Your tips for shooting in overcast?

[NathanCH]

I live in Vancouver and I think Vancouver is somewhat infamous in Canada for grey skies in the winter months. Right now it's actually beautiful sunny day, but I'm going to be doing some photography during the Olympics next week and I want to prepare for the imminent overcast weather.

What are you best tips for shooting under grey clouds?

 

[Stratification]

My first tip would be to avoid having sky in the frame, or minimize it, especially if it's particularly flat grey. Also since lighting will be very flat watch for places where the light is doing something interesting. And if you're careful to watch your shutter speed it can actually be pretty decent light for photos involving people or places where harsh shadows interfere. You won't ever find softer light. My thoughts anyhow, interested to see what others think.

 

[pdxflint]

If you go up to the snow areas remember to check your exposures as they'll likely tend to be underexposed. You could also try to visualize your shots for b/w conversion later. Often when the light seems really dull for color it's actually perfect for black and white. And it would be different from the majority of stuff likely to emphasize all the color of flags, athletic gear and bright winter jackets, etc. Shoot as if you've got black and white film in your camera (but don't switch it to monochrome - keep in RAW.)

 

[ChrisA]

I live in Vancouver and I think Vancouver is somewhat infamous in Canada for grey skies in the winter months...

Tips? First off "overcast" is the best lighting you could ask for. The worst would be a blue cloudless sky. Why? On a clear day the difference between the directly lit areas and the shadows is such that no digital camera can capture both areas at the same time. But on an overcast day the light is much lower in contrast. You can get better color and fewer blown highlights.

The best tip for shooting in direct sunlight is to use some fill flash to bring the shows up and expose for the highlights. On over cast days if you want to add a bit of snap because the light is so flat flatsh helps but never use a camera mounted flash aimed directly at the subject, better flat then that