Pentax ME Super
Pentax Ilford HP5 5 best ways to shoot in bad weather
Shooting 35mm Nikon FA with Ilford HP5 Plus in the rain: https://youtu.be/jZalyJvSRhg
Where are you going? How are you going to get there? Which route are you going to take? What are the alternative options of getting there?
If one form of transport doesn't work, think about where you could divert and go through different routes, which might interest you. Use Google, go onto the maps, check them out, see what the places are like before you can even get there.
If you have a visual idea of where you're going to be working, you will focus on photography. Keep it light, small backpack waterproof with you, a waterproof for your camera. If you can't afford one of those, grab a plastic bag, chuck it into your bag. The last thing that you need when walking through rain or through bad weather is a heavy rucksack, which is getting heavier with the rain falling on it. Focus on keeping things as minimal and as light as possible.
Embrace the weather. It's going to rain in England. It's going to be windy, stay safe, but make sure that you have planned for the eventuality. Go through it. This way you will be prepared for that magic moment where someone might walk by in a certain way. Someone might do something in a certain way and you'll be ready with your camera to take that shot.
Always be aware of your surroundings, regardless of what is going on, focus on your goal. The amazing thing is that these clouds are going to act like a giant softbox. So you're going to get something lovely, even light if it's a subject or whatever it might be. Focus on using that as an advantage for you also take as a backup, a light metre that can be on your phone, or you can use a dedicated light metre. such as a Sekonic light metre. Both those options are going to really allow you to shoot really well, don't be afraid of the elements. Get out there, use that beautiful giant softbox that you're going to have for you as a backup, always get prepared, take a light metre with you on your phone, or a Sekonic light metre for example, you will get that shot for sure. Take loads and loads of film with you. You wanna have the option so that when you arrive at your destination, you might find that the weather might be a bit more variable.
The sun may have come out. It means that you can then change it up. Maybe you want to initially shoot with black and white, but now you decide colour might be a better option for you therefore have lots of rolls with you, chuck them in a freezer bag. Take them with you as they are light to carry. It gives you that little bit of flexibility when you're out there on the fly shooting.
If the conditions are cloudy and they're overcast, my recommendation is to shoot with Ilford HP5 Plus as it has amazing latitude. If you're not sure about what this is, then you can just check out my video here .
Ilford HP5 Plus will give you results in good lighting conditions, as well as terrible lighting conditions. Alternatively, you can use other 400 ISO film, whether it's colour or black and white, you should be able to get some good shots in that.
When you're shooting outside, think carefully about the theme that you're going to be shooting before you start going out to shoot. You should have done that in your prep work, your planning work so that when you are out there, you can focus on that and find the film that fits your goals.
What is it that you want to capture in that particular environment? What is that message that you want to communicate through images? Make sure that you're prepared and have lots of roll with you so that when you arrive on site with a focus on getting that shot in the best possible way possible.
You'll notice that I didn't talk much about the settings on your camera. What position needs to be in manual mode and the aperture settings. It's not important. Focus on your planning before you head out. Know your camera, go out and make sure that you understand how it works and what works best for you before you go out and shoot. That's fundamentally important in your planning phase.
Plan, plan, plan! When you do that, you're going to walk away knowing that you've done the best that you can to capture the best images in the circumstances that you had in bad lighting conditions you can do really well, as long as you have planned it out, and you have an idea in your mind of what you want to achieve.
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