Geographical location, weather, air quality and various other factors have an influence, too. For example, opportunities to shoot real sunset or the deep gold of late evening sun in the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur, PJ and surrounding areas), are usually possible only from December till late February every year. This is because the Klang Valley area, as it is known, is situated in a giant valley where pollutants and cooler tropical air are more likely to be trapped throughout the year and blocked out the sunlight. If you are living in Penang, Malacca, Johor or across the Causeway in Singapore, the chances are better, like 10 months in a year because of their locations, which are nearer or surrounded by the sea. While natural sunlight may start as early as 8am (in Malaysia) and lasts until 5.30pm in late afternoon on a normal, rain-free day, shooting at midday can be unpleasant at times. This is due to the direct overhead illumination of sunlight which can create harsh contrasts between highlight and shadow details. This is especially true when shooting is conducted between 12 noon to 2pm periods. However, even though shooting pictures at this period of the day may not be highly recommended, sometimes certain subject matters will work just fine especially when you want a high degree of contrast difference to show the textures between highlights and shadow. For portraits or photographs of people that are photographed under such harsh lighting conditions, they will not look attractive because of the harsh shadows that formed on the faces. This does not mean you should never take your camera outside during the middle of the day but you should be more aware of the possible problems involved then. You can still shoot portraits under such conditions by placing your subject under the shaded area, like the shadows of buildings, trees or other large objects. However, bear in mind that your subject may have a slight greenish effect if photographed under the shade of a tree. This portrait of my girlfriend, Sammi Cheng (right), who is also Hong Kong's reigning Queen of CantoPop, was photographed under open shade; the afternoon sunlight was shielded by a tall building beside us. The direction of the sunlight was coming from above, on my right. Notice the reflection of the sun/building from her sunglasses. Like most photographers, I do not like the idea of shooting anything when the weather turns havoc. Still, you will find press photographers or photojournalists will continue shooting even when the weather is not in their favour. This is because it is also their job to record events of any natural disaster caused by bad weathers. My previous experiences as a press photographer had enabled me to see things in a different way when it comes to shooting pictures when the weather has turned bad. Of course, protecting one's equipment against the rain is essential, I am not suggesting that anyone should stand in the rain and exposed one's equipment in order to make a picture during bad weather. One method is by using a telephoto or zoom lens where you can shoot the events or moments of what most people will be doing during bad weather conditions. Such atmospheres can be chaotic so make sure you are shooting from places or shelters that can keep you and your equipment dry from the harsh conditions. Shooting from inside your car, with or without the car's windows been winded down is another example of how to keep shooting whenever it rains or snow. You can also shoot through the glass or windows of public buildings from where you might be in. Lighting conditions during bad weather can be very low. If it happens during the morning or afternoon, the light may still be bright enough for you to shoot with ISO 100 film although you may need to use lenses having maximum aperture of f/2.8 to do so. With zoom lenses having variable maximum apertures, you are better off with using films having ISO 200 or 400 film speeds. Colour negative films works best for most shooting situations done during bad weathers. A wide-angle lens or a wide-angle zoom lens is also perfect for those shots that are only a few feet away from you during rainy season. Scenes like the traffic coming to a snarl or people hurrying to get to the sidewalks to avoid the rain are some examples. Aside from having very low lighting, lack of contrast or simply a scene full of greys and blacks without punchy colours are normal in bad weather photography. The exception will be when you happen to be shooting in a public park, city scenes full of neon lights or other colourful images. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 .