The Rain Of King Louis XIV

Where's The Royal Brolly, Your Majesty?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Quite a few people have asked me about using a camera in the rain and I always say as long as you're confident you can keep the camera itself relatively dry, there is nothing to stop you photographing a scene in driving rain.

Yes, the light is always murky. Yes, you have to think carefully about the scene you want to capture. Yes, you have to juggle a camera and an umbrella if the rain is bucketing down. But hey, who doesn't love a challenge? I reckon my two favourite photographs in heavy rain are these ones, both taken in September 2005.

I was on a photographic assignment for the Canadian Tourism Commission and spent ten days in Quebec City, Montreal and parts of Muskoka. This shot was taken on a very wet afternoon in Quebec City and shows not one but two symbols of the beautiful city. On the right is the famous bust of King Louis XIV of France, with the steeple of Notre Dame on the left. You can actually see little pearls of rain across the statue and on the high-res version, there are droplets across the royal nose as well!


The other photograph (above) was taken about 100 or 150 metres away. I had walked away from the square towards the wharf when I was struck by the scene in front of me. To the right was a tourist vessel. To the left was the huge structure - a gift from France - that the locals refer to as the Rubik's Cube. And while the prevailing colour was grey, I was amazed how the little splashes of vibrant yellow lfited the scene.

So next time you're stuck indoors in the rain, don't despair. Just grab your camera, put a smile on your face - and take up the challenge of finding something beautiful in challenging weather.