Photographing an overcast or cloudy day

Cady Grain Barn and Silos, Deer Grove, IL

8x 10 Fine Art prints available for $15

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Photographing landscapes, cityscapes, or any images that include an overcast sky can be a daunting task. Northern Illinois is (in)famous for overcast skies. I have even gone so far as giving this color a name...Illinois gray, or grey, if you prefer. But what can we do about it?

• Using a neutral density filter can be of service. This filter will reduce the contrast between the sky and your subjects without affecting the colors. A graduated ND filter provides a similar effect but instead of being uniform in color, the color gradually changes from dark to light. This can be beneficial when only wanting to add contrast to a specific (the sky or ground)part of the image.
• The color image I took above used a blue graduated filter to accentuate the sky. Another trick used in that pic was saturating the colors in Picasa 2
• Post production in your favorite photo editor may be considered "cheating" by some but the effects can rival fine art images or at least bring your personal sense of artistry to the final image.
• Shooting in black and white is another option. THat overcast sky won't look so dull when accomplished in monochrome.
• One last trick of the trade is to shift your focus from the skies and concentrate on the ground. Overcast days can be wonderful for portraits (no harsh shadows) or macro photography.

Take only pictures, leave only footprints

-ww