Best Ideas for Bad Conditions?

[shruggy63]

True to the stereotype, Britain's late autumn weather has been horrible for photographers lately. It's so grey that it looks like low contrast B/W with your eyes! & that's when it's not raining.
So I need something else to do photo-wise?
I'd quite like to make a light table on the cheap if anyone's got any tips, any hints on ghetto lit still lifes & how to make a mini studio? Basically anything I can do indoors would be welcome.
I'm also terrible at photographing people so I thought that if I used myself as a subject then maybe I'd learn something from that. So tips on self-portraits would be much appreciated.

[Nicole]

I've done a DIY lightbox using foamcore boards and duct tape and a piece of flexible posterboard to create the seamless white background. Then I lit it with halogen work lights. It's easy, cheap, and works pretty well. Plus I bought a piece of black to do seamless black as well. You might find either of these links useful:
A Simple Fold Away Light Box | DIYPhotography.net
DIY - A Lightbox Studio Setup | DIYPhotography.net

[brianxlt]

When its not raining you could take low contrast B/W in color. I have an image of a water fall under the same conditions. People like it and ask if it is B&W, but it was taken on color film and processed as color.

[Doug Sundseth]

Strobist: How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio

You can use nearly any lights that have a similar color temperature.

Try food photography. It's not my thing, but it's a huge subject. And you get to eat the subjects.

Instead of going after broad landscapes, shoot details. You have the world's largest (literally) softbox with you everywhere. Harsh shadows are not a problem. (Getting wet is a problem, but I'm sure you'll think of something. )

Use window light for portraits. It will give you a soft but directional light when it's cloudy; essentially painter's north light everywhere.