How can you shoot architectural photographs in rain or snow?

Use a longer lens with a deep lens hood - great for keeping the rain off! You can focus in on smaller details like cornices or patterns on brickwork. Recently there have been adverts appearing for tripod mounted umbrellas that fix to the upper leg of your tripod. Good idea on a still day - not so good when it's windy!

You'll want to be using weather-sealed lenses and camera bodies when outdoors for extended periods of time. Even water resistant devices will struggle in harsh conditions so make sure you protect your gear adequately, take breaks to dry your gear when the situation allows and give time for the gear to dry off in a climate controlled environment. Make sure to bring appropriate clothing depending on the weather and a change of clothes if shooting for a long duration.

Try using a slow shutter speed, and try to find contrast in the background, and hopefully backlight coming through the rain itself. If you’re using a RAW image editor like ON1 RAW, you can increase the structure and reduce the haze in the image to really bring out the details. You can also shoot rain as it falls in the distance. If you’re lucky enough to get a sunset with rain, the results can be fun You have to keep wiping down the lens. Water droplets can blur your shots. Things that are covered will have water cascade around them at a slightly higher intensity than the actual rain. It is easier to shoot with you back to the wind because drops hit your lens with less frequency

Rain or snow can affect the light conditions. You should be ready to adjust your dimmer settings to compensate for the lower light. You may need to increase the ISO, use a wider aperture, or adjust the shutter speed to compensate for the lack of light. In low-light situations, consider using artificial light sources such as street lights or architectural lighting to enhance the mood of your photos and make them more interesting. Rain or snow in spots of rain can give a sense of movement to your images. With different shutter speeds, you record the movement of raindrops or snow. Fast shutter speeds stabilize movement, while slower speeds create a sense of movement.

It is useful to always be cautious and have a view consistent with your safety and your equipment when photographing in harsh weather conditions. The balance between creativity and the safety of you and your equipment is especially important.

The most obvious solution is if possible to wait if the rain has stopped. I understand this is not always possible. Having an assistant on the job we used to build a rain cover large enough to house the two of us and the Sinar. Obviously the aforementioned is determined by the angle chosen. Depending on the time to record, lights from building, available street lighting, I have predominantly worked with shutter speed control. To make the falling rain less visible, without destroying the contrast needed, I chose long shutter speeds and adjusted the focal point accordingly. If rain has a purpose in relation to the subject, I still play with the shutter speed to achieve desired effects. My tool is the length of time the shutter opens.

Consider using professional protective gear such as waterproof covers for your camera and lenses to shield them from the elements. Embrace HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques to capture a broader range of luminosity, ensuring that both the highlights and shadows in your rainy or snowy scenes are well-detailed. This approach can help you turn challenging weather conditions into opportunities for capturing unique, atmospheric images that stand out.