Working With Flat Light
Nikon Z7 23mm f11 1/6 & 30sec Blended ISO64
More often than not, the conditions don’t work out exactly as you planned. Adapting to the conditions is an essential skill of any landscape photographer. Take flat light for example.
A dull sky can seem like a lost cause. One tip is to head to woodland or waterfalls. That subdued light can work to your advantage. In woodand, there is a good chance that the flat sky won't even be visible through the canopy and if it's a little damp and drizzly, then you might just get some atmosphere that can really make these kinds of scenes work. For waterfalls, overcast skies are often seen as the perfect lighting to capture the flowing water. On sunny days you can have issues with hot spots, blown out highlights, when using longer exposure times. Having said that, I do like it when you get dappled light through the trees but dealing with that dynamic range is a whole other topic.
Sometimes you don't have a great deal of choice and you have to make the most of the situation. On my recent trip to North Wales I was faced with an overcast day. I've found that often there is interest in the sky but you just need to work a little harder to bring out the detail. I will often shoot one or even two stops under exposed to really bring out the texture in the clouds.
Or you could try using a graduated neutral density filter. Personally I've abandoned these filters in recent years. They can be cumbersome and I find it much easier to add a graduated linear mask in Adobe Camera RAW. It's a simple process and the newest versions of the software have massively improved on their masking capabilities. Regardless of which method you choose there are certainly some great shots to be had and it’s always better to be out taking photographs than sitting at home after dismissing the weather as not good enough. You never know unless you give it a try.
Nikon Z7 18mm f18 1/20 & 30Sec Blended ISO64
