For YEARS, I was able to photograph so many sessions without having to cancel or reschedule do to inclement weather. Realistically, this was due to drought, but I told myself it was luck and my preparedness (ie, always having umbrellas in my car that we can use during a session, which I still do).
People often ask what we do in case of bad weather. Here’s what you can expect with me, and most other photographers, too.
Spring, summer, and fall
While the weather can be unpredictable at times in the Midwest, the dangerous conditions aren’t super variable between each of the seasons. Our biggest concern will always be rain and thunderstorms. So, what do you do if there is rain scheduled during your photo session? Well, the only answer I can easily give is, it depends! There are many factors to consider. In the early spring, we see cooler temperatures and high winds with rain. That can make it pretty miserable, especially if kids are involved. Generally, I do my best to keep sessions unless it is going to be extremely windy, or only slightly above freezing. Rain can actually be really fun for photos. I keep a set of clear umbrellas in my car so you can stay (sort of) dry and we can capture some fun moments in the rain.
In late spring, we tend to get our most volatile weather. It seems like every May, we find ourselves closely monitoring for tornadoes passing through the Twin Cities Metro or the St. Croix Valley. And while we rarely are where a tornado actually hits, we know that this weather can bring other concerns, like lightning and hail. We definitely don’t take those kinds of risks. As soon as lightning is on the table, we’re closely monitoring that radar to see if it is just a passing storm or if it will impede the entire session. If storms make an appearance in any season, I’ll reach out as soon as I can to talk about the potential risk and work with you to decide how to move forward.
Winter
Winter is often more predictable from the photography standpoint. With endless sources reporting on potential snow totals and weather apps galore, we usually have a pretty good understanding of what to expect heading into your session. Snow doesn’t usually affect us much and makes for really pretty photos. However, I do monitor the road conditions closely leading up to your session. If roads are ice-covered, visibility is low, or there is an active blizzard, we’ll reschedule once the roads are safe to drive on.
This session is an example of one that we had to reschedule. I was leaving for the original session date, and my husband had the radar pulled up. At first glance, it looked bad. But then, upon closer investigation, it seemed like it would just be a passing shower through Afton State Park. I double-checked the hourly forecast. Only a 40% chance of rain sounded like we would be okay. So, I left. I drove through the windy roads, passing deer along the way. And with every minute, the sky got darker. Once I got to the parking lot, I checked the radar. The rain was going to start 5 minutes into our session, turn into heavy storms, and continue for the entire session. Well, that’s not going to work.
I called Joey and Kalley, hoping they hadn’t left yet. As I mentioned, this is not something I do often, so I felt really terrible about having to cancel. We quickly made a plan to push it to later in the week, when the weather was supposed to be sunny. Then, I started driving home. And as soon as I did, lightning struck in the sky. I watched this happen several times on the drive home, and I knew that we made the right decision.
We had a hazy, cloudy day for their session a few days later, until the sun came out at the last minute for a beautiful sunset!
