It turns out that the Camera Canopy, first shown off near the beginning of this year, wasn’t a prank after all. It’s a real genuine product. When we found out they were going to be at PhotoPlus 2019, we had to go and see it in person for ourselves. So, we did. We went to the Camera Canopy stand and spoke to its inventor, Gerald Miller, and we took our cameras along with us.
Don’t be afraid of shooting in the rain – embrace it and do it often
Heading out into the wilderness to shoot photos during the rain isn’t something a lot of photographers think about. In fact, many of them do everything they can to keep their precious babies dry – even if many of them are far better weather-sealed than their owners realise. But going out to shoot in the rain can be a great experience.
In this video, woodland photographer Simon Baxter talks about why he loves shooting in the rain, things you might want to consider when shooting in the rain, and why you should probably do it more often.
Three cheap and easy tricks to make any location shot look cinematic using water
Ok, so, the title says “any location shot”, but it’s probably more like any outdoor location shot, when you think about things practically. Sure, you could use these tips indoors, too, although they wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense. But Ted at Indy Mogul talks to Phil Rhodes, writer at American Cinematographer in this video, to chat about water and how it can make a big difference to your shot.
The Camera Canopy is a plastic “roof” that stops your camera & lens from getting wet in the rain
This is another one of those photography products that’s either really dumb or absolute genius. I haven’t quite decided yet. Most photographers who shoot outdoors will have to deal with the rain at some point. Personally, I defend against it by using weather sealed gear. But that’s not an option for every photographer.
Devised by a small team in Brooklyn, the Camera Canopy is another way around that problem. It’s essentially an acrylic roof that attaches to your hotshoe and goes over your camera and lens, protecting it from the rain falling down from above. Seems logical, right?
20+ gorgeous backlit rainy photos and a tutorial on how to take them
When it’s pouring rain, taking outdoor portraits is not the first thing most of us would do. But Japan-based photographer Ilko Alexandroff uses the rain to his advantage. He takes amazing backlit portraits in the rain, and they make it worth getting wet. In his latest video, he shares plenty of his gorgeous backlit rainy portraits. He will give you a tutorial on how to take them, from light position to camera settings. And of course, he’ll give you some advice how to protect your camera and strobes so the rain doesn’t ruin them.
This portable tent looks funny, but keeps you and your gear safe from rain
After the article about the hands-free umbrella, plenty of people said that, in some cases, it simply wouldn’t be enough. Indeed, sometimes the rain is too strong. And when it’s paired with the wind, an umbrella alone doesn’t protect you and your gear well enough from the rain. But this is where Under the Weather portable pods can come to the scene. These wearable and portable tents serve to protect you and all your precious gear from rain and wind, and they can even keep you warm. It looks hilarious, but it seems that it works.
This “hands free umbrella” is either most genius idea ever for shooting in the rain or the dumbest
Shooting in the rain is a big concern for many photographers. Especially if you live in a country with somewhat unpredictable weather. I’ve shot in the rain plenty of times over the years, but I’m usually using weather sealed equipment that can handle it. In more extreme weather, I’ve even tried some of the DSLR raincoats. Sometimes, though, the raincoat isn’t practical, and I don’t really want to push the limits of that weather sealing.
Now, though, we have another option. The “Nubrella”, a hands-free… well, it says it’s an umbrella, but it’s more a backpack style mobile canopy. It’s a very unusual design, and it likely holds up well to the rigours of rain. But at what cost? How much is your dignity worth to you? Here, let Nubrella founder & CEO, Alan Kaufman, show you how it works.
This amazing storm timelapse makes rainclouds look like floating waterfalls
When I’m heading out location scouting or to do a shoot, we often drive through rain 3 or 4 times before we get there. The weather around here is full of all sorts of different microclimates, some small, some large. So it’s not uncommon to see columns of rain coming down in the distance.
Rarely, though, are they as dramatically beautiful as they are in this video from photographer and filmmaker Mike Olbinski. This timelapse film took over 85,000 frames and 36 days of shooting to complete. It’s stunning work, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Pouring rain is your shot at spectacular portraits
Pouring rain can be an excuse to stay home and do nothing. It can also be a great opportunity to go outside and use the elements at your advantage. Japan based photographer Ilko Allexandroff (interview) is maybe the master of shooting stunning portraits in the rain. You know what, it only takes perseverance and some knowledge to turn a rainy night into your playground.
Ilko uses a very consistent 2 lights setup, a soft(ish) front light and a hard backlight. The front light – a Nissin MG8000 with a 60×60 foldable softbox – lights the model, while the backlight – another Nissin – does a double duty. It freezes the rain drops and provides a kicker light. Both lights are triggered using a Cactus V6 trigger.
Protect your gear from rain and snow for less than $1
These days, most cameras and lens build quality is pretty high. Even if not completely weather sealed they can still take quite a lot of abuse from nature. Sometimes, though, you do want to take the extra step to protect your kit.
Landscape Photographer Benjamin Jaworskyj has a great tip to help cover your gear at virtually no cost. I used to use one of the more expensive solutions. It worked rather well, but it always did feel like overkill. This solution is much easier, and uses less room in your camera bag.
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