Few people, certainly those of you who are back in the UK, would think that a grey cloudy day of rain and thunderstorms would be something to write about, let alone photograph. Well for us it is .
A grey view looking across the Maphutseng Valley, Lesotho
Over the last couple of weeks it has been hot, hot, hot (36, 37, 37, 37 & 36ºC over the past 5 days highs) so when rain finally arrived yesterday evening it was a much welcome relief not only for the sun scorched crops but also for ourselves. Waking up to a cool breeze and grey skies was blissful & walking through our local town of Mohale’s Hoek in the pouring rain without a coat was simply refreshing.
Of course rain presents its challenges to the photographer, not least keeping equipment dry but a grey town on a grey day can also look pretty drab. Since my main purpose of visiting town was running errands I could have left my camera at home but Murphy’s law, or rather my photographer’s instinct (which I prefer) says that if you do that you will be guaranteed to miss something amazing along the way. So I always take my camera with me ‘just in case’!
It was raining pretty heavily once we arrived in town and to be honest there really wasn’t much to photograph apart from a couple record shots and one of the lady who sits faithfully everyday at her vegetable stall outside the local supermarket. Since we always greet each other I decided to ask her whether I could take a photograph of her, which she duly obliged and was thrilled to see herself on the camera, even if it wasn’t the best of photos. I could have gone looking for more but that wasn’t my primary purpose for being there on this occasion.
Mohale’s Hoek in the rain
Woman selling fruit & vegetables at her stall in Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho
Now, depending on how well honed your photographer’s instinct is it will also tell you that grey days do not last. At some point during the day the clouds will break and it is usually at that point something special happens. Sometimes it is rays of golden light shining through onto the mountains, a beautiful rainbow, or a glorious sunset at the end of the day. Today however it was neither, it was simply the amazing clouds bubbling up during a break between the storms. They did not last long and thankfully I noticed them just at the right time in order to capture them.
Stormy weather, Maphutseng Valley, Lesotho
So, if in doubt carry your camera even in the poorest of conditions. Your perseverance & patience will pay off. Now I am ready & waiting for the distant rumble of thunder to turn into the perfect dusk storm. Let’s see what happens…