Bad weather is an outdoor photographer’s worst nightmare. Mother Nature dictates when and how often we can shoot. I can’t tell you the number of times I wanted to call my local weather man and tell him that I don’t appreciate all of the bad weather (Ha!).
My view on weather as a photographer:
- Sunny days and days with an overcast are great and ideal!
- I always shoot on sunny days and days that are overcast. The sun is great for golden light and overcast is great because it creates beautiful, even light. It also allows us to shoot at more locations that we normally wouldn’t be able to shoot at.
- A little wind is a photographer’s best friend. A lot of wind can ruin a session.
- If you have the “America’s Next Top Model”/ Beyonce wind-blown look, it is absolutely beautiful. People will bring fans to a session to give their clients a model-like look to their hair. If the wind is over 15mph, it can really influence your session. Usually if there is a little wind, it is spotty and is manageable to shoot in between the wind gusts. But if the wind is too intense, your hair won’t stay put and you won’t be pleased with how it looks in your images.
When do I make the call on whether to shoot or not because of weather?
- Making the decision to carry out a shoot when there has been bad weather is a well, thought out decision. As a mom, I understand that schedules are busy and finding another day where everyone is available isn’t an easy task.
- I’ll consult you the day of your session and give you an honest opinion about my thoughts on whether or not we should reschedule.
- I have your pictures best interest in mind and I want to make sure you’re happy with your images long term. If the weather elements are questionable during the time frame of your session, I will most likely recommend rescheduling. The last thing I want is for you to be unhappy with your images due to things that are out of my control.
- If you’re planning on getting your hair and makeup done, make sure to tell me ahead of time so I can consult the hair and makeup artist to find out the latest we can reschedule.
Things to think about when you’re asked to reschedule:
- Investment
- Senior pictures are a big investment that shouldn’t be rushed. I don’t want someone to invest their time, money and energy in outfits, hair, makeup and a photographer and then not be happy with the images because they had to rush to meet a deadline such as sorority recruitment packets or yearbook ad deadlines. Think about all of the time and effort it will take to make your session successful.
- Indoor locations
- Indoor locations will always charge a fee to shoot in their facility. These fees can range from $50 an hour-$500 for an afternoon. If you are in a hurry and your session gets rained out, know that there are additional fees associated with using an indoor location.
- Your photographer cares
- As your photographer, I want your pictures to be the best they can be. If I recommend rescheduling because of wind, humidity or rain, that is my way of saying, “the quality of your image is going to suffer if we shoot today”. I really wish I could control the weather, but unfortunately I can’t. I know it will be inconvenient for you, but you will be much happier with your images.
