Sessions in the Rain | Seattle Portrait Photographer

What to do if it rains on your session day / should you reschedule or should you work with it?

Seattle, the rainy city.

As Seattleites, we are used to going out in the rain. We don’t own umbrellas. We don’t bat an eye at a couple of drops. So, how do you know if or when you should reschedule your outdoor, on location, photography session?

I remember the first time that I did a photo session in a city outside of Seattle as a professional photographer. It was around 2004 and I had a session booked in Chicago. The morning of the shoot was overcast - which I LOVE - beautiful light. I’m packing up my equipment when I get a call from my client: “Hey…. Um… It looks like it might rain.” - long pause - I was waiting for him to say more because I was so accustomed to Seattle clients at that time who think nothing of it and just keep it moving! I look back at that conversation now and laugh. There is definitely something special about being from a rainy city. We did do that shoot, as we had options for indoor, and it never did more than sprinkle. However, there is definitely a time to consider changing the date. You don’t always want to risk wet spots on your wardrobe.

What to do and when to reschedule:

If you are shooting outdoor (on location), especially in Seattle, it is always important to consider the weather or a shift in weather. It’s a good idea to pick a location with some options in case of rain. This way you can have a covered area to duck into (or even shoot within) as the rain comes and goes.

The image I used for this post was shot on a day in NYC with off and on rain. We decided not to cancel because there were various bridges, tunnels, warehouses, and even bars, that we could duck into in case of rain. It was also a fairly large group of men, each with their own busy schedules. I had two assistants, 3 lights, and all my camera gear which I had to consider as we discussed the weather forecast. In this case, we made the decision to go for it and I am SO glad we did. Sometimes you can have unique surprises due to rain. When it rained, I took individual portraits under a textured bridge. We all loved these shots and may have not used the bridge if the sun stayed out. When the rain paused, we set up lights and shot in the middle of that famous DUMBO street with the Brooklyn Bridge behind. The added bonus that came from shooting on a rainy day was the glistening of the ground and the intense sky that we would otherwise not have captured.

The rain can add an element that really works for the overall look. Another shoot I did in rain was with an environmentalist. The raindrops on his jacket and steam in his glasses created an even more outdoorsy look that really worked!

This said, there is a time where you may need to reschedule. Rain will mark clothing, and change a hairstyle. If you are shooting in a location with no cover in sight, or if wet ground will contrast with the overall feel of your shoot, this would be a time to reschedule. Either way, if it looks like rain, it is worth a discussion.

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