Photography Time - Shooting in dull, overcast weather

Introduction

Welcome to photography time (really original name, I know), the section of the blog giving tips and advice on photography. We are not professionals but we have picked up a fair amount of knowledge which we would like to share. We will try and post photographic advice relating to the places we have visited and written about in the previous posts. This should give some continuity to the whole thing and hopefully make it easier to understand what we are talking about.

Our first two outings were in pretty dreich (that's a Scottish word for dull and miserable) weather conditions so it seems logical that this first post should give some advice on shooting in these conditions.

Cloud Diffuser

On dull and overcast days you have a lot of cloud cover. Often this will be a flat blanket of cloud all over the sky.  This has the effect of acting like a massive soft box on the sunlight hidden behind it, diffusing the light all across the clouds. Why is this a problem? Well, because of the dull, low light you can be tricked into thinking the sky is darker than it actually is. You shoot merrily away and then come home to find out all the snaps have a sky blown out to eye-popping bright white, loosing what little definition there is in the sky. Depending on the camera it will handle auto-exposure differently but from my experience in these conditions, the sky very often blows out when the foreground is at the correct exposure.

Of course, skies blowing out is a problem in any weather but because of the way the light gets spread across the blanket of cloud on a dull day, it can effect more of the sky than on a sunny day and be harder to spot in advance.

Solution: Don't over expose the sky. This can be done in a number of ways:

• Altering the exposure compensation setting on your camera
• Altering the cameras exposure point to expose for the sky rather than the foreground (although this may make the image too dark in some cases)
• If shooting in manual mode, increasing the shutter speed.
• Use a graduated ND (neutral density) filter on the lens to reduce the amount of light coming into the camera from the sky. This will cause problems if you have foreground objects jutting over the horizon.
• Use HDR. I will not go into HDR just now but I will do a full post on it at a later date.

Hopefully, depending on what camera you use, one of these options should be available to you. In addition, if you can view the histogram I recommend you use it to help identify blow outs.

The foreground is correctly exposed but the sky is blown out,
losing what little definition there was and producing a
glaringly bright wall of white.

By slightly underexposing you can stop the sky
blowing out and retain what little definition there is.
The foreground can then be lightened in post-processing
giving a more natural picture and a slightly more
interesting sky.

Voila! The previous photo with a bit of post-processing to
lighten the foreground. Notice how the sky
still has some tone and definition which would
have been lost if it had blown out

Contrast and Definition

In dull conditions images can look flat and lifeless. The more direct sunlight in sunnier conditions provides more contrasting elements which brings more definition to objects in the photo. On dull days, the dull, diffuse light does not.

Solution: There isn't really a great deal you can do about this as the camera only captures what is out there. The only real solutions are to either buy a better camera. Higher end camers and lenses will provide better contrast and definition although the difference may be negligable in such conditions. Or, to tweak the image in post-processning. This can be done in-camera by altering whatever settings are available which govern how your camera coverts the RAW image data to jpg, and / or with external software afterards. Using external software needn't be a complex process and the example below just took me 5 mins to do.

The image as it was shot from the camera. Notice how I deliberately underexposed it to stop the sky
blowing out and retain definition.

Literally 5 mins using Lightroom and I have been able to make a dramatic difference.

Low Light

On dull days there will obviously be less light available as the clouds are blocking our light source the sun. This can cause a number of problems depending on how your camera is set. On cameras set to automatic mode or on mobile phones, it is likely to compensate for the low light by ramping up the ISO. If you have a camera where you can set the ISO manually and have the ISO fixed at a low value, it will result in either a lengthing of the shutter speed or a widening of the aperture.   

Solutions: The best solution is to use a tripod or monopod to stabilise the camera. This will allow you to retain a low ISO value and keep a suitable aperture without worrying about camera shake and motion blur from the reduced shutter speed. You can also try resting your camera on a fixed object to help stabilise it. If none of these options are available and you have to take the photo hand-held hen the following options are available. Which one to use is a matter of preference depending on what you want from your photo.

• Setting the ISO higher will result in faster shutter speeds but will increase image noise
• Keeping a low ISO and a smaller aperture will retain image quality and depth of field but will result in a slower shutter speed which can cause camera shake and motion blur
• Opening the aperture will result in faster shutter speeds but will reduce depth of field which can be problemtic if there are prominent foreground objects in the photo.

Another point is to watch which filters you have on your lens. Some filters such as polarisers can reduce the exposure by a number of stops. Only put such filters on if you really need them in these conditions.

Weather Sealing

One last point. On dull days there is a good chance it will rain or even snow. If your camera is not weather sealed then it could get damaged by the precipitation so put it away in a safe, dry place until the rain stops.

Summary

Shooting on dull days can be challenging for the reasons listed above and the end results can be disappointing. However, if you get your camera set right and maybe use a bit of subtle post-processing there is no reason you can't get some good snaps.

Barry Mill - Down to the Dingly Dell

Barry Mill
Parking	Car park provided off Mill Road
Distance	Approx 1.5 miles
Height / Ascent	Less than 20m
Bogginess	3 / 5
Strenuosity	1 / 5
Other Info	None

 

Introduction

 

A week later after out first little excursion we decided to go out exploring again. Like last time, the weather was pretty crappy (you get used to it in this part of the world) so again, we opted against venturing too far. After a quick look at the map we decided to head along to Barry Mill. It ticked all the boxes; it was close by, it had a nice, well maintained Listed building as a centrepiece, and it was free (or so we thought). Ideal place for photo opportunites. So with gusto, we jumped into the car and got going.

Getting There

 

Barry Mill is a doddle to get to. Its located approximately 2 miles west of Carnoustie just off Mill Road. You can access Mill Road either from the small village of Barry or from the A92, the dual carraigeway between Arbroath and Dundee. Once on Mill Road there is a turn off for the Mill approximately half way down the road. It's well signposted all the way so it's hard to miss. Once you turn off Mill Road you have a short stretch down a dirt road before reaching the car park.

A word of note: The dirt track leading to the car park is pretty rough and has a fair peppering of potholes. Thus, I wouldn't recommend taking any low slung sports cars down it. Unless, of course, you like carrying your exhaust home in the boot.

Not like that's a problem I have. The old Megane merrily bounces over the potholes with the exhaust only occasionaly clanking on the ground.

So, after a short journey and a few smacks on the undeside of the car, we reach the car park and head out towards the Mill.

The Miller's Tale

 

When we get out of the car we head down the small path leading down to the Mill and are greeted by this information board. Oh oh, it's owned by the National Trust, which usually means it's time to get your hands in your pockets and pay. And sure enough, you have to pay to get into the Mill itself but thankfully car parking is free and you can walk around outside the mill without having to pay (I think.).

That aside, the information board helpfully details the walk around the Mill

The Information Board for Barry Mill

Just beyond the info board sits the mill itself and it's quite impressive. It's a Category A-Listed watermill and it's still operational so it would be good to see it's inner workings. But screw that, we are not paying £6.50 each to go inside and see it so we will have to make do with going around the outside. Thankfully, you get plenty of nice angles to photograph the building in it's idyllic surroundings and you can see some of the waterwheel from outside. So after getting our photographic fill of the main attraction we head down the mill lade walk.

The impressive looking Barry Mill

We go trotting down the leafy walk by the lade. It's a very beautiful walk through a lightly wooded area and we are getting plenty of nice snaps. Shame the weather wasn't a bit better but at least there are some blue skies starting to peep through. A bit down the path we come across this little pond with a family of swans living in it. A great photo opportunity in itself but we were lucky that one of the swans was a right poser and kept swimming back and forth in front of us. The only downside was the far end of the pond had a bit of a problem with algal bloom. And by a bit of problem, I mean it was absolutely covered in it. C'mon National Trust. At £6.50 a pop you must be raking it in so get your finger out and clean up the pond.

The small pond along the mill lade walk

As we walked further down the path and things started to get a bit muddy and boggy. As nice as it was walking down the path with the little stream by its side, I wouldn't recommend wearing your best shoes to do it in. At the end of the path we are greeted by a wonderful waterfall which sits at the far end of the walk. The views to it are not that great from the path so we decided to clamber down the embankment and hop across the rocks to get better views. It wasn't too treacherous getting down there and it gave us much better views of the waterfall.

Mike getting his fill of the waterfall

After we had finished with the waterfall we started to head back. After a while of trudging back along the muddy path we take the other path back, away from the stream. The grassy path here is thankfully less boggy and it takes us along into a wonderfully idyllic little dingly dell.

The grassy path on the mill lade walk

The dingly dell is a cute little alcove in the woods. Some logs have been left out to sit on and there is an area for a campfire. Although it seemed very pleasant here we both kinda sensed a sinister undertone. It gave us both an unnerving feeling like something that would be used in some wierd ritual or something. I think we have both seen too many tacky horror flicks.

The dingly dell (a bit freaky, isn't it?)

Once we had been suitably freaked out by the dingly dell we headed back along the path and back to the mill. Just beside the mill sits a small orchard and a few sheep so there were a good few photo opps there as well. So we snapped up and packed up and headed off.

One of the resident sheep at the mill.

Heading Home - Reflection

 

It didn't take long walking around the mill even with our constant stopping to take photos. When we got back we had a quick flick through the snaps and were far more pleased with the results. Once again, we were both snap happy but there ws far more to photograph here and we definitely got a far better haul of snaps. All in all it was a good day out that yielded good results. Just a pity the weather wasn't better to get some of that sunny sky action into the photos.

Worth a Visit?

 

Definately worth a visit. Its easy to get to and most of it is free. The walk around the mill and along the lade is very idyllic and has plenty to see considering how short a walk it is. There is also picnic benches set out around the mill if you fancy having a little family outing. We think the entry fee to the mill is excessive but i'm sure its interesting inside (just not £6.50 interesting that's all) but there are concession rates as well.

Carnoustie Beach Where it all began!

Carnoustie Beach
Parking	Small car park shown on map. Easy to access from town centre. No parking charges
Distance	Variable depending on how far you want to walk along the beach
Height / Ascent	0 - It' a beach
Bogginess	1 / 5
Strenuosity	1 / 5
Other Info	None

Introduction

It all started on a rainy day last year in April. I was over at Mike's and we needed something to do. We could stay inside and play through the Ramones back catalogue on the guitars again or we could maybe do something different. So we came up with the idea of going out and taking some photos. We both had a passing interest in photography but had never taken it very seriously so it seemed like a top plan.  Next we had to pick a destination. A quick look outside told us the weather was shit. The usual dull, dreary day you get used to here, so we decided it was best not to venture too far in case it started lashing down with rain. So we plumped for a trip down to Carnoustie beach. It was nearby and surely had some potential for interesting snaps even when the weather was crap. So we grabbed our cameras, jumped in the car and set off....

Getting Parked

 
First off we had to get down to the beach. It's really simple to find as it's down on the coast (surprise, surprise). If you get on the main street through Carnoustie, the A930 (or Dundee Street as it is more affectionately known) you just have to take one of the turn offs down to the coast. The signposts tell you to turn down Station Road at the east side of the town but you have to go over a level crossing down there so there is a chance of getting stuck for a while if the gates are down. Ferrier Street or Links Avenue a bit further to the west are better options as they have underpasses under the rail line.

A word of note:  Carnoustie is terrible to drive through. The main street (the A930) realistically can only accommodate the width of two cars. The Council have marked out many bays for on-street parking at the side of the street, bottlenecking the traffic down to a single lane in many places. This trend can also be seen down many other of the town's narrow streets, so be prepared for a frustrating stop-start journey driving down to the beach (or getting to anywhere else in Carnoustie for that matter)

Anyhow, back to the directions. Once you take one of the roads down to the coast you will hit Links Parade which is the road running along the coast of the town. The car park is located on this road near the train station. It's marked on the map above and you really can't miss it. It's actually pretty good as far as car parks go. It's spacious, well surfaced and free. Top marks to the Council this time.

So anyway, me and Mike haul ass down to the beach car park which was unsuprisingly quite empty on this rainy weekday. Once there, we grab our cameras and head out to brave the elements.

Down on the Beach - What's There?

 

Once we jump out of the car we are greeted with a nicely manicured footpath. This footpath runs all the way along the front in Carnoustie and continues on beside the golf course to the west. Beyond that lies the beach itself. Good stuff! We have a little wander down the path and are greeted by a bunch of giant lorries. The carny's are in town! I'm sure the kids will love it.

The footpath along the top of the beach. 
The carnival was in town today

Further along to the west we notice a playpark. As tempting as a shot on the roundabout seemed, we thought we would give it a miss and head off the path and down onto the beach itself.

Looking west towards Barry. The
playpark off in the distance.

Once on the beach we were pleasantly surprised. It's a pretty decent beach. Wide streches of golden sand, not too rocky and relatively clean. That being said, although a clean beach is nice to see, a bit of junk lying around provides some good photographic opportunites. Although it was misty, there were still good views back to Carnoustie to the east and westward along the more craggy shoreline. We were certainly getting our flll and snapping away like there was no tomorrow at everything we could find.

Looking east back to Carnoustie

We walked further along to the west and came across this small stream and a metal bridge. Again a nice photo opportunity so snappity snap we went. By the time we reached here the weather was really closing in and we had run out of things to photograph (there really wasn't that many to begin with on reflection) so we decided to call it a day and head back.

A small stream and footpath bridge

 

Heading Home - Relection

 

It was a fairly short journey but after we got back we congratulated ourselves on a job well done and we looked with anticipation at the photos we had taken. Unfortunately, they weren't that great. The poor weather didn't help leaving the photos quite lifeless and dull. However, we also realised we needed a lot more skill and practise with a camera to get top notch shots as we were making some amateurish mistakes. Not least, snapping like crazy at stuff that really doesn't make for a great photo. However, all in all it was a good day and we were pretty fired up about where we could head out to on our next journey.

Worth a visit?

 

Carnoustie has a pretty good beach. It is fairly clean and isn't covered in rocks. There is a playpark and other visitor attractions so it's well geared up for family outings. Over and above that there isnt really much to see and not much to photograph other than the beach itself with some pleasant, if not particularly exciting, views down the coast.