Cohesion - Don't Let a Little Rain Stop You

It's been an incredibly hot and dry summer here in the northeast. Day after day of 90 degree heat and clear blue skies tick by with regularity. While I personally enjoy the heat, the clear skies don't make for the optimum of shooting conditions. A hazy sky will soften the suns rays and eliminate harsh shadows, puffy white clouds floating across the sky will add interest to a blank slate, and storm clouds hold the promise of rain that can transform a parched landscape from arid to lush.

The principles of cohesion cause like molecules within a substance to be attracted to each other. The way that mercury beads together is the optimum example of this property. Water also exhibits this same attraction. One afternoon, I was sitting in a small town diner having lunch while waiting for an appointment. As I sipped my icy drink, I was looking out the window watching the locals walk by and the wind begin to pick up. The sky darkened and a late afternoon thunderstorm rolled in to town and the rain began to fall. As quickly as it started, the wind subsided and the downpour slowed to a mist. I still had some time to kill, so I paid my check and grabbed my camera bag as I headed for the door. The air outside had cooled significantly, and everything had a temporary sense of newness.

ISO 400 ----- 60mm ----- f3.2 ----- 1/640th

Walking up and down the street, everything looked much different than it had an hour ago. The dust was cleared from the air, and the buildings glistened with moisture as the post-storm sunlight peeked through the breaking clouds. The plants sighed with relief as their roots pulled up their much needed moisture from the newly dampened soil.

Take advantage of these times. Rain will change the way things look and often add some character to your subjects. Don't be afraid of a little rain, and clouds are always welcome. Cloud cover will add hours of usable shooting light to your day, and when time is always a precious commodity, that is a very good thing.