How do you deal with June gloom in So CA?...

Well, the type of photography I enjoy are mainly landscapes and some urban. I always looked forward to the fall and winter because clouds and rain make dramatic images. Yet, when summer rolls around I get depressed. In Southern California we go through June gloom, when the costal marine layer hugs along the coast, making the sky grey and featureless. Around noon the gloom burns off and then later around sunset it returns again and making sunsets less then impressive.

I just received my first DSLR about a month ago and I’m having a hard time finding inspiration to go out and shoot in these conditions. The desert has always fascinated me but hot weather deters me from venturing out in the summer time.

How do other amateur landscape photographers deal with So Cal’s June gloom? Maybe my photography interests are too narrow?

I don't know about OC but we had virtually no "June Gloom" down here this year...

So split the difference... Move inland but stay away from the desert. There are plenty of photographic opportunities just waiting in place like Big Bear or Idyllwild...

It sucks. You just have to get used to it. Try some macro photography inside. Go buy some flowers and play around.

I hate getting up early and checking online to see great surf at HB pier, just then I look outside and see the gloom! I can still get some great action shots of the the surfers, but all of the gloomy pictures just suck.

I think if you live by the coast, the overcast sky is significant. If you drive a bit inland, it won't be a factor.
Here is Pasadena I shot yesterday near sunset.
http://tomyi.smugmug.c​om/gallery/574275#1670​69597

ryant35 wrote in post #3446138
It sucks. You just have to get used to it. Try some macro photography inside. Go buy some flowers and play around.

I hate getting up early and checking online to see great surf at HB pier, just then I look outside and see the gloom! I can still get some great action shots of the the surfers, but all of the gloomy pictures just suck.

Thanks guys for the suggestions.

Ryant, I see you understand. I live in Anaheim and Huntington Beach is just down the street (24 miles). As for flowers, if it was in a pasture setting or desert field but I'm not big on individual blooms.

Well, I'm going to explore along the coast (where it's cooler) and see what I can find.

I live near the ocean in Long Beach. If you get up early you can get great fog pictures.

iMigraine wrote in post #3445730
In Southern California we go through June gloom, when the costal marine layer hugs along the coast, making the sky grey and featureless. Around noon the gloom burns off and then later around sunset it returns again and making sunsets less then impressive....How do other amateur landscape photographers deal with So Cal’s June gloom? Maybe my photography interests are too narrow?

That's the time to shoot flowers...color saturation is deeper when the sun is NOT out!

Wilt wrote in post #3450389
That's the time to shoot flowers...color saturation is deeper when the sun is NOT out!

I here that all the time, but I never like the outcome when it is gloomy.

JWright wrote in post #3446009
Move inland but stay away from the desert.

So far not one cloud here... all year !

i just wait till late afternoon or night. better pictures that way.

iMigraine wrote in post #3445730
Well, the type of photography I enjoy are mainly landscapes and some urban. I always looked forward to the fall and winter because clouds and rain make dramatic images. Yet, when summer rolls around I get depressed. In Southern California we go through June gloom, when the costal marine layer hugs along the coast, making the sky grey and featureless. Around noon the gloom burns off and then later around sunset it returns again and making sunsets less then impressive.

I just received my first DSLR about a month ago and I’m having a hard time finding inspiration to go out and shoot in these conditions. The desert has always fascinated me but hot weather deters me from venturing out in the summer time.

How do other amateur landscape photographers deal with So Cal’s June gloom? Maybe my photography interests are too narrow?

Just come up here for a visit, and get a different kind of gloom.

Seriously, overcast days are the best for capturing flowers - get out your macro and tripod. When the sun is bright, I use a diffuser to cut the glare and harsh shadows of bright sun.

R Hardman wrote in post #3450928



So far not one cloud here... all year !

Yeah no clouds but it was 72 degrees here by the beach today. I'll deal with overcast a couple of months a year.

June gloom is a costal weather phenomenon in Southern California. The inland is not affected by it typically but usually the visibility is cut down considerably during the summer months. For instance in Anaheim, I can't see my local foot hills or mountains from all the smog/haze during the day. But in fall and winter it's pretty clear.