How to deal with gloomy weather - Dutch coast

Some days, you just don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Especially when those days come one after another…
Winters in the Netherlands don’t spoil you - neither with temperature nor with light. Around December and January, there’s pretty much no light at all. The days are ridiculously short, and the sky is usually overcast or hidden behind a thick fog.

My favorite conditions, are golden or blue hour. The last time I experienced either of those was weeks ago. Wait a few more weeks for a bit of luck- or for the seasons to change is no option.

And yet, I just want to shoot - preferably at my favorite coastline.

As the saying goes, when you don’t have what you love, you learn to love what you have.

The last few days were exactly that kind of vibe. Fog, rain, cold, wind, drizzle, and endless gray. Not a single ray of sunshine. Dull light, and barely any of it. A bit of a mood killer.
To fight my inner fair weather photographer, I decided to head out anyway. I shot in three locations: Zuiderstrand in The Hague, 's-Gravenzande, and the pier in Hoek van Holland.

To make sure the photos didn’t turn out flat or lifeless, I had to pull out every trick I know.

Boosting ISO for proper exposure

In conditions like these, it’s easy to end up with blurry shots (especially if you’re shooting in aperture priority), so keeping the ISO high enough is a must. I never shy away from bumping up the ISO. Noise is super easy to clean up in post, and second - we’ll circle back to the topic of noise and grain later.

Slight overexposure

When the light is dull and colors are naturally washed out, I like to slightly overexpose by 0.3 or 0.6 stops. It’s just a look that resonates with me more.

Using fog to create atmosphere

Fog and drizzle are your allies. Let’s be honest - shooting in perfect conditions, no matter how satisfying, can also get boring over time. Fog adds a sense of mood and mystery to the photos, which is always a win.

Black-and-white edits where there’s no color anyway

On the third day, while wandering around Hoek van Holland, the light was practically non-existent, and the colors were nowhere to be found. So, I decided to ditch them entirely in post. A black-and-white edit brought a vibe to the shots - just a couple of clicks and slider tweaks in Lightroom, and suddenly, things are starting to make sense.

Adding grain for mood and timelessness

These kinds of poor conditions are perfect for added grain. Not only does it mask any noise (especially if you’re shooting with older gear), but the combination of grain and drizzle really elevates the mood.

Be careful with grain. Overusing it might destroy your details and will make your photos lookk crappy (unless it’s intentional). If you’re not very familiar with grain settings in Lightroom - I’ve got you covered.

I’ve created a set of presets which bring digital photos closer to analog looks. The grain brings the feel of 35mm camera back. They all add a nostalgic, slightly gritty character by leaning into soft tones and subtle mood. One is a timeless black & white.
They are a great starting point to edit your pictures and will help you get closer to that >filmish< look.

By purchasing the presets, you support my blog enormously. Thank you!

A clear subject and strong storytelling

Probably the most important aspect. Especially if, like me, you have a tendency to make light itself the subject of your photos. This time, I had to focus on storytelling - bringing the subjects of my shots to life through minimalist and strong compositions.

Below are the results of these three walks.

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