How to Take a Winning Weather Photograph

Kevin Thomas has been a judge on the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition for the last three consecutive years. As a meteorologist and weather forecaster, he has a deep respect for the natural world and its power. Kevin is a former BBC Radio weather presenter for Devon and Cornwall, and has worked across the globe as a meteorologist and oceanographer during a long career in the Royal Navy. Since 2021, Kevin has been Picture Editor for the RMetS Weather Journal. He has always been a keen photographer but in retirement now finds himself with more time to capture the ever-present beauty around us.

Planning Ahead

Professional weather photographers often plan their photography sessions in advance, combining their knowledge of the landscape and environment with information from the weather forecast. Photographers with specialist meteorological knowledge will look at the movement of fronts and pressure systems to help predict weather events and the state of the sky.

However, most of us don’t always have the luxury of time for planning, and if you see some dramatic or stunning weather while you’re out and about, capturing the scene as it presents itself can still lead to a fantastic shot. Today, many of us carry cameras in the form of a smartphones, perfect for capturing an aspect of the weather when it catches our attention. Just because an image has been taken on phone does not mean that it cannot be a great one.

Circular Rainbow © Sachi Sanzaki (Oppo Reno3) entered into the Standard Chartered Smartphone Weather Photographer of the Year 2023

Captivating Composition

The essence of a good weather photograph is a clear, well-composed subject. This means that the person looking at the photograph, armed with a good caption, should have a clear understanding of its content.

The subject doesn’t need to be a rare weather phenomenon; even common occurrences can be interesting if the photograph is of high quality. A well-composed shot of cumulus clouds on a summer’s day can be as captivating as a tornado or a rare cloud formation. 

Newport Tripods © Daniel Martin (Fuji XT3, 10-24mm F4) entered into the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2023

The best images will have sharp focus on the main subject and good composition. In weather photography it’s important to give a sense of scale. Including a figure or a building, or the horizon, can give a sense of perspective and size. 

Storm Dennis © David Nelson (Nikon D4, Nikon 24-120 f/4) entered into the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2023

Settings and Lenses

Getting the camera settings correct for a good weather photo, especially with DSLR cameras, can be challenging. Often, the automatic mode doesn’t do justice to the image as it compensates based on the dominant light source, which isn’t always optimal. If time allows, experimenting with aperture, speed, and ISO settings can help capture the perfect shot.

Even smartphone cameras have manual settings that you can make use of, but in the moment, it’s often easier to rely on the phone’s automatic adjustment and hope for the best. One strength of smartphone cameras is that they often have very good depth of field, making them great for close-up macro shots, like frost on leaves.

Dandelion Diamond © Edel Mairs (Canon EOS 200D) entered into the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2023

The best light for capturing weather events is often early or late in the day when light contrast is at its best. This kind of light may require a tripod to steady the camera during longer exposures. Alternatively, a convenient fence or rock can serve as a stabiliser, and using a self-timer allows the camera to be propped up for the shot.

Choosing a lens for weather photography depends very much on the subject. Large-scale features that cover the sky, such as rainbows, need a wide-angle lens, while intricate ice or frost formations benefit from a macro lens and possibly a flash for extra detail.

A polarising filter can enhance cloudscapes and colour depth, although phones lack this option. However, you could try using a pair of clean polarised sunglasses held over the lens, which can yield surprisingly good results.

Best Resolution for Competitions

Photography competitions require your images to be submitted in an optimal resolution for print – so that they can reproduce the images in a calendar or exhibition, for example. For print, an image should ideally be at a resolution of 300dpi. However, many images can be digitally enhanced to achieve a slightly higher resolution if they fall short. Photographs taken on a phone, which are often much smaller than this, can still be high enough quality with a file size of 1–2MB, or more, to define sufficient detail.

Portrait or Landscape?

Most photos are taken in landscape orientation, but some weather features are better suited to portrait format. Phenomena that are taller than wide, like developing cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds, can be more dramatic in portrait mode. Smaller scale features might also be better framed in portrait orientation.

Post-Processing: Be Frugal

While it’s tempting to tweak photographs to enhance colours and details, it’s best to do this sparingly, especially with lower resolution images, to avoid losing quality and making them look artificial. Beware of overusing dehaze, clarity, saturation, and sharpening functions in readily available photo editing software packages. Once saved these processes can’t easily be undone. Therefore, always save a copy of the original photo before making edits.

It is more important to pay attention to framing the photograph and ensuring that the subject is in focus for close ups – this will really make your image stand out. Ensuring that the horizon is level, for distant shots, can easily be corrected in post-processing.

Safety First

Safety is paramount. Never put yourself or others at risk for a photo. Coasts, harbours in rough weather, and mountains can be dangerous places. Consider your safety before venturing out to take pictures in challenging locations or poor weather conditions. Wear appropriate clothing to protect against the elements, especially rain, wind, cold and sun, and check the weather forecast before heading out. Also, remember equipment to protect your camera equipment, such as a rain hood for DSLR cameras, or an umbrella, or a tarpaulin for putting your equipment or rucksack down in wet weather.

Top image: Howth Noctilucent Clouds with the Neowise Comet © Sean Bruen (Nikon D5300, Nikon 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G VR II Lens) entered into Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2023