The Mood of the Season

Nature at its Best

When it rains, pay attention to nature around you. The brown earth looks young and pleasing. Greens start to emerge in long grasses, dry and sandy beds flow with water, rocks start drawing attention to their glossy surfaces and flowers bloom.

Using a macro lens or the Macro mode of your compact camera, you can photograph close-ups of the raindrops that hang from leaves and petals. Pay attention to the background while making such photos and observe the reflection formed inside the droplet. The freshness of a nature park should be enough to motivate you to get out of the house!

Draw attention to one main element in your frame to avoid clutter. Photograph/Herman Chan

The Quiet of the Monsoon

As soon as the intensity of rain decreases, things automatically calm down. The entire atmosphere of a landscape or a street changes in a second. Making pictures during this quiet time will help you show another side of the monsoon.

Droplets cling to wire grills and fences, while a few people still keep their umbrellas open, anticipating more rain. Puddles grow still and reflections become clear. You can use these to make moody images of dark clouds and sombre trees.

Chaos, Hustle and Bustle

The English nursery rhyme, ‘Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day’, perfectly describes how we run for cover when it begins pouring. As soon as the droplets start pouring thick and fast, chaos ensues. People hurriedly remove their umbrellas out, hold a newspaper above their heads, or find a dry spot where they can wait for the worst of the rain to pass.

Puddles offer an oppourtunity to photograph interesting reflections. Photograph/Rick Pollock

At such a time, instead of trying to escape the rain, keep calm and observe your surroundings. In a busy market, you will find vendors scurrying to cover their goods with plastic sheets, or carrying their wares and baskets to a dry storage space.

You can even look for an aerial vantage point such as a skywalk, a bridge or even a terrace or balcony, to shoot traffic, waterlogging and troubled commuters.

Varied Expressions

Not everyone dances in the rain. You will find plenty of people in the crowd who cringe at waterlogged bus stops and roads. They seem to be extremely bugged under that yellow umbrella.

The bright yellow umbrella adds a splash of colour to the otherwise dreary frame. Photograph/Vijay R

You can photograph their plight and their uncomfortable attitude towards rain or you can shift your camera towards those who enjoy a walk along the seaside and seem to be least bothered with their drenched clothes. Occasionally, if you point your camera towards a bunch of street kids, you can expect to be provided with a whole array of expressions.