Photo of the Day


How to Photograph in the Rain and Have Fun Doing It

July 15, 2020

By Jacqueline Tobin

Photo © Scott Stockton

When Scott Stockton started photographing Emma Jacobus for a senior portrait shoot, he says it was bright and sunny out in downtown Waxhaw, North Carolina. Then the sky opened up, his instincts kicked in and a little voice in the back of his head reminded him of the best way to photograph in the rain for maximum impact (while not ruining his equipment) and have some fun in the process.

“The area has an ‘old time America’ feel to it,” explains the Charlotte-based wedding and portrait photographer. “There’s a train that runs through the middle of the town and a big wooden bridge that goes over it. We saved Emma’s dancing shots for golden hour. As soon as it came, though, huge, dark clouds also came out of nowhere. The sky started dumping on us—heavy, heavy rain. I knew immediately what I wanted to do, and it wasn’t to retreat.”

Scott Stockton likes to photograph in the rain while protecting his equipment and having fun in the process.
Photographed with a Nikon Z6 and 85mm lens at f/1.4. To light the rain I used a Godox AD200 at full power with a MagMod Sphere.

Stockton explains that by backlighting a subject while it’s raining, you can freeze the downpour and illuminate it. “I placed Emma—a dancer who wanted to have some fun with the shoot—in the middle of the town’s main street, placed a flash behind her and took some shots. I had her hold various poses, and this is the one we liked the most. Not only did we freeze the rain, but there was mist coming off the ground because of how hot it was, so illuminated that as well.  It was so much fun, and Emma was a willing subject.” 

Stockton had a large Ziploc freezer bag (which he usually takes with him just in case) covering the flash and the MagSphere. “For the camera,” he admits, “I had nothing. I trusted the weather sealing but I also hunched over it and let my torso block a good majority of the rain.”

Stockton says he’s always been in love with images where water or smoke has been frozen with flash—”they just jump out to me. I also loved seeing her Emma smiling because it brought me back to actually taking the shot.  We were laughing and having a blast while we were getting absolutely drenched in the process.”

And while the rain derailed some of Stockton’s shoot plans temporarily, his wedding photography experience has taught him that “things change and you have to roll with the punches. In the end, both Emma and I are glad that it rained.”

Check out more Photos of the Day, and email submissions to RF’s editor-in-chief at jacqueline.tobin@emeraldx.com