A rainy, senior session

The session was scheduled and my senior had chosen an amazing location near northwest Peoria, AZ at Lake Pleasant. It was March, and while typically that is a gorgeous time of year for the Valley of the Sun, on this particular day it was overcast and there was rain in the forecast. This was my first official session I had scheduled and the weather wasn’t doing much to cooperate. All of my lessons of using natural light (where was the SUN?!) had me pivoting on the spot. Yet the results turned out gorgeous and it remains one of my favorite sessions yet. I’m sharing the ways I pivoted, including tips for navigating a tricky weather situation (downpour and all) at a rainy, senior session.

Shooting on a cloudy, overcast day

Normally you want the sun behind your client. However, with cloudy, overcast sky, have your client face toward the direction of where the sun is. This may take some imagining, but you should have a good idea of where the sun would be, if it weren’t hidden by the clouds. Having them face the sun will provide as much light as possible onto your subject, and BONUS: you won’t have shadows to contend with. While we all love that backlit glow, using this tip will brighten your subject and provide them with beautiful photographs in their gallery.

You’ll be amazed at the beautiful, EVEN light you’ll get from a cloudy day. It’ll be amazing!

Be prepared for rain

It started sprinkling, which turned into a rain shower, causing us to pause the session for awhile. This is why you give yourself at least 90 minutes for these sessions! If you encounter a rain delay, be prepared. Have an umbrella or make sure you stay near a sheltered space to keep your clients dry and keep your gear dry, too. Keep an eye on your weather app for about how long the rain could last and adjust accordingly.

Use the time wisely! If you’re photographing a senior, this could be a good time for an outfit change. Use the time to go over what you’ve captured so far and what’s next so everyone is ready to go when the rain stops. Be thinking of where you’ll begin again once you resume.

Using this time wisely will maximize the session time rather than wasting time worrying. You can do it! (Of course, if there is lighting, heavy rain, or severe weather, keep safety first and consider rescheduling!)

Here comes the sun

In Arizona, most rain showers don’t last long. Even though we had the interruption of rain, sure enough, that sun peaked through the clouds, giving us a beautiful rainbow across the lake. We all were in awe – and how awesome for God to drop a rainbow at my first photography session?! Of course, we captured a few rainbow photographs.

Now that the sun was out, I took advantage of an opportunity to catch backlighting and started shooting in the other direction. Now I had my clients back to the sun, capturing one of my favorite photographs of her, which I’ve shared below. Beautiful girl!

If all you saw was this photograph, you probably wouldn’t know that we had been huddled under a picnic table shelter just about 20 minutes before in a windy and rainy situation. Look at that backlit glow outlining her beautifully! And if you can stick it out, you get to deliver a gallery to your senior that looks like this:

Things to help a tricky-weather-situation session be a success:

1. Value your client. Yep, this one comes first for me, because I’m a people-centered photographer. Be mindful of the fact that they have prepared for the session. Always keep at the forefront of your mind that the best photographers serve their clients well.
2. Think ahead. It’s your job as the photographer to know what to do. Maximize your time by having ideas in place before you’re met with challenges. Jot down a few notes prior to the session if you need reminders for yourself during your time.
3. Keep your attitude positive. Have you ever been around someone who complains? It can quickly ruin the environment for everyone around. I had a senior, her mom, and her younger sister at this session, and hands down, it was an absolute BLAST. But every one of us kept positive and willing to pivot and change direction quickly. When you can adjust and lead your clients to do the same, you can accomplish much together!

And here’s what my senior had to say about this rainy, senior session:

“Kendra was so wonderful to work with! She is very detail-oriented, patient, and kind! She takes into consideration your vision for the photo shoot and adds value through her professional expertise! The result was not only great pictures but an enjoyable experience as well.” -Faith

Looking to book a senior photography session?

Live near Peoria, AZ? I love working with seniors. Kindly contact me for more information!

Gratefully,

Kendra