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PhotoWeather

Complex Conditions

Complex conditions unlock PhotoWeather’s full power by combining multiple conditions with logical operators. Create sophisticated rules that precisely match your photography vision using unlimited combinations of:

  • 25+ weather measurements - temperature, clouds, wind, precipitation, visibility, and more
  • 9 advanced conditions - photography-specific calculations like fog probability and golden hour potential
  • Astronomical timing - golden hour, blue hour, civil twilight, and precise solar/lunar positioning
  • Unlimited logical combinations - AND, OR, NOT operators at any level of complexity
  • Time windows - restrict when rules are active to specific periods

This lets you create rules like: “Golden hour AND (partial clouds OR dramatic storm clouds) AND low wind AND NOT raining” - precisely targeting your ideal shooting conditions.

Logical Operators

Section titled “Logical Operators”

PhotoWeather supports three logical operators that can be combined at any level of complexity.

AND Logic (Default Behavior)

Section titled “AND Logic (Default Behavior)”

All conditions must be true for the rule to trigger:

When multiple conditions are listed together, they are automatically combined with AND logic.

Example: Temperature between 15-25°C AND wind under 10 m/s AND low precipitation chance.

OR Logic

Section titled “OR Logic”

Any condition can trigger the rule:

Example: Partial clouds (20-40%) OR heavy clouds (80-95%).

NOT Logic

Section titled “NOT Logic”

Exclude specific conditions:

Example: Good temperature range (10-25°C) but NOT high precipitation chance.

Combining Conditions

Section titled “Combining Conditions”

Nested Logic

Section titled “Nested Logic”

You can nest logical operators to create complex combinations:

Example: Rule triggers during (golden hour OR blue hour) AND partial clouds AND calm winds.

Weather and Astronomical Conditions

Section titled “Weather and Astronomical Conditions”

Combine weather parameters with astronomical periods:

Example: Morning fog photography rule combining golden hour timing with high fog probability and calm winds.

Condition Types for Complex Rules

Section titled “Condition Types for Complex Rules”

Complex conditions can combine any of PhotoWeather’s available measurements:

  • Weather Parameters - All 31 measurements including temperature, clouds, wind, precipitation, and atmospheric conditions
  • Advanced Conditions - 9 photography-specific calculations like fog probability and golden hour potential
  • Astronomical Timing - Golden hour, blue hour, twilight periods, and solar/lunar positioning

For complete details on all available parameters, ranges, and photography applications, see Weather Parameters.

Practical Examples

Section titled “Practical Examples”

Morning Fog Photography

Section titled “Morning Fog Photography”

Conditions:

  • golden_hour: morning period only
  • fog_probability: 80-100%
  • dewpoint_spread_c: 0-2°C
  • wind_speed_10m: 0-3 m/s
  • visibility: 500-5000m

Dramatic Storm Conditions

Section titled “Dramatic Storm Conditions”

Conditions:

  • storm_intensity: 60-80%
  • cloud_drama_score: 70-100%
  • visibility: minimum 3000m (for safety)
  • wind_gusts_10m: maximum 50 m/s
  • NOT precipitation: over 10mm

Architecture Photography with Precise Lighting

Section titled “Architecture Photography with Precise Lighting”

Conditions:

  • solar_elevation: 15-45 degrees (good angle height)
  • solar_azimuth: 60-120° OR 240-300° (east or west side lighting)
  • cloud_cover: 20-50% (partial clouds for texture)
  • visibility: minimum 10000m (excellent visibility for sharp details)

Advanced Features

Section titled “Advanced Features”

Time Windows

Section titled “Time Windows”

Restrict when rules are active to specific time periods.

Example: Only check temperature conditions from 1 hour before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Best Practices

Section titled “Best Practices”

Rule Design

Section titled “Rule Design”
  1. Start simple - Begin with 1-2 conditions and add complexity gradually
  2. Use advanced conditions - More accurate than raw metrics for photography-specific scenarios
  3. Consider time constraints - Most photography opportunities are time-dependent
  4. Test with realistic ranges - Account for weather forecast uncertainty

Safety Guidelines

Section titled “Safety Guidelines”
  1. Include safety thresholds - Always consider wind, precipitation, and temperature limits for outdoor shooting
  2. Use NOT operators thoughtfully - They can create unexpected gaps in opportunity detection

Common Issues

Section titled “Common Issues”

Rule Not Triggering

Section titled “Rule Not Triggering”
  • Check that the rule is enabled at your location
  • Verify that astronomical periods overlap with the forecast window
  • Ensure value ranges are realistic for your location’s typical weather

Unexpected Matches

Section titled “Unexpected Matches”
  • Review logical operator groupings (innermost operators are evaluated first)
  • Double-check parameter names and value ranges
  • Consider if NOT operators are creating unintended gaps

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Ready to apply complex conditions? Continue to: