Photographing in the Rain

mekia02 · May 6, 2009

I did a search on this and only found 1 post about rain covers and there were no responses, so I thought I would ask this Q. Especially since I would like to submit to the MSA and it is currently raining outside.

Have you shot in the rain? How did you do it? I am thinking I would like to have a clear umbrella that attaches to some thing or I can stake in the ground and I could just shoot under it. Of course this would be in a light rain, with the rain falling straight down.
What do you guys think?

Shawn Dougherty · May 6, 2009

I've used a big golf umbrella with my 4x5, a little tedious but doable. If you've got an extra set of hands to help it would be a breeze.

I also find shooting out from the edge of shelters to be a viable option. All the best. Shawn

gminerich · May 6, 2009

Hi:

I use disposable plastic cake pan covers over my camera body and lens. You can find in the baking section at the grocery store. They are made of clear plastic with an elastic string around the edge. I stretch it over the body and lens then I cut a small hole for the viewfinder and the end of the lens. They are cheap and light. I carry a couple in my camera bag so they are always on hand for rain or snow.

nicefor88 · May 6, 2009

Rain at night gives great results especially with street lights reflections on wet pavement.
I used plastic bags to protect the material but I always found out that rain found a way to reach camera and lenses... There are special plastics sold for taking pictures at sea, tough.
I prefer to hide under something.

Christopher Walrath · May 6, 2009

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Plastic drug/grocery/anywhere store bags.

Uhner · May 6, 2009

Like Shawn I find that an umbrella works quite well, and given that there is no high wind I usually have no problem handling the umbrella and setting up a camera on a tripod. But then again, an extra pair of hands makes things a lot easier.

Do not, under any circumstance, attach the umbrella to the tripod or on another contraption that might fall on the camera in a gush of wind…

Bruce Watson · May 6, 2009

Shawn Dougherty said:
I've used a big golf umbrella with my 4x5, a little tedious but doable. If you've got an extra set of hands to help it would be a breeze.

Same here. LF in the rain is painful without a shooting partner. Thankfully my wife is willing and able to hold a golf umbrella over me and my camera on those rare occasions when it has to be done. She can look at the scene and tell as well as I can, so it doesn't take a lot of convincing either. She's one in a billion; I'm an extremely lucky guy.

pgomena · May 8, 2009

I cover my cameras with a white plastic garbage bag. When shooting in salt spray near the ocean, I put a UV filter over my lens. I regularly clean the outside of all my camera gear with a silicone-impregnated "gun & reel cloth" sold at any sporting goods store. I find it helps cameras shed moisture a little. Makes 'em look nice and shiny, too.

The golf umbrella solution for windless rainy days is a good one. You might find a Bogen super clamp and articulated arm to hold it for you. It will clamp right on to a tripod leg.

Peter Gomena

Terence · May 8, 2009

For 35mm or MF, I use the shower caps from hotels and secure the open end around the lens hood with a rubber band. The plastic is usually clear enough to compose and focus without cutting a hole in it. I always try to snag a few extra from the maids' carts in the morning on my way out.

I haven't tried shoooting 4x5 in the rain. At least not on purpose . . .

Reinhold · May 8, 2009

Bruce Watson said:
Same here. LF in the rain is painful without a shooting partner. Thankfully my wife is willing and able to hold a golf umbrella over me and my camera on those rare occasions when it has to be done. She can look at the scene and tell as well as I can, so it doesn't take a lot of convincing either. She's one in a billion; I'm an extremely lucky guy.

Bruce;

Make that 2 in a billion.

I've got the other one...
See her at work at: www.classicBWphoto.com
It wasn't raining steady that day, but the umrella was close by...

Reinhold

jp80874 · May 8, 2009

You don't say what size camera you are using.

I have hand held a 35mm with long telephoto at car races in the rain with a golf umbrella handle stuck down my shirt and caught under my belt. This was at the Grand Prix of Germany at Nurburgring about 1962, camping for three days of rain. People would approach laughing at the big red and white umbrella. As they got closer and saw I was dry and they were wet, they stopped laughing.

Today it is a little harder with the 7x17.

John Powers

bobwysiwyg · May 8, 2009

JP, sounds like you need a larger umbrella.

Ulrich Drolshagen · May 8, 2009

You are looking for something like this: http://www.fotobrenner.de/default.asp?UIDASP=0805200920402140636991399151&ARTNR=323516&UG=kata&Anzahl=29&Anf=21&Ende=30&SON=5&UE=0,0,0&MENPRO=&ES=0 There is a smaller version of this in the shop too. The shop is in Germany, may be you can find the product elsewhere.

Ulrich

Martin Aislabie · May 9, 2009

mekia02 said:
I did a search on this and only found 1 post about rain covers and there were no responses, so I thought I would ask this Q. Especially since I would like to submit to the MSA and it is currently raining outside.

Have you shot in the rain? How did you do it? I am thinking I would like to have a clear umbrella that attaches to some thing or I can stake in the ground and I could just shoot under it. Of course this would be in a light rain, with the rain falling straight down.
What do you guys think?

This is really easy you get wet

How ever wet you might be, you should try and keep your equipment as dry as possible.

For 35mm & MF, keep the camera under your coat or if on a tripod use a plastic bag over the camera.

Take it out when you want to shoot and put it back on as soon as possible.

When shooting 5x4 my darkcloth is waterproof, so I drape it over the lens and body when ever possible

I always use a lens cap to keep water off the front element and filter.

Its important to keep your Camera Bag closed so your other equipment remains dry.

Don't bring your camera back into the car without it being sealed inside a zip lock bag - or you get condensation on it which takes ages to clear.

Personally, I use a Gortex coat with a hood to keep as dry as possible

I have never mastered the art of photographing with an umbrella as I need both hands and arms to operate the camera, plus I find an umbrella acts like a sail in all but the lightest of breezes

Shooting in the wet has many advantages including fewer people around and rocks/pavement surfaces come "alive" with texture and tone.

The quality of light in the transition between sunshine and showers can be fabulous.

Have fun

Martin

nyoung · May 10, 2009

Best contraption - golf umbrella with handle down my back under my fly fishing vest with grip inside my belt.
Worst contraption - giant (55 gallon) clear plastic trash bag over my head, front element of lens poking through a hole in the plastic

jp80874 · May 10, 2009

bobwysiwyg said:
JP, sounds like you need a larger umbrella.

I don't know. I am already finding it difficult to get under the dark cloth wearing the golf umbrella with the handle stuck down my shirt.

John

MarkL · May 10, 2009

Have you looked into a clamp-on umbrella? Go to the bottom of this web page http://naturalperl.com/_wsn/page2.html to see one. It clamps onto a tripod leg and has a stiff but flexible gooseneck to adjust position. They're $35 + shipping I believe.

mekia02 · May 14, 2009

Since I am planning on taking some close ups of plants and/or other inanimate objects I think I will try to rig a platform to hold the umbrella and just bring the camera out covered and take it out under the umbrella. I'll see how that goes.

And I will try it with 35mm first then when I perfect how I am going to do this I'll pull out the MF.

Poisson Du Jour · May 14, 2009

Rain doesn't particularly trouble me or the camera, though rain on the lens front does; combined with fogging from the cold it can be quite a nuisance. If it's teeming down, I use a very tiny travel umbrella held above the camera when the exposure is made. During portage of the camera on the tripod in the rain, a waterproof nylon stuffsack (or better, a Hypalon seam-sealed bag) is slipped over the camera. One of these has yet to allow too much rain on the camera.

MurrayMinchin · May 14, 2009

It rains a bit where I live...here's my method;

Take pack off and prop on feet - take out small tarp and lay on soaking ground - lay pack on tarp - fold tarp over pack to protect camera bag from rain - set up tripod - put focusing cloth on tripod then a small rain poncho over cloth - put 4x5 under cloth, attach to tripod, and open camera - tie strings on camera's carrying handle through holes in focusing cloth - (I cut my cloth into a triangular shape with the 'top' of the triangle chopped off so the cloths lens board ends reach below the focusing knobs - I did this so I can move around under the cloth and it won't slide off the camera in the rain) - then the lens goes on - then the small rain poncho's neck gets snapped around the lens so that it overhangs the lens slightly - then it's business as usual despite monsoon rains or four foot snowfalls in a day.

Murray

Ken N · May 14, 2009

My 4x5 was a Crown Graphic. I really didn't worry about it getting wet, but usually ended up shooting it from under the opened lift-gate of my Cherokee. Got me out of the wind, too.

For 35mm, I cover my tripod-mounted camera outfit with a hotel showercap. Those are great. When taking the picture, I just pull it off for the exposure. A little water won't bother the rig. It's plenty tight. The "Ti" versions of the OM line are weather-sealed.

If conditions are extreme, I'm using my Di*ital Olympus E-1 which is one-step short of being a Nikonos.

Shangheye · May 14, 2009

I wear a backpack and then stuff the open umbrella between my back and the packpack. In many cases, I am able to tie it in to position. That means hand free and dry...works every time...but you end up having to keep you back quite straight Kal

Andrew Moxom · May 14, 2009

My low tech answer...... Take a gallon size ziploc bag, and place it open end down. Insert camera, prism finder, lens and film back into the bag and using a sharpie pen, and draw a line on one edge that is just a bit smaller than your lens diameter. Cut the line with a sharp knife and insert lens through the slit and push it just so the bayonet mount clears it and then install the lens hood. Then push down the the top of the bag onto the the viewfinder window and cut a slit like before. Push the prism finder eyepiece through it and secure with rubber band. You now have a portable sytsem that will take quite a soaking from above yet you can still get in underneath to crank the fillm wind, and to replace film backs etc. seems to work very well and it is SOOOOOOO cheap.

Jim Bradley · May 14, 2009

For 35mm and and MF I use a KATA raincover:
http://www.kata-bags.com/product.asp?p_Id=230&Version=Photo

For LF a golf umbrella and garbage bag(s)

MurrayMinchin said:
It rains a bit where I live...here's my method;

Murray

Indeed... annual precip ~ 2.7 METERS

JGB

Photographing in the Rain

Membership Council

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency