Cloudy Day Recommendations

[mtlc]

Hello,

I'm looking for some tips for cloudy day photography. Usually I just head out when it's sunny because I like shadows, wanted to get out in the next few days but the weather says it will be cloudy. Am wondering if anyone has any tips they use on overcast days?

The Details
Camera: Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex
Film: Fomapan 120 ISO 100 and Illford 120 PanF Plus ISO 50
Subjects: buildings, water, landscape
Filters: Yellow and Green

Thanks!

 

[BrianShaw]

Use the faster film and be aware that the images could be a bit flat. Other than that, have a good time.

 

[MattKing]

Cloudy days make for the best photographs of people.
They give you light that combines both diffusion and direction, along with easily controllable highlights and open, detail filled shadows.
For example:

or if you prefer:

 

[Paul Howell]

By cloudy do you complete overcast or broken clouds with white billowy clouds?

 

[MattKing]

Or even:

Clouds are your friends.

 

[Vaughn]

Working in the forest on overcast days can present quite a bit of controlable contrast...

But the best time I found to work was 10am to 2pm...give or take. The overcast creates a giant softbox.

4x10 Carbon Print
Prairie Creek redwoods State Park

 

[koraks]

Am wondering if anyone has any tips they use on overcast days?

Expose your Fomapan and PanF+ at box speed and develop fiercely; I wouldn't hesitate to overdevelop by 30% or so, or even more depending on the subject matter. Overcast, dreary weather can be great for recording textures if you boost contrast in development and/or printing/scanning.

These images I shot a few days ago on a cloudy day with light that varied from cloudy-but-bright to downright dreary. 35mm Fomapan 100, cooked the bejeezus out of it in development, printed on Adox MCP:

So, assuming you're going out to shoot some pictures for sake of the photos and not because you want to record something very specific, I'd suggest looking for suitable subject matter that works in the light you've got. Having a massive softbox up in the sky is actually a benefit if you use it to your advantage.

 

[mtlc]

Thanks everyone, very helpful!

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks everyone, very helpful!

This will be almost an insult to your knowledge if you are an experienced film user but I'll risk it and say just remember that if it is very cloudy and you do decide to give the film extra development then just make sure that you finish the film in those conditions. If half the film is taken in very cloudy condition and several days or weeks later you take the rest in sunny conditions the latter shots will be considerably overdeveloped

pentaxuser

 

[bernard_L]

Working in the forest on overcast days can present quite a bit of controlable contrast...

Overcast + tree cover ==> make sure you bring a tripod.

 

[Sirius Glass]

For an overcast day, I use a yellow or an orange filter. One should note that if the day is overcast, no filter will "cure" a truly dull sky. One must muster their compositional skills to cure that.

 

[Vaughn]

Overcast + tree cover ==> make sure you bring a tripod.

This was an hour exposure -- bring a good book or a pillow -- I took a nap.

Branches, Trinidad State Beach
4x10 carbon print

 

[Paul Howell]

If there is lot of dark green foliage I tend to use a green filter or light yellow.

 

[tom williams]

I'm looking for some tips for cloudy day photography. Usually I just head out when it's sunny because I like shadows, wanted to get out in the next few days but the weather says it will be cloudy. Am wondering if anyone has any tips they use on overcast days?

I've heard it said by professional and amateur botanists that cloudy days are best for plant photography. I've experienced this myself, through a number of field trips with the New Mexico Native Plant Society a decade or so ago. A collapsible diffusion screen was a must-have accessory for sunny days.

 

[SilverShutter]

Overcast and 100 speed film? 125th of a second, and 5.6 and you will be fine. The nice thing about overcast days is that the light is very stable, and metering becomes silly simple. I find it way more difficult on sunny days, because the contrast of shadows and direct light can be hard to judge. Here in Ireland, if you dont go out when its cloudy, then you would spend most of your days indoors without any pictures taken. Just embrace the atmosphere of cloudy and foggy days.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

... One should note that if the day is overcast, no filter will "cure" a truly dull sky. One must muster their compositional skills to cure that.

I love this!

 

[loccdor]

On a cloudy day with dull light I would prefer the Pan F+ to the Fomapan due to the increased contrast if recording fine detail is your goal. However, Fomapan can make a wonderful, grainy low contrast mood under overcast skies.

Stepping outside of the two films mentioned, for extremely dull light I even like to use microfilm like Agfa Copex Rapid, it has extreme contrast, it picks up bark on trees beautifully and is much harder to use in sunny weather. I would say it's at least twice as contrasty as Pan F+.

 

[koraks]

Branches, Trinidad State Beach

Lovely - and great story, too! The longest exposures I've suffered through were about a cigarette. But I no longer smoke, so I try to keep it limited to a second or two these days.

@loccdor very nice texture indeed.

 

[mtlc]

This was an hour exposure -- bring a good book or a pillow -- I took a nap.

Branches, Trinidad State Beach
4x10 carbon print

Wow! That's amazing!

 

[mtlc]

This will be almost an insult to your knowledge if you are an experienced film user but I'll risk it and say just remember that if it is very cloudy and you do decide to give the film extra development then just make sure that you finish the film in those conditions. If half the film is taken in very cloudy condition and several days or weeks later you take the rest in sunny conditions the latter shots will be considerably overdeveloped

pentaxuser

No insult! I'm relearning film after about a 14 year hiatus, thanks for passing this on!

 

[pentaxuser]

No insult! I'm relearning film after about a 14 year hiatus, thanks for passing this on!

No problem

pentaxuser

 

[Vaughn]

Wow! That's amazing!

Thanks. I used my TLR (Rolleicord) while I was in Japan for 4 weeks around the New Year. Mostly sunny...I could have used some more cloudy days! I tried to use a whole roll in the same light conditions and then take note of it for processing, but basically failed. So my negs are all over the place, but printable for the most part. I'll be making contact prints directly from the negatives (alt processes).

The Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex looks to be a great camera.