Rain in the forecast? Don’t cancel!
Why rainy shoots create some of the best, most iconic images
As an eternal weather optimist, I personally don’t believe in watching the forecast more than 24 hours before a photo session because rain in the forecast can be super inaccurate. However, if you check the weather report and see a chance of clouds or rain, don’t worry! A photo session on an overcast day—just before or after the rain—actually offers the BEST environment for photos. It’s even something to hope for.
Most families prefer sessions to be mid-day in order to avoid nap time, bedtime, and mealtimes. Unfortunately, the mid-day sun is usually harsh, and squinty! It’s not impossible to capture gorgeous photos mid-day—check out my beach session post for examples of mid-day sun photos—but it can be tricky for those sensitive to light. We can always find some shade to shoot in, yet the best-case scenario is a slightly overcast day, or (you guessed it!) rain in the forecast.
Overcast Day?!
Can I let you in on a secret? Overcast light mimics pretty, early morning, and evening light. It’s even and lovely. Kids can run around and we can shoot in almost any location with ease. Backgrounds aren’t totally blown out so landscapes in the background can be seen.
My rain policy is to wait an hour before the session to decide if we need to reschedule or not. We can certainly reschedule if there are actual raindrops with no end in sight. There have been many situations where I rescheduled sessions too early due to a crappy forecast. The result many times is that it DIDN’T end up raining, or the rescheduled session was the one that got rained out.
Bottom line: Don’t check the weather forecast until about 24 hours before a session, follow my lead with rescheduling, and remember it’s never wrong to hope for overcast skies.
How about we capture some beautiful family photos?
Drop me a line and we’ll schedule it!
