On a recent trip to Stourhead, the wonderful National Trust gardens in Wiltshire, it was a dull and rather windy day with apparently little to commend it, apart from not actually raining! However within a very short time it was obvious that the diffused light caused by the dull, grey overcast was making the yellows almost dazzling, so I concentrated on those in many compositions. The reds were pretty outstanding too.
Today, it was a freezing cold day but I had to venture out as staying in all day drives me crazy. It was again dull and overcast but reds and greens seemed to really zing beyond the norm as we wandered around Moors Valley Country Park.
While it is well known that sunny days that are pleasant to enjoy are often a poor choice for photography, some days really would appear to be hopeless because they are so dull and generally uninspiring from any normal perspective. However this light can be ideal for highlighting colour and texture. As the light levels are low its also a nice idea to try shooting a bit unconventionally for landscape, using a wide aperture lens to focus selectively on subjects to make them pop from the composition, while also getting enough light to avoid raising ISO. It is perhaps wise to avoid including much of the sky in any composition owing to its unattractive appearance...despite loving the light that results from the grey overcast.
So take the camera out on those dull days and do things differently. You will enjoy it, even though you may get chilly fingers!
