Rainy Photoshoot

A rainy photoshoot might not be your first choice, but sometimes it’s the only choice. (Like when your photographer has traveled from Vancouver, BC to Greensboro, NC for a ten day holiday and scheduling simply doesn’t allow for re-dos.) And sometimes your photographer (*cough, cough* – me) refuses to believe the forecast (isn’t it always/typically wrong anyway?) and hopes in blind optimism for sunshine to replace the rain.

I live in the land of seemingly perpetual rain. Vancouver or Raincouver. West Coast or Wet Coast. We joke that it’s nine months of rainy days (it really isn’t) and we tease that the tourists are the ones who use umbrellas (locals hardly ever do, we claim with bravado).

Rainy day photos? I have experience.

How to enjoy a rainy photoshoot

Bring umbrellas and rain jackets

You know how you never actually need the umbrella you need but you always want the umbrella you don’t have?  Yup.  Bring an umbrella and (hopefully) you won’t need it.

Wear a comfortable outfit

The only thing worse than a damp outfit is a damp and uncomfortable outfit.  Not only is comfort your goal right now, but the comfortable outfits are (typically) more rain-resistant than a dry-clean-only suit. More importantly? Wear comfortable shoes!  Rain resistant shoes give bonus points, but since the only thing worse (in my mind) than wet feet is wet feet wearing heels, go for comfort!

Trust the photographer

Let’s face it: which is more expensive to replace? Your blowout or her camera gear?  Not to minimize the power of beautiful hair, if she can keep her camera gear functioning then she can keep your hair looking swell. 

Photograph in an urban setting

As with these anniversary photos of Drew and Candace in downtown Greensboro, when it rained we either embraced it (doesn’t every chick flick end with a kiss in the rain?) or meandered from storefront overhang to covered porch while staying completely dry.   Trees are beautiful in the rain, but if your goal is to minimize the wet then pick a downtown locale with naturally covered areas!

Embrace the rain

Rain can be beautifully romantic.  Have you seen these photos of Ray & Laura in the rain? Is there anything more deliriously adorable? Proof. =D   Choose outfit, shoes, hair style that will withstand the rain and then go play in some puddles! 

Have a backup plan!

For my time with Drew & Candace, the rain was intermittent and drizzling.  If we’d faced a downpour, I had a backup plan A, B, and C ready to go depending on timing, outfit colors, and our respective wishes.  (Tea time at a local hotel closed earlier than the downtown library and the coffee shop was closest to our original meeting location.)