How I Turn Rainy Days Into Perfect Opportunities for Smartphone Photography

Having lived in rainy countries for most of my life and been an avid photographer for over seven years, I’ve got plenty of experience with making the most of rainy days for smartphone photography. Here are the top ways I use them in my favor.

1 Find Bright Colors Amid the Grayness

My photography style is kind of peculiar in the way that I love making my pictures vibrant, but I also want them to look a bit moody. One of the ways that I do this is by looking for bright colors on otherwise dreary days. I’m very lucky that I live in Copenhagen, a city full of colorful buildings, so this is quite easy.

However, having previously lived in London (which is quite gray in comparison to Copenhagen), I understand how difficult it can be to look for bright colors. One tried-and-tested alternative is to look for bright rain jackets (admittedly, I have deliberately bought bright rain jackets so that I can make my images look better).

You can also look for street art, flags, colorful cars, and even signs or public transport. Bicycles are another great option. Practice some patience here, as training your eyes can take time.

2 Photograph the Mood of Rainy Days From Inside

When I’m out taking photos in rainy weather, I often hop in and out of cafés and bakeries. It’s a great opportunity to warm up and dry off, and I also think that doing this is a great way to explore a city. You can photograph the mood of rainy days from inside.

One example is by photographing raindrops on the window. When doing so, I recommend trying to tell a story by thinking of your background. For example, you can include people walking past with umbrellas or taxis driving along the street.

You can also photograph the inside of buildings on a rainy day. Focus, for example, on food and drinks on tables—plus what people are wearing. Looking for ambient indoor lighting to complement the lack of natural light outside is also a good idea.

3 Consider Adding Other Accessories to the Frame

Another excellent way to take better photos in rainy weather is by adding other accessories to your frame. I’ve already mentioned looking for things like bright rain jackets, but you don’t have to rely on other people here. One cool thing you can try, for example, is putting part of your umbrella in the picture. I did this completely by accident while on holiday in the Netherlands in 2023, and I thought it looked quite cool.

You can also focus on other accessories, such as rain droplets on your watch or jacket. Adding backpacks and other items might also help you achieve your desired results. And then you have the added bonus of weather-proofing your gear, which is one of the best things you can do when shooting street photography in the rain.

4 Focus on Symmetry and Puddles

One of the best smartphone photography tricks that actually work is to look for symmetry. Rainy days are naturally ideal for this because you’ll find plenty of puddles, especially if there has been a lot of rainfall in a short period. Focus on interesting things in your surroundings, such as how buildings are reflected in the puddles.

You can also look for reflections in the street through puddles, and even people if you’re particularly skilled. It’s also possible to look for symmetrical lines and patterns in windows and similar surfaces.

5 Use Artificial Lighting to Your Advantage

Rainy days are great for photography because they diffuse a lot of harsh lighting, but one difficult thing is that you may encounter a lack of overall light. In these circumstances, utilizing artificial lighting is a pretty good idea.

When I’m out taking photos in rainy weather, I will sometimes try and look for interesting opportunities in artificial lighting. For example, neon signs and lights under café umbrellas can be great. You can also use lights from different buildings, though this can sometimes be quite difficult.

6 Get Closer to Your Subjects

I sometimes find that smartphone photos can be worse in quality on rainy days, especially when capturing images from further away. For example, I’m not the biggest fan of capturing landscape-style images on my smartphone when it’s raining. One of the best ways to take better pictures in these conditions is by getting closer to your subjects.

When taking photos of architecture in rainy weather, I try to fill as much of the frame as possible. Similarly, I prefer to get closer to people that I’m capturing in these conditions. This isn’t always going to make your photos perfect, but it will certainly go a long way toward improving them.

7 Use Overcast Skies to Your Advantage

To let you in on a little secret, I actually hate taking pictures on clear days most of the time. Frankly, I find them boring. Overcast and rainy days are much more atmospheric, and I suggest using it to your advantage.

If it’s foggy, for example, you can get some fantastic moody-style images. Adding people to the frame will add another dimension and make them look even more atmospheric. You can check out this guide on how to take photos in the fog if you need some extra assistance.

I also recommend looking for patterns in the clouds. You’ll sometimes get really dark and dreary skies, which can be amazing for making your pictures really stand out.

8 Manually Alter the Brightness on Your Phone

Besides thinking about your surroundings, there are a handful of things you can do to take better rainy day photos on your phone. While I sometimes let my phone choose the brightness for me, I often prefer to manually adjust the brightness on rainy days. It’s very easy to do this by moving the slider up or down on your device.

While I suggest changing the brightness while taking your picture, it’s also possible to edit the brightness and exposure in post-production. I like to strike a balance between making the photo look airy but also maintaining a sense of mystery in my pictures.

9 Change Your Phone Filter

Another way to make your rainy day smartphone photos stand out is by picking a different filter on your phone. Considering how rainy day pictures can sometimes be quite flat, this is an easy way to mitigate those problems.

I recommend choosing something that slightly desaturates your photo and also adds a bit of contrast. Somtimes, a vivid filter—where you add saturation—can also work. It all really depends on the type of image you’re taking.

10 Manually Add Saturation in Your Pictures

If I need to give my pictures something extra, I’ll manually add some saturation. This is especially useful when I try to capture more colorful subjects and accessories, but my device didn’t really achieve the result I was looking for. It’s typically quite easy to add saturation to your photos, and you can use both the vibrance and saturation sliders for this.

Depending on your software, you might also be able to customize the saturation for different colors within your image. You can also tweak these settings before posting your pictures for even better results.

Rainy days might seem like a bad time to take photos, but I actually think they’re precisely when you should be going out and capturing your images. You can make your pictures stand out in numerous ways, from manually adding saturation to looking for interesting things in your environment.