How Pros Shoot Amazing Photographs in Boring Light (VIDEO)

There’s one constant when shooting outdoor photographs: You’re always at the mercy of Mother Nature, and she’s anything but predictable. So you have two choices when weather is threatening or the light is less that ideal. You can either learn how to deal with it or go home.

Taking a pass when conditions are challenging is something no one wants to do, especially after traveling to a location when an easy return isn’t possible. That leaves us with making the best of a bad situation, which is what you’ll learn how to do in the tutorial below.

French photographer Serge Ramelli is one of our favorite outdoor photographers, with an exuberant teaching style that’s enjoyable to watch. The tips he provides will improve your results, whether you’re shooting landscapes, outdoor portraits, cityscapes, or something else in the great outdoors.

This comprehensive 24-minute lesson provides a wide range of practical tips using the knowledge Ramelli has accrued for creating dynamic imagery in uninspiring conditions. He explores how to make the most of available light, and demonstrates several of his tricks for creating interesting, dynamic compositions on dull days.

There’s also an editing component to this very helpful lesson, in addition to his discussion of gear, camera settings, and other technical matters. Ramelli promises to, “show you how to take these overcast images into Lightroom to get an epic color photo, a dramatic black-and-white, and a panorama.”

Ramelli uses some very nice images to illustrate his advice, and he covers a lot of ground in a hurry. So you may want to have pen and paper handy and jot down a few notes. By the end of the video you’ll realize that gorgeous images can be captured on dull days.

Ramelli makes another bold promise that we feel you can trust: “Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, this will provide you with plenty of insights and techniques for capturing stunning images and retouching them in Lightroom—no matter what the weather or lighting is like.”

There’s much more great advice for shooting and editing outdoor photos on Ramelli’s popular YouTube channel. So take a close look and learn from this accomplished pro.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted from anther successful shooter, with three powerful landscape photography tips that everyone should know.