Great Photos on Cloudy Days
8 Tips for great cloudy photos
Table of Contents
Search for Colors/Patterns
Photograph the Clouds
No Contrast
Shoot from Above
Shoot in Manual
Take Uncompressed Photos
Look for Pockets of Light
Monochrome Photography
Photography on a cloudy day might sound dull, but it can be a rewarding experience. Just be sure to pack proper gear and stay weary of rain (unless you want to photograph in the rain, it’s fun).
On an overcast day, light is soft and even. It’s hard to find any sunlight, and a bunch of subjects all of a sudden look uninspiring. The truth is this couldn’t be further from the truth. Cloudy days can be an awesome tool for capturing beautiful images. Here are some of my tips for capturing great photos on cloudy days.
Color or Patterns
Search for patterns when you are out on cloudy days. Any pattern you find won’t be negatively affected by the soft light.
The same can be said for colors. Reds, blues and greens really pop below cloudy conditions. Clouds at a huge light box in the sky, softening around captured subjects. Take a look at this photo I took on a cloudy day:
Skyscraper, 2025
The sky is one shade, but because of the blue in the building, this stands out just a bit.
Photograph the Clouds
Since the clouds are soft and have much less light than sunny days, try pointing your camera to the sky. Grab a sturdy tripod and head over to an open area. Set your camera up and enjoy beautiful, minimalist photos.
The best method to photograph clouds is setting your shutter speed low. This enables your camera to get as much light in as possible from the drab environment.
Cloud photography is actually quite popular on social media, specifically Instagram. This shocked me, especially because Instagram usually features images from exotic locations.
No Contrast
Since cloudy days call for soft, even light on every subject, you never have to worry about contrast!
Avoiding contrast is typically difficult, especially on sunny days. It’s a challenge - avoiding harsh lighting and staying away from the dreaded overexposure.
In short, dull skies = even lighting.
If you enjoy portrait photography, this is the perfect day for you. Light will make your subjects features stand out, without compromising on image quality.
Shoot from Above
Shifting the angle of your camera in cloudy conditions will result in a different photo altogether. A new, interesting one, actually.
A deliberate change in perspective is fun to try, regardless of the weather. That being said, in cloudy skies, capturing photos from above will illicit an omniscient feeling.
For instance, capturing a businessman on his way to a meeting at eye level isn’t anything special. However, capturing him from above could indicate that he is not as important as one would assume. In contrast, taking a photo from below could indicate that he is of a higher stature.
Specifically photographing subjects from above in cloudy weather can definitely improve your photos. But, it can additionally offer a unique or powerful expression.
Shoot in Manual Mode
Manual Mode
Before you go out in cloudy conditions, set your camera to Manual.
Before you leave for a photo session, turn on your camera and switch over to manual (if you’re not already using it). Manual mode is excellent for photographers who understand the basics of exposure and wish to add their own creative spin on images. Manual is also wonderful on days where weather conditions are unpredictable, or when you know the sky will be dreary.
Fiddling with settings while you're on site is just too cumbersome! My policy is set it and forget it.
Take Raw/Uncompressed Photos
Before
The RAW file is fairly dull. However, I wouldn’t have been able to increase the highlights, lighten the shadows and blacks in the trees, or boost colors without the flexibility it provided.
After
Colors are much more vibrant, the trees stand out a bit more, and the haze is brighter.
While obvious to many photographers, there are also many jpeg shooters. If you typically shoot in jpeg and are not interested in switching to a different format, more power to you. I think photographers should shoot in the modes/format they are most comfortable using.
If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “maybe I should give uncompressed shooting a try?”… do it! Shooting in RAW means your images will retain a bunch of color and exposure information otherwise forgotten.
When you go to edit your amazing cloudy photos, you can bring out that extra information. Your images won’t be missing any details, colors will pop, etc… Give it a try if you haven’t.
Look for Pockets of Light
On cloudy days, the sun is too shy to reveal itself. Even so, your cloudy photos can still have bright highlights and whites in them. All you need to do is search for pockets where the sky opens just a bit. Images will come out much brighter and more vibrant.
Do not miss a chance to photograph something interesting or memorable simply because going out in dull weather “can’t give me good images” or “every image will be the same." It’s not true at all, and there’s thousands of photographs to prove it.
Now, I’m going to throw you a hypothetical. You love photography, but won’t go out to shoot in cloudy weather. You’ll say photos could never be interesting, sharp, or dynamic. Here’s the solution to your problem: shoot in black and white!
Monochrome Photography
Stranger, 2025
No sun here, but it’s still intriguing.
Monochrome photography is incredibly versatile, no matter the conditions. However, on cloudy days, black and white photos can pop more than you think. Black and white images straight from your camera don’t require vivid colors or a bright, sunny sky to shine. All they need is a creative eye (that’s where you come in), a camera and lens.
Monochrome photos appear rich in tone. With the right color mix, these photos will be sharp, pop, and have great contrast. Personally, I find myself talking black and white photos more often. They are very interesting and really require you to think before you take the shot.
Cloudy skies require photographers to think outside the box, be patient, and enjoy the process.
When the sun takes break, head out and see what you can capture.
