Why does it always rain on me?

There’s a reason why it was the Scottish band Travis who wrote the iconic hit, ‘Why Does It Always Rain on Me?’ Scotland does have more than its fair share of precipitation. There are upsides to the wet weather; our luscious forests, deep lochs, and delicious whiskies are all a consequence of the falling rain. However, wet weather isn’t great for photography. Water on the lens is usually going to ruin a picture. When faced with planning the route for the 2023 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk in Edinburgh, I didn’t expect a month’s worth of rain to fall in 24 hours. The nine attendees who did join in the walk left on Saturday evening with some nice shots in the bag, and all on the wettest day of the year so far.

Start Indoors

As long as the ceiling is secure, we should be able to shoot indoors without any problems when it’s raining. Our starting point for the walk was shifted from the Castle Esplanade to the National Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh is blessed with many free attractions, and the National Museum is the most visited, with just under 2 million people coming through the doors each year. I’m sure a small proportion of these are because parents can take their kids in with the rain falling outdoors.

The best thing for photography is that the museum allows tripods if you obtain a pass from the desk when you enter. It’s also an excellent place for people-watching and the indoor equivalent of street photography. The Grand Gallery is a great location for long exposures of the visitors moving across the ground floor. Take a walk to the Hawthornden Hall, and there are lots of nooks and crannies to get some interesting shots of visitors.

Face away from the rain

Our second location of the day is a place I use on my Switch to Manual sessions. Riddles Court is surrounded on four sides by tall buildings. The rain doesn’t easily get into the close regardless of the direction. However, on Saturday, the wind was blowing from the north, which meant the precipitation would be falling in the same direction the camera was pointing. Getting down low and as close as possible to small puddles gives a great reflection of the entrance to the Patrick Geddes Centre.

Get Divine Assistance

The next stop was St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile. Another indoor location and one with lots to shoot. The ceiling of the church has been recently repainted in a saltire blue. Turn the camera to the roof and bend your back for interesting views. The knave of the church will always be busy, but lifting the camera above the heads of the crowds is always a good way to get a different perspective.

Add colour on a dull day

As the rain dissipated slightly, we headed back onto the streets. When it’s a dull day, the light isn’t going to add much interest. Instead, look for ways of adding colour to change the scene. A red rose adds a ping of colour to the Chessel’s Court ivy heart. The addition of a prop brought along for the day to the Sugarhouse Close steps. You can’t always take a good photo; sometimes, you need to make it.

Sometimes, it is who you know

That should have been our final stop of the day. However, I managed to bring about a little surprise for the intrepid snappers. My wife works in the Scottish Parliament and contacted her colleagues to see if we could arrange a private visit to the parliament. Fortunately, they said yes. We were able to follow the route of the public tour that is available for free to anyone. However, as we were visiting toward the end of the day, we could spend a little longer in locations such as the Garden Lobby and the Parliament Chamber to get some photos of this new Scottish institution.

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It doesn’t mean the camera has to be put away because it’s raining. Be inventive, and you can still take away some great pics, even on a wet day in Scotland! If you’ve got any questions or comments, leave them below. You can sign up for the Edinburgh Photography Workshop monthly newsletter, where you’ll get regular updates on exciting things happening in photography and some great tips. Sign up by clicking here.

About the author

As well as running Edinburgh Photography Workshop, Rich Dyson is a professional photographer. His photographs are regularly used in newspapers such as The Times, Guardian and Daily Telegraph. He also had two solo exhibitions and was featured in a members-sponsored exhibition in the Scottish Parliament. You can see and buy his photography at richdysonphotography.com.