Scotland surely is one of the most picturesque places in the world – rugged mountain ranges, almost Caribbean-looking stretches of white sandy beach, medieval architecture and lots of street art; just to name a few photogenic highlights in Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Highlands and beyond. But what if the inevitable bad weather rolls in? This guide sums up my top 7 bad weather photography tips for Scotland!
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It’s easy to take photos of the incredible beauty that is Scotland in the sun – suddenly all the colours pop, the hills look even more majestic and the grey medieval rock looks great against the azure blue sky. But let’s be honest, Scotland is not particularly famous for its long, sunny summers. On the contrary, Scottish weather has kind of a well-deserved reputation, and unless you are incredibly lucky, you will probably have to make it through at least one rainy day during your stay in Scotland.
That’s just the way it is, and to be honest, it’s one of the things that makes Scottish landscapes look so mystical. But what about your photos?
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Taking great photos when the sky is glaring white, or the rain is so heavy it splashes on your lens is really difficult. It’s darker when it rains, which means it’s harder to get sharp images. It’s like the weather drains the world of colour, and all of a sudden, even the lush green forest looks like a grey mass. Not to mention the fear of ruining your camera!
Here are my top 7 photography tips for bad weather in Scotland – but really they apply to any other location as well!
1) Shoot (or edit) in black and white
While editing your photos to black & white is usually a stylistic decision, it can be a lifesaver if you return from a rainy trip to Scotland. While the rain makes everything look grey and lifeless, changing pictures to black & white can bring a lot of energy back into your composition. All of a sudden the contrasts are back and your photos gain a certain kind of artsy edge.
Try to photograph details that lend themselves to contrasts, such as dark objects in front of bright skies, hilly landscapes with great depth of field or people.
I tried this lifesaving technique after returning from a day trip to Fife and love how my photos turned out despite the rain!
2) Make rain the subject of your photo
Find raindrops on flowers, leaves or bushes; catch the reflection of a beautiful landmark in a puddle; take a funny rain selfie; let your brolly (Scottish for umbrella) peek into your frame; or photograph the raindrops on your window. The ideas are endless!
3) Use the bad weather as a backdrop
Sometimes – in Scotland more often than anywhere I’ve ever traveled – you get to experience all four seasons in one day. The good thing about this is that there are high chances of sun and rain appearing at the same time. That means that only half the sky is cloudy and dull – make use of this contrast and use the dramatic rain skies as a backdrop for an incredible photo shoot!
4) Avoid the sky
Sometimes there’s just no better way to deal with a glaring white sky than to avoid it. Find interesting details to focus on and try to chose compositions that have as little sky as possible in the frame.
5) Find specs of colours
If you simply can’t find a possibility to get the shots you want without the sky in it, or if anything in your frame just looks dull – find specs of colour to include in your composition!
You could photograph colourful street art, shop fronts, flower pots or old-timer cars. OR you could make your life much easier by carrying a spec of colour with yourself. This could be a brolly in a pop colour or simply your outfit.
One note on colour coordination: outfit colours that are complimentary with Scottish landscapes are your best friend – red during the summer, when the Highlands are green; bright blue during the rest of the year, when the hills are of a yellowish/orange colour, and yellow if you travel here during purple Heather season (August).
6) Photograph people
Photographing people allows you to naturally all of the above tips – portraits look great in black & white, your subject can do something funny with the rain like jump in a puddle, you can use the bad weather as a backdrop, you can avoid the sky, and depending on their outfit, the person can be your spec of colour.
Plus you will have lovely photos of your friends or of locals who will forever remind you of the people you met in Scotland!
7) Protect your camera
The last of my photography tips is to protect your camera. While your camera will most likely not immediately die if it gets drizzled on a little, it will certainly not survive a Scottish shower.
A rain cover for your camera can be a life-saver, especially if you want to set up shots with a tripod or don’t want to put your camera away after every single photo. I tend to bring my lens hoods on rainy days for a little extra splash protection and a microfibre towel (like the ones you use to clean glasses or sunnies) is a staple if you want to wipe down your lens without scratching it!
In general I suggest bringing a waterproof bag for your trip to Scotland, so that your camera (and all other things) stay dry while they’re stored away.
A dry bag can give additional security if you take your camera on a hike or walk!
Have you ever struggled with bad weather on a trip to a photogenic place like Scotland? What are your top bad weather photography tips? Would love to hear about them in the comments!
Really helpful tips Kathi!
Yes, Scotland definitely isn’t known for its sunny days and I’ve been caught in the rain a couple of times on my travels there!
Thank you for the tips to get the most out of the rainy days!
Very handy tips! Feeling a bit stupid that I’ve never thought about the ‘avoid the sky’ one. What a good way to get a nice bright picture of an otherwise dull scene! Thank you 🙂 x
It’s not always easy though – sometimes you just really want that landscape shot and then it’s tricky to avoid the sky… But it works and in the end I always like those detail shots better than the landscape shots I take despite the white sky!
I live in Scotland, and as an avid photographer I struggle with bad weather all the time 🙂 Always carry a dry bag with you in Scotland, even on sunny days, as the weather can be very unpredictable.
At least Scotland rewards you with amazing shots when you do get creative (and lucky) in the bad weather 😀
Thank you so much!! This is so helpful. I love Scotland and cannot wait to return and will use these tips when the weather is not so nice. Thanks for the help!!
Haha cool tips, Scotland definitely is a hard one when it comes to the weather 😉 but I also like those mysterious photos that come out in a gloomy day 😀
Such great tips. Scotland certainly does get moody in the weather department
Great tips which can be used in other rainy & foggy destinations as well ! I’ll keep in mind the way to deal with a glaring white sky… Just avoid it ! And I also like the tip about using the bad weather as a backdrop. I never thought about finding raindrops on flowers, leaves or bushes or to catch the reflection in a puddle 🙂
Hope my tips help you to get some stunning photos the next time you bump into bad weather on your travels!!
I used to live in Edinburgh and these are such great suggestions! I did get lucky a few times and got a beautiful blue, sunny sky! 😉
The sunny days are obviously the best – it makes the grey of the medieval buildings pop much better 🙂
Great tips, we’re heading to Scotland in September so I have a feeling we may need some of these. Thanks
How cool! Where are you heading?
What great tips! I will be sure to use these the next time I visit any destination that has rain for days, since most of my trips tend to have some crazy weather!
Some great ideas here! As a Brit it’s a frequent challenge taking great photos in rubbish weather – I love some of your creative suggestions!
It’s not always easy – and when it’s raining really heavily, I still struggle a lot… But then, I just go coffee shop hopping and take photos of that 😀
Haven’t visited Scotland yet, but I’ve been experiencing many of these problems in Norway and Iceland. My favourite way to get around dull landscapes is definitely by turning the picture black and white. I took a photo of the Norwegian fjords in less than perfect weather, but the cloudy sky and the black mountain once turned to black and white proved much much more majestic and definitely not dull.
White skies are a real pain, they mess up the overall exposure also. But there’s something good about overcast skies with milky light everywhere that makes portrait photography a bliss: the total absence of shadows! So there’s awesomeness in bad weather, too, also for photographers 😀
Totally agree! Also, a few clouds in the sky make it look much more interesting than just perfect blue emptiness!
Super tips, heading to Scotland in a week! So excited!
Amazing! Where are you going?
Scotland is so unpredictable but I do think that the bad weather sometimes adds to the brooding atmoshphere!
Awesome tips! Definitely useful for Scotland, and other destinations that see a lot of grey and rainy weather. I think having a higher-quality camera definitely helps too.
True! And shooting in RAW-format which allows for a lot more freedom when editing in Lightroom!
I always have a bad time photographing things when the weather isn’t particularly sunny. These tips are great for other locations too. I do hope i will get to see Scotland some day. 🙂
Hope my tips will help you next time you run into bad weather!!
Bad weather can be so disappointing from a photography point of view, but it’s so true that you can also use it to your advantage if you are creative! I love black and white images with high contrast for dramatic images that make the most of wet weather! Great tips. It’s always good to be prepared.
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Thankfully my camera is weather proof, the lenses, not so much! Dry bags and micro fibre cloths are my saviours when up a mountain in the pouring down rain! I think Scotland looks stunning in all weathers – and the clouds make for a great photo, especially when they are just touching the tops of the hills!
Absolutely – there’s something so mystical about the Scottish mountains; I don’t think you could capture that on a clear blue sunny day!
Great tips! I use these myself – we don’t get a lot of sunny days in Glasgow, do we? 🙂
I know 😭😭😭
Great post! Im in Scotland now, I can vouch for all of these tips. I’ve been carrying a little microfiber towel with me too.
Oh yes, what a grand piece of advice! If you don’t mind, I’ll add it to the main body of the blogpost! I also tend to bring my lens hoods on rainy days for some additional splash protection!
Awesome tips! I must definitely remember them as I am heading to the Maldives now in rainy season and guess they apply not only for Scotland. Thanks for sharing and beautiful pictures as always, Kathi!
Definitely – the tips should work for any other destination too! Can’t wait to see your photos from the Maldives!!