"The sun did not shine; it was too wet to play; so we sat in the house; all that cold, cold, wet day"
If last year was all about photos in harsh sunlight, this year it's about photos in the rain (or not)…
Unsurprisingly, one of our most asked questions for our family location photoshoots is: what if it's raining? Well, we've put that to the test this year.
And it's very simple. If it's too wet for photos, we reschedule.
Nobody looks happy when they are drenched. Or in a gale. So we find another date. And it doesn't matter whether we make the decision to reschedule on the day or the day before (a 24h forecast is usually pretty accurate). Or, as has happened before, during the session itself. It's all about getting the best photos.
But there are alternatives. If you are out for the day, you probably don't have a choice. (Yes, we've spent a day on the south coast this summer, sitting on the beach in the rain.) If it's not raining too hard, then it needn't necessarily be a washout. And at least it will be an accurate representation of an English summer (assuming it's not one of the heatwave ones where we are desperate for rain...).
In light rain, make a play of it. Umbrellas. Wellies and puddles. Hoods. All can add fun and narrative to a photograph. If it's heavier, the only option is probably to find shelter: trees, building overhangs, underpasses. Just a step out of the weather.
The bottom line? If you book a location shoot with us, don't worry about the weather. We have to reschedule relatively few shoots (all things considered), although more in the summer than other times of the year. But if we do need to reschedule, you can make the decision at any point up to and including the day of the shoot. Just in case the forecast is wrong.