Everyone who hires an outdoor photographer hopes their photo shoot will be on a gorgeous day. If you’re really lucky, golden hour will enhance the experience. Sometimes that happens. Other times, there may not be perfect weather. If you’re wondering how I handle difficult weather on shoot days, this post is for you.
Outdoor Photography and Difficult Weather
I keep a close eye on our weather report in the days leading up to our photo shoot. There’s no need to grow concerned about a little rain in the forecast until the day before our shoot because the weather often changes. If it’s a prediction that has been consistent for the entire week leading up to our shoot though, that really gets my attention. I’ll be in touch through email to discuss our options several days before our photo shoot.
If we have more clouds than we’d like or rain, we’ll make adjustments. On a cloudy day, we may have to move your session up since we’ll lose light faster. When we book your session, I block off time on my calendar, meaning I’m unable to book anything else. The old adage rings true, especially when running a business-time is money. So, I try not to reschedule unless a heavy rain looks inevitable.
Golden Hour
I try to provide photos as similar to what you see in my portfolio as possible. I often photograph just before sunset, so I too hope for a gorgeous shoot day! The light is softer at the beginning and end of each day. Roughly an hour before the sun sets, when the sky is clear, there is a period of time called golden hour. This is my absolute favorite time of day to photograph! If you’d like to read more about golden hour, I’ve written a blog post you may find interesting.
Photographing Through Unfavorable Weather
If it’s obvious it’s going to rain, but we’re unable to reschedule, we may decide to photograph in the rain (assuming it’s not more than a drizzle). Clear umbrellas are actually pretty cool in photos, and I have a couple we can use! Or we may try to find an indoor or covered outdoor location. Hopefully on a rainy day, we may only have to adjust our time, instead of rescheduling an entirely new day. Fingers crossed we both have a flexibility in our schedules to do so.
Rescheduling the Shoot
You will not be charged another retainer if we make the decision to reschedule due to weather. We’ll simply find a new date and time that work for both of us.
Hopefully, this post has given you insight to how I handle difficult weather on shoot days. As primarily an outdoor photographer, I rely greatly on the weather and hope for gorgeous, sunny days. When that doesn’t happen, we pivot. Photography has taught me to be more flexible and that’s a valuable life lesson.
