at night, look for light sources you can use. For example, if you’re in a city, you can experiment with neon lights or car headlights.
5. Golden Hour
Golden hour is arguably the most popular time of the day for photography, and for plenty of good reasons. The lighting is flattering on people’s skin, and you can evoke all kinds of emotions—such as optimism and happiness.
Golden hour is the period just before sunrise or shortly after sunset. In most cases, you can shoot handheld at this time of the day without running into issues.
Like night photography, golden hour has several opportunities. Genres that look excellent at this time include portraits, selfies, and landscapes.
How to Prepare for a Photoshoot in Different Conditions
Now that we’ve touched upon some of the best times to take photos, knowing how to prepare for them will improve your experience. Below, you’ll find three of our top tips for shooting in different conditions.
1. Purchase Weather-Sealed Equipment
Most modern cameras are durable, but you might need something more advanced when shooting in certain conditions. If you plan to take pictures in extreme temperatures, you should strongly consider purchasing weather-sealed cameras and lenses.
Weather-sealed equipment isn’t a magic ticket to protect your gear forever, but you’ll do a better job at keeping debris and moisture out of your camera with it. You’ll typically need to pay more for weather-sealed cameras, but your investment is worthwhile if you plan to go out when others would rather stay inside.
2. Consider Investing in a Tripod
Tripods are a source of annoyance for many photographers, mainly because they’re a pain to carry around. However, owning one is non-negotiable if you plan to shoot in low light or difficult conditions.
Many of the scenarios we mentioned in this article require a longer shutter speed—meaning that your pictures are more susceptible to motion blur. A tripod will help eliminate much of the associated stress and help you capture stunning shots.
3. Throw the Rule Book Out
Understanding photography basics will help you capture better shots, but you don’t need to religiously stick to the rules. You’re probably not bothered about which shutter speed or ISO the photographer used whenever you see a memorable image.
Sometimes, fiddling with settings can cause you to miss an excellent shot. You can still use manual mode, but you might want to think about using aperture or shutter priority and see what you can come up with.
Take Beautiful Photos Throughout the Year
As you can see, you’ve got an endless number of opportunities to capture beautiful shots throughout the year. The world is in a constant state of change, which is great for you; no two photoshoots will ever be the same.
Our list wasn’t exhaustive, but it should at least get you thinking about more possibilities. So, why not grab your camera and see what you can create?
