A rainy day on the Oregon coast is the perfect time for some landscape photos.
Why are rainy days the best?
First, the soft subdued light makes for really nice photos. There are few shadows and everything has a bit of a glow about it.
Second, everything gets wet. This makes the rocks shine and the flowers sparkle.
Third, no crowds! The rain tends to keep the tourists away. Fewer tourists means easier access to the best spots. And when you get to a good spot you don’t have to wait for people to get out of the frame! Of course, fewer people also means fewer chances to get a person in the frame to give it scale. The picture above has 10 to 12 foot waves but they don’t look that big because there is nothing to give scale.
Fourth and last, rainy days can be stormy days and stormy weather give the most dramatic pictures. This is especially true along the coast.
So what is the downside to a rainy day? You get wet! And cold! You also better have a water sealed camera and lens. My Canon 50mm f/1.2 L is weather sealed (as long as it has a filter on the front) and so is my Canon 5d mkIV camera.
You might think the 50mm f/1.2 is not the greatest landscape lens ever. It would be more dramatic to have something wider. But I love my 50mm lens – it is compact, weather sealed, has great light gathering ability and produces wonderful colors.
Canon 50mm f.1,2 L | Canon 5d mkIV | 1/100 sec at f/9
