Shooting in the Rain

[mwfanelli]

What do you do when you go somewhere prepared to take a slew of great pictures, but the rain is pouring down? Do you just hold an umbrella in one hand, camera in the other? (Not so easy)

How much rainwater can a camera take - in my case a 30D?

I have shot in heavy fog, at Peggy's Cove & Acadia park in Maine, but rain has always led me to put my camera away.

Cameras are not that fragile. I have used film and digital Rebels in the rain as well as an EOS-3 and a slew of Pentax manual cameras. The key is not to leave them in the rain for long periods of time.

Use a lens hood to protect the lens from water droplets. Put the camera under a waterproof poncho when not it use. Carry a washcloth to wipe excess water from the camera.

The following was taken with a Rebel (film) camera at Longwood Gardens in the rain. Have fun!

[another view]

I have a bag like Gene's although not that fancy. Some guy on ebay was making and selling them a few years ago. Aqua Tech has some really nice ones geared for pros but they're not cheap.

Shooting in the rain can lead to some great shots but another trick is to make sure everything completely dries out once you're back inside. I start by wiping anything wet with a towel that I left in the car. Take everything out of the wet camera bag, leave it open and let it dry. Leave the equipment out to make sure it's completely dry too.