Cloudy conditions and blank, white skies are not the most enticing properties for outdoor photographers, and over years it can become a natural response to see this sort of weather forecasted and choose to stay indoors, rather than head out with a camera. This is justified in part, as overcast light doesn’t help to bring out texture in the landscape, and nor does it add attractive backlighting to outdoor portraits, side lighting to macro subjects, or glassy, colourful reflections to architectural studies. However, as any pro photographer should recognise, these conditions are perfect for capturing something unique.
While flat light is not particularly dramatic, it has redeeming qualities. Generally, the tonal range is a little more compressed, which reduces the overall contrast in a scene, and this enables you to…