Rain can deepen color, reduce contrast, reveal footprints, alter routes, and bring umbrellas into the geometry of the street. A puddle reflection alone does not explain those changes.
Build the frame around what rain makes people and materials do.
Expose for the human subject
Bright signs and wet highlights can dominate the meter. Check the face, gesture, or material that carries the picture, then decide which highlights truly need detail.
Use a shutter speed fast enough for the intended gesture, or make blur deliberate rather than accidental.
Use reflections as relationships
Include the source of reflected color when possible. The connection between window, pavement, person, and rain gives the reflection context.
Change camera height carefully without blocking narrow paths or placing equipment where visibility is poor.
Edit wet color with restraint
Correct white balance from a familiar surface while keeping meaningful mixed light. Reduce a single overpowering hue before lowering global saturation.
Use dehaze sparingly; rain atmosphere and distant softness are part of the condition, not defects to remove.
Sources and further reading
These references informed the cultural context in this field note.