Cloudy days do have advantages, for example, you can take photos almost anywhere, at any time, and don’t have to limit yourself to the shade until golden hour.
I do love golden skin tones and backlit hair, and am OK with staying in the shade knowing the payoff is gorgeous lighting at the end. However, learning to work under all weather and lighting conditions is crucial in order be a successful photographer.
Some tips that I have found helpful during the years:
1. Try using a reflector to give your images some contrast. This will add some dimension and reduce shadows. If you’re on a budget, use a reflector with golden to add warmth to the subject’s skin. I don’t personally like this look as much and when using a golden reflector, I prefer to focus on hair rather than the face.
I only use a silver reflector during urban photoshoots, it’s too harsh and shiny for nature photoshoots.
2. Find the sun: even if it’s not obvious, figure out where the sun is located behind cloud coverage. If you have experience taking photos outdoors you will know exactly where it is.
I take portraits in Colorado, near Denver, Golden, Lakewood and so on, so it’s typically too sunny until clouds come in late afternoon. I would love it if overcast in the mornings too! I know to either have my customer face west or if I want a bit of backlighting with their backs to the sun.
If I use a fill light I put it on low. If it’s really overcast and gloomy, you’ll have to bump up your ISO, a lens with a 2.8 or lower f-stop comes in handy to avoid getting grainy pics. Be careful when using off camera flash and a dark background! The last thing you want is for your subject to look even lighter when your background is already dark.
3. Ask your customer to wear color: Adding pops of color will really help with a dreary day and lighting. You can also bring colorful props or flowers. I really like hats or colorful accessories. I added a bunch of ideas on Magdalena Images Pinterest Page.
4. Look around for contrasts: lines, interesting angles and shapes. An urban photoshoot might be more interesting than a nature photoshoot in these circumstances. Another option is sticking to black and whites. I like to convert manually in post-processing for the most interesting looks and adjusting colors gives you lots of control. Lowering your Highlights or masking/darkening the sky or even replacing they sky in Photoshop is a good solution to blown out skies. This feature is easier than ever! Here are some examples of senior photos taken on a very cloudy overcast day.
5. Make sure you are taking photos in RAW so you can change your white balance later. I tend to pick Cloudy on cloudy days, but sometimes photos appear too yellow. FAKE the sun, I love doing this too, using a gel inside one of might off-camera flashes and pointing it at hair.
6. Treat your outdoor surroundings like a photography studio. When I want interesting light inside the studio I’m always thinking about subtracting and adding light somehow. V-Flats are useful as long as there isn’t any wind!
Cloudy days make a lot of things easier as you can work out in an open field the entire photoshoot. There are challenges, but taking photos in Mother Nature has amazing rewards too! Because evenings bring wind, I always bring an assistant to help create the best portraits by using different tools and techniques and having a second pair of hands to help out in every situation.
7. Keep Learning and Experimenting: Lastly, never stop learning and trying out new techniques and ideas! I’m currently taking a lot of AI photoshop classes. Find photos on Instagram to inspire you! You’re welcome to check my Instagram page out! These are mostly Senior Class Photos taken outdoors near Denver, Littleton, Arvada, Golden and Lakewood. Embrace challenges, try new techniques, and your creativity.
We work in Denver, Colorado and surrounding areas, including, Lakewood, Golden, Arvada, Littleton, Morrison, Aurora, Evergreen, Conifer and in the mountains. We can also travel, please contact to discuss your needs.
