Tips for using lights outside in bad weather?

[robbaird]

I'm relatively new to the world of lighting, and I recently got a set of Hensel Porty L 1200 power pack lights. I'm going to be moving to Portland, OR where it's going to rain much more frequently than it does where I currently live. Because of this, I don't want to be completely unable to shoot outdoors during the rainy parts of the year. Does anyone have any tips for shooting outside in bad weather? Is it possible to cover the lights to protect them from the rain, or would that potentially cause them to overheat?

[Sheldon N]

I live in the Portland, OR area and have an Elinchrom Ranger which is quite weather sealed and would handle a light drizzle without problem.

However, I don't normally use lights outdoors when it's actually raining. Raindrops act like thousands of little reflectors and become very visible when you fire a strobe at them. The strobe also freezes their motion, making them more visible. Unless you are looking to accentuate the rain, you're probably better off shooting natural light.

A cloudy sky can make a wonderful softbox.

[Martin Ranger]

I have a Hensel L1200, live in Seattle and found that it is pretty good with the elements (rain, mud, sand etc), but like Sheldon said:

However, I don't normally use lights outdoors when it's actually raining. Raindrops act like thousands of little reflectors and become very visible when you fire a strobe at them. The strobe also freezes their motion, making them more visible. Unless you are looking to accentuate the rain, you're probably better off shooting natural light.

A cloudy sky can make a wonderful softbox.

+1

[robbaird]

I live in the Portland, OR area and have an Elinchrom Ranger which is quite weather sealed and would handle a light drizzle without problem.

However, I don't normally use lights outdoors when it's actually raining. Raindrops act like thousands of little reflectors and become very visible when you fire a strobe at them. The strobe also freezes their motion, making them more visible. Unless you are looking to accentuate the rain, you're probably better off shooting natural light.

A cloudy sky can make a wonderful softbox.

You make a really good point. I definitely think there's times I might want to be able to have the visible rain, but I'm also thinking there might be a situation where I might not be shooting directly in the rain, but the lights might be exposed to the elements in transit.

Anyways, it sounds like with a little light rain wouldn't be too bad, and if something were to happen I'll be really glad I have insurance for all my gear!