Month: March 2014

Waiting in the rain

Photography

Gastown at night in the rainIt took about an hour and a half to get the shot I wanted. I was in Gastown in Vancouver and it was raining, so there were nice reflections on the pavement. I tried about three angles before settling on this one and setting up a tripod.

I wanted a couple with an umbrella to stop next to a historic steam clock, but I wanted it completely candid, not posed. I also wanted interesting traffic movement, lights and the steam from the clock to be visible.

I waited while people passed in groups, some quickly, some with no umbrellas. A vehicle stopped illegally next to the clock for about 10 minutes. Drunks sometimes almost stumbled into me, and people asked what I was doing.

I was shooting at 1/10 second to get the right blur in the traffic and passing people, but wanted to freeze the subject, so they had to be stopped. Often they were too dark and appeared silhouetted.

Finally this couple stopped in just the right spot, with a beam of light behind them. A red car cruised by, and the steam was right. I held an umbrella over my camera gear and a remote release in my right hand, and in my left I pointed a speedlight at the pavement to bounce up at the couple and their umbrella. Then I fired this shot. I was soaking wet, but didn’t care.

 

Vancouver at night in the rain

Photography, Travel

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. © Richard McGuire Photo

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

A steam clock in Vancouver’s Gastown puts out an eerie mist as people pass by on a rainy night. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

A steam clock in Vancouver’s Gastown puts out an eerie mist as people pass by on a rainy night. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

A steam clock in Vancouver’s Gastown puts out an eerie mist as people pass by on a rainy night. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

A couple shares a moment under the steam clock in Vancouver’s Gastown.
“One of the photos is a candid shot of a couple under an umbrella in the rain by the steam clock in Gastown, Vancouver. It was completely candid for the couple, but it took me about an hour and a half in the pouring rain to find the right angle, figure out how to light it, and wait for the right moment to happen. In a split second, they walked into the frame, lit their cigarettes and then it was over. They might have wondered about my flash bouncing up at them from the pavement.” (© Richard McGuire photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)

Vancouver’s Granville Street is lit up in lights. The city’s abundant rain intensifies the colours of the light as it is reflected on the pavement. (© Richard McGuire Photo)