After a long hiatus we're back with more Photo Tips. For many outdoor photographers Winter and early Spring is a time to stay indoors and wait for warmer days to get out there with camera in hand. While I could talk about the benefits of braving the cold to grab stunning "snow pics", today we're going to investigate a common condition in winter and indeed all year round...the overcast sky. Nothing seems to excite us more photographically than a nice sunny day but in reality, an overcast sky is really when the fun starts. Why? because the clouds act as a giant light diffuser allowing the camera's sensor to pick up every bit of information that comes through the lens. On a sunny day, often the highlights are blown out or the shadows are blocked up leaving you with an awful lot of work to do in the computer and sometimes even that won't save your shot. The soft light that's offered up on an overcast day actually makes colours richer and more vibrant. It's also perfect for outdoor portraits as the skin appears smoother  making the subject more attractive. Yes the light is sometimes a little low calling for longer shutter speeds but a little bump in the ISO setting usually takes care of that. If not, there is always the trusty tripod...something I'll talk about in the next Photo Tips. Until then, get outdoors on those cloudy days and you'll be pleasantly surprised at your results.