RAINY DAY TIPS FOR FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY AND BRITISH WEATHER​

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HOW CAN FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY BE ADAPTED TO SUIT THE UNPREDICTABLE BRITISH WEATHER?

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Things to think about with Family Photography and Great British weather, consider indoor locations like cafés, or botanical gardens. Alternatively, embrace the day and know we can always shoot outdoors with props like umbrellas and rain boots for a unique and memorable photo session.

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Of course, this is England, and we do get a lot of rain, ah Family Photography and British weather! The upside of this is that I’m well versed in how to manage rain, and to still give you wonderful family photographs that you’ll love!

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CHECKING THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR YOUR FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY AND BRITISH WEATHER PREPARATION FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT.

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I use a range of apps for my Family Photography and British weather, to keep an eye on what's going on a couple of days before your session. There’s not much point checking the forecast earlier than that, as patterns seem to shift dramatically across a week. A day that looks sunny in a week’s time often turns out to be a wet one, and vice versa. Two days before, we have a better sense of how everything might be on the actual day. If it’s forecast to be heavy rain, we can always reschedule. It’s worth holding out though before postponing, as the forecast might well shift a little over the next day or so – if you’re able to keep the space in your diary, I’d suggest doing so. The day before your session, I’ll check the forecast again. If it’s scheduled to be light rain, that’s usually fine to go ahead. It never rains solidly, so it may be a case of finding shelter and darting out to take photographs in breaks in the weather.

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On the day itself, I use a hyper-local apps that tracks rain in ten minute intervals. If it looks like it’ll be drier a little earlier or later than we’ve planned your session, we can shift the timing of your session accordingly, depending on my availability. If I can see that it will be drier in half an hour or so, we’ll take photographs under shelter like a bandstand or gazebo until everything dries out. Bandstands often have white ceilings, which work as a natural reflector for portraits – they create very soft and flattering light. Equally, we can shelter under a big tree or in a café until a shower clears and just start a bit later.

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So, here are my top tips for being flexible on your shoot …​

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• Grey Skies = a Photographer's Dream – Grey clouds are actually very flattering for portraits, so an overcast day isn’t an issue – it’s a bonus for photographs! If you look through my website, you’ll see how few photographs include bright blue skies. This is because even on a sunny day, we’ll find some gentle shade – it’s much more flattering for portraits. With some shade, we don’t need to worry about squinting eyes or awkward shadows on faces. It also gives us lots of backdrop options, as I don’t have to find locations that work against bright skies and sunshine. Let's get out in the great outdoors!

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• We Can Start at Home - If it’s a day with light showers, and you’re not able to shift the time of your session, for example if it’s difficult with your baby’s nap routine, please don’t worry! Another option is to start your session at home, and then to head outdoors when the weather improves. I always recommend starting at home anyway as it helps little ones relax, getting used to the camera where they feel most confident and relaxed.

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• Worse comes to worst – If it’s a day of heavy rain, and you can’t postpone your session, we can hold your whole session indoors instead. If you’re particularly keen on having some outdoor photographs, we can open the garden doors – you can stand indoors, and I’ll photograph you with the greenery in the background.

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So, here are my top tips on what to BRING to a rainy shoot …

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• Brightly Coloured Coats & Wellies 

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• A Change of Clothes 

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• A Clear Umbrella – These don’t affect the light on your face, and are less distracting in a photograph.

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• A Picnic Blanket (if you have one) - with a waterproof underside, that’s also a great option, but I usually bring one of these anyway!

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As a family photographer, I had so much fun on this family photoshoot. I'm so glad we went ahead with family photography and British weather for our outdoor shoot in the best location in Malvern. I think the whole family had a great time at their family photo shoot with all the natural light and no rain on our photo shoot either, we seemed to beat the hack with Family Photography and British weather.

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"I would thoroughly recommend Megan to take photos for any event you occasions you have. I have wanted some professional photos done of my dog and I for a long time. As a 40th birthday present from my family, Megan was hired to take some. Megan is fantastic at getting the right shot and seems to be able to get excellent, natural photos so effortlessly and without me realising. She was excellent with my dog and we both had a great time. The only difficult bit was to decide which photos to choose from as they were all amazing. Thank you so much Megan!"

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I honestly love taking family photographs at a family photography shoot, documentary family photography and capturing natural photographs of your family portraits to tell your family story authentically is so lovely to be able to do. If you're interested in a family photoshoot/family shoot or family photography in the great outdoors, please get in touch today for your photography session quote.

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If you’re interested in booking a family shoot, with a family photographer for your family photography, please look here for more details.

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