England is known for its rain. Its drizzle. Its downpours.
But there’s been no rain in weeks. It’s dry and dead out there.
Dried up, dusty, waiting for rain.
I’m sitting by the window watching storm clouds gather as I write this, but they are yet to break. Might not break. Won’t break. The rain just seems to pass us by each time a warning appears. I suppose I should be grateful that the summer is a real one this year. That there are clear blue skies and high temperatures. I should be out and about taking photos and enjoying the summer.
But I love the rain. I love the way it falls, the way it pitter-patters on the windows, the way it collects in puddles on the road. I especially like the way it makes our gardens come alive and full of photographic potential. (See, this is getting somewhere photography related. Bear with me!)
Right now though, the world feels dry and dusty and full of decay. The garden has stopped it’s siren call for me to take photos. Just a little rain could entice me back, but still it refuses to fall. The grass turns to dust a little more each day, and with it, my normal garden photo stops just disappear. It seems insane that just 2 months ago our garden was a beautiful green!
Us Brits have abandoned our brollies in a fit of dispair!
In all this maudlin-ity about the lack of rain, I took matters into my own hands this week and I made some rain, with a trusty watering can.
Make your own rain
It’s not the same though, and even if I can add water, I can’t get the lush green shots I’m craving. All that dead yellow grass (and moss!) is just ruining the mood, and in my rain deprived state, watering can rain just looks nothing like regular rain! It’s far too even in its falling!
I wonder if a sprinkler would get a better effect, although I’m sure we are not supposed to use them at this point! It might traditionally rain all year here, but water shortages are a real thing right now and I’m trying to do my bit by not using too much water!
I’m really going a bit mad with all the heat (hence this slightly rambling post!) and I’ll honestly take any kind of rain right now to cool the heat off. I’ll even take a little light drizzle and overcast skies. Just to make everything look a little more beautiful. A little more English garden. A little more green. Yellow is so out of fashion. My toy photo ideas are calling for rain and cloudy days, with some rich green moss to play in. I’m sure it will be back soon so I just have to bide my time!
Where is the rain? and the green?
Are you an outdoor photographer? How do you cope with the weather when it’s not co-operating with what you are after? Do you fake it, like I tried with the rain? Or do you have a little more patience and wait for the weather you are after? Do you have any tried and tested rain makers for toy photography? I’d love to hear your ideas as it looks as though there is no end in sight to this heatwave!
- Lizzi
P.S. Paid registration for the London Toy Safari will be closing in less than a week! Make sure you register now if you want access to all the cool things happening (including an awesome Krash Kustoms minifigure)! More info here! Sign up here!
Great blog Lizzi and so wonderful picture. In Germany it’s the same. No rain only sun. Many greetings Astrid ??
Thanks Astrid! We’ve had a tiny bit of rain now, but not quite enough to make everything green yet! Hope Germany gets some rain too!
The hot dry weather is one of the reasons I became an indoor photographer. I like your idea about faking rain with a watering can though!
I can relate to how you’re feeling. I much prefer cloudy weather, rain and greenery. I don’t like to look out the windows and see everything dead and brown (although that’s normal for summer here but I find it quite depressing). I hope you get some rain soon and some cooler temperatures. Hang in there!
Lynn
Thanks Lynn! I think if it was this hot all the time here, I would take a lot more photos inside air conditioned buildings! I find the dead grass so much more depressing than I would have thought! I guess I’m a green pastures kind of person! 🙂
This is my “every summer” story!
I used to lament my loss of moss every year. Even the moss I’d harvested in verdant times suffered the same fate as its “non-tended to and watered” cousins.
However, last summer, instead of watering the withered moss with my tears, I embraced the dry. I promised Shelly a #ORToyPhotoSafari promo shot, and all I had to work with was seared, arid paddocks. It was something I’d never shot before, and I liked it. It opened doors to tales untold and allowed toys not used to the lush greens a chance to play!
I’ve already begun harvesting new moss this winter. Hopefully it survives the summer. But if it doesn’t, I know the barren and stark dry paddocks will be there for me to explore instead.
Hopefully this is just a one off for the year, but if not, I will have to learn to love the yellow! My biggest issue asides from the colours is just how HOT it is outside and in! It’s like someone turned the oven on all day! Yikes!
Good luck with the moss harvesting! I really need to try this one day!
I haven’t really tried shooting in the rain and it’s pretty much always green here in Virginia, so I haven’t been too troubled by the weather when it comes to toy photography. I suppose it’s only a matter of time though. 🙂
I really like those shots in the brown, wheat-like grass. It’s a pretty unique look.
Thanks! I think I might have to learn to love brown lawns, assuming the heat wave continues much longer! There is at least rain forecast for tomorrow! Yippee!