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Taking a Photo on a Cloudy Day

Taking photographs in natural settings means you have to adjust for the weather you get. Every day is not clear and sunny. Cloudy days are just as beautiful and have some advantages over sunny days. The light is more diffused, and the harsh shadows or glare found in bright sunlight are not there. Many digital cameras have a "Cloudy" or "Overcast" mode which will choose the correct settings for your photo. You can also select the settings manually.

Instructions

- 1
  Select a lower shutter speed. The lower shutter speed will let in more light, which is necessary when less light is available. For a bright cloudy day, use a 1/500 second shutter speed; a highly overcast day might need a 1/125 second shutter speed.
- 2
  Adjust the aperture size. The lower the F-stop number, the larger the aperture opening and the more light is let in. Try F 5.6 on a more overcast day to let more light in.
- 3
  Use a tripod. Lower shutter speeds cause the photo to be more affected by movement, as it takes longer to shoot the picture. A tripod will eliminate blur caused by hand movement. Use the camera's remote to take the photo if you have one.
- 4
  Tweak the settings. Choose a cloudy day and play with the shutter and aperture combinations to find the one that gives the best results. Then when a photo opportunity comes along you will be ready with the correct adjustments and won't miss the shot.

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