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3 Go minimalist
Don’t forget the rules of composition
just because it’s snowing. As well as
rules of thirds and leading lines, try
considering a square crop for a
minimalist snowscape. This can also
cut out distractions in a scene. Just
make sure you don’t crop so much
that essential picture information is
lost and you end up with a very small
fi le that won’t print well (though
there’s always Instagram)6 Be more creative with fl ash
While a camera-mounted fl ashgun is useful for
lighting up rain drops straight in front of you,
you can get really professional effects with
off-camera fl ash. Options include backlight with
silhouette, a simple set-up that just needs careful
exposure adjustment, or using a bare fl ash-head
behind the model and a refl ector at the front to
bounce light back onto their face. Or try placing
your subject near a large shop windows so their
facial shadows are lit up.4 Watch your fi lters
Attaching a UV fi lter in a rainstorm makes sense as you
can clean moisture off easily. Another good tip from
Melvin Nicholson is to use nano-coated glass fi lters,
rather than resin ones, as they are much easier to wipe
clean of rain or snow. ‘I like magnetic polarisers too as
they are easier to attach to the adapter, you don’t want to
be fumbling around in the wet or freezing cold.’ Always
carry a microfi bre cloth in the rain (shower caps, free
from hotels, are also great for keeping rain off your gear).
5 Get refl ective
Puddles, or neon lights refl ected
back on pavements, are an easy
win when shooting in wet
weather. A famous building,
such as the Eiffel Tower,
refl ected back in a puddle adds
a fresh creative twist, or check
out Nick Turpin’s wonderful
portraits of London night-bus
passengers behind wet windows© HELEN TRUST