Lens on Life · Guide
KZN North Coast

Storm coming in off the sea

Whenever the sky goes dramatic. Some of the best coastal photographs happen in bad weather.

18-150 · 18–24mmNo filterHood on
Mode
Av
Aperture
f/8
ISO
Auto
Exposure ±
−⅔
Drive
Single
Focus
Servo · tap something on the ground

Do this

  1. Exposure compensation −⅔ so the clouds stay dark and heavy. The camera will try to brighten a storm into a grey nothing.
  2. Vertical for tall cloud stacks; horizontal for a front rolling along the horizon.
  3. Put the horizon low — a quarter of the way up — and let the sky have three-quarters.
  4. Rain coming: hood on, camera under your jacket between frames, wipe the glass. Don't change lenses.

If it goes wrong

Sky is grey mush
More negative compensation, −1. Or wait — the drama is in the minutes before and after the rain.