When it rains…

In the world of on location custom photography, when it rains it pours. We count on our sun, our light, our dry fields, and warm cozy happy clients. So when it rains, not only does it generally mean a reschedule, but cramming that reschedule into an already packed schedule, pushing a time sensitive client too far (maternity & newborns specifically), disappointing excited clients that have spent hours coordinating outfits, and just making a mess out of a photographer’s agenda.

Two weeks ago I was faced with this problem again. I had a beautiful maternity client that was eager to hop into one of my warm sunset lit luscious fields and was open to anything *insert happy happy photographer*. Then mother nature decided that it was going to have another plan…rain…clouds…cold! It is November after all. So we push the session to the following week and then mother nature had an even bigger plan. We were in the middle of our 4th day of rain due to the after math of Hurricane Ida. So not only was it raining…but it was windy, cold, and the grounds were near flooded.

Both of us hoped for a break in the weather and hesitated to contact each other until that morning in hopes of a parting of the seas clouds.. We got nothing. So my client getting closer and closer to popping…says she would be “fine with working with the rain. Maybe some boots and an umbrella?”. At first honestly, I was in no mood. I had just been sick for almost 2 weeks and still ran slight fevers. But the more I considered the possibilities the more I got excited and inspired. Here I had a client willing to do something I would normally not get the chance to do…I HAD to do it. I was officially challenged. Make a hurricane rain session work…with a maternity none the less.

We did it. Together we faced the challenge head on and worked the rain into our session. In my natural light studio I worked with dim light and rain streaked windows. Outside on the streets of Fredericksburg we got soaked. We were cold. I juggled umbrellas and gear. Hubby juggled umbrellas and clothing changes. We had a blast! I was so inspired…and they were so willing. And it is one of my most favorite sessions to date.

So to not only the photographers out there, but the clients too…
Take a chance. Try out new things…face the obstacles thrown in front of you as an opportunity to do something different…something not ordinary…something others haven’t done or can say they have. This lovely mama to be and her husband not only have unique creative images, but they have a story for their little one. They have something more than just pictures to pass down. And I have fresh portfolio images and an experience I will never forget.