A few hints and tips for photography in the rain….

The first concern in rainy conditions it to protect the camera and lens.  High-end DSLRs and lenses have a certain amount of rain resistance.

Additional protection can be provided by using specialist rain covers, or even something as simple as a clear plastic bag with a hole cut in it for the lens and held in place with an elastic band.

For light rain/drizzle a small towel folded and placed over the camera to keep most of the moisture off it can work well.  I’ve been told that those drip towels you sometimes find on bars are good for this and just about the right size too!

Lens hoods are just for sunny days.  Use a lens hood to reduce the amount of water splashing on to the lens, and regularly check the lens for drops and clean them off with a lens cloth (keep the lens cloth in a plastic bag in your pocket).

When shooting in rainy conditions it is often best not to ‘fight’ the conditions.  Instead of trying to take shots as though it wasn’t raining try to make the rain a feature of the images you are producing.  Look for people holding umbrellas as points of interest in an image.  Try to use reflections in puddles.  One  ‘trick shot’ to try is to just photograph the reflection of a building and then invert the image.