When should you reschedule your family session due to bad weather?

Pinepoint Beach in Scarborough Maine Family Session- The ‘D’ Family

When it comes to weather for a photo shoot, there are a few things to consider. Some photographers love a bright sunny day with clear skies, while others prefer soft overcast light. But what about fog, rain, or heavy overcast? Today I am answering the question of when should you reschedule your family session due to bad weather?

Personally, I love warm, sunny days for photoshoots. I enjoy shooting backlit, with the sun wrapping around my clients and giving them a beautiful glow. It’s my favorite lighting to work with, as it adds a magical touch to the photos. I am so inspired on these days.

However, there are times when the weather doesn’t cooperate. I’m not typically a fan of overcast days with dark, heavy cloud cover. But recently, a family visiting Scarborough Maine decided to go ahead with our planned shoot despite the overcast weather. And you know what? It turned out to be so pretty and soft. We did luck out that the clouds were not heavy and it the sun did shine through for a few moments.

In situations like this, I leave it up to my clients. While I usually offer a reschedule option for rain or heavy overcast, if they’re happy to proceed, we can always make the most of it. In fact, we can even consider an indoor shoot as an alternative.

I will say if you are doing an indoor session I don’t mind overcast days. The only time I would reschedule is if it was super dark like a storm. Other than that we hug windows and I can even use off camera flash (naturally) if I need to.

One factor that most people forget is to look at the winds. If the wind is going to be high (8-15 mph) and we are on the coast it can mean fly away hairs etc. So this will be another factor to consider when deciding to go with it or move the session date.

Ultimately, the decision to reschedule for fog or overcast weather is a personal one. However, when it comes to rain I will 100% push to reschedule. Children do not enjoy being wet for sessions. Everyones hair gets messy and the grass is shiny. So we will do whatever we can do reschedule and find a new date. If the date can’t be changed I will do an indoor or in-home session.

So, whether you’re a fan of soft overcast light or prefer warm, sunny days like me, the most important thing is to have fun, play with you family and the love will shine through.

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