I miss shooting in the rain. It’s been a while since I last walked around in heavy downpour, holding my umbrella on one hand and my camera on the other. I miss it so much that every time rained and I’m stuck in the office, I can’t help but think of all the bad weather shots I’m not shooting. And it frustrated me more that as I excitedly anticipate for the rain in the proceeding weekends, it just never came. Until last week… after a long time, I once again caught the devil’s luck.
It was Saturday late in the morning, and the rain was starting to pour heavily. I rushed to Orchard, excited about the prospect of shooting once again in the rain. But I knew that Saturday mornings were not ideal for street shooting because the people traffic is usually low at this time, much less when it’s raining. But why not just try my luck, right? Well, as luck would have it, I didn’t get any good shots. The rain eventually slowed down, and frustration struck me once again. I figured I’d eat lunch first, then try my luck again.
As I returned to Orchard after lunch, the rain was now a drizzle. Most people wasn’t even using their umbrellas… including me. So I thought, I’m walking for one round and I’m calling it a day. Then I saw this girl with an umbrella, walking briskly towards my direction. I went “that’s it!” I backed off quickly because I wanted to shoot her on a certain spot in between the shadows from the trees where I thought the soft light was perfect. I crouched down, waited until she was near enough, and clicked a few times. Right after my first click, she started to walk towards the side. I guess she noticed me. But it was ok, I already got my keeper.. the first click was perfect.
Later, looking at the shot, I noticed it bore a striking resemblance to another one of my favorite bad weather photograph I shot last year:
I’m not sure which one I like best. I love the details and drama you can see on the new shot, but I also love the strong contrast and mystery of the old one. What do you think?
