How To Shoot In The Rain

After 10 years of photography, I can confidently say that, more often than not, shooting in the rain results in great photos. However, it can also make your day miserable and destroy your camera, so in this blog I will share some advice about shooting in such conditions.

First and foremost, you want to have a weather sealed camera and lens. I’m sure you can get away without one if you protect it in other ways, but generally speaking, having weather sealing is a must. One drop of water can get between buttons and gaps in the body, which is not great if it makes its way to anything sensitive. With that said, even the best weather sealing does not mean the camera is waterproof, so why play with fire if there are things you can do to further protect your gear?

The most obvious solution is to use an umbrella. Out of all the tips I’m about to share, this is the most effective, as it will literally keep your camera dry. Of course, there are downsides, such as having to shoot one handed, and it’s a little more awkward in cities. The biggest issue is the wind because, unless it’s totally still, you will still get wet, the umbrella will turn inside out, and it’s generally a hassle.

The next thing you can do is find or create a better hot shoe cover. Many cameras run into issues when water gets on the hot shoe, messes with the contacts, and either shorts the camera out or makes it think something is trying to connect. Sony cameras are famously sensitive to this.

You can buy specific water resistant hot shoe covers or just use a bit of tape on the original cover to seal the gaps. Using the same tape, cover any obvious gaps or doors on the camera that can be sealed without impacting usability. Obviously, don’t tape your battery door shut unless you know you won’t be needing it.

If you get caught short and you haven’t done anything to your camera, then a trusty shower cap can act as an emergency cover. This has come in handy a few times for me and, although it can save the day, it’s a total pain in the arse and only a temporary solution. It will interfere with the viewfinder sensor, prevent the screen from flipping out, and you might not be able to clearly see the screen at all.

You can buy rain covers that will offer the most protection. I believe Peak Design sells one, but I have never used it so I can’t say whether it’s good or not. Maybe one day I will try it and write a blog about it.

Whatever you do, there will be added hassle, and some people, myself included in some cases, would rather just risk it and shoot as if there is a clear sky. In this case, I would do the following: tape up the hot shoe and any obvious body gaps, bring a large microfibre cloth, and make sure to wipe any water off your camera as often as possible to prevent it from pooling. Take regular breaks where you can dry your camera off a little more and try your best to keep the camera as close to your body as possible.

Finally, no matter how careful you are and how well sealed the camera is, there’s always the risk of the worst happening: water getting inside and your camera misbehaving or shutting down. The moment you notice any strange behaviour, the first thing you should do is turn the camera off, remove any water with a cloth, and take the battery out. Obviously, try to do that somewhere dry. Then open all the doors, remove the lens, and leave the camera somewhere warm for at least overnight. In most cases it will come back to life with no issues. The absolute worst thing you can do is try to turn it back on, as that will almost always make the problem worse.

Now let’s look at lenses. My preference for a rainy day is a prime that’s slightly wider than what I need, especially if one hand is holding an umbrella. So if I want to shoot at 50mm, I would pick a 40mm. This gives me room for cropping because, if the heavens have opened and I am frantically trying to compose, it’s very likely I won’t have the luxury of taking my time to nail it in camera. For that reason, I’d rather have the extra room in the edit.

If I need multiple focal lengths, or I have the use of both hands, then a zoom is my go to. The absolute last thing you want to do is start swapping lenses. Even if it has stopped raining, it will still be very humid, and you might have water built up around the lens mount seal that can get inside the camera.

My final piece of advice is to keep your setup as minimal as possible. I’m talking a small sling at most. The more you have on you, the more will get wet, and the more hassle you’ll have to deal with. On a rainy day I take one waterproof sling for my essentials, and the camera is on a cross body strap.

Shooting in the rain is so much fun, and you can truly walk away with some incredible photos. As long as you follow a few common sense precautions and accept that there will be a little extra hassle, it’s one of the best conditions you can photograph in.

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