when planning your engagement session we like to hold a few shoot dates and here’s why…

To put it simply: we want you to have the best possible photo session and that includes having the best weather. On your wedding day we would never say “it’s kind of overcast / rainy / crummy out today, I think we should take these photos another time”. No matter the weather, come rain, wind, hell or high water, we will shoot your wedding photos in whatever way we can even if it’s in less than ideal conditions. For your engagement session though there— typically— is more flexibility with when we can shoot, so we like to ask for a little patience and if that means waiting for a better day, then so be it. We know you’re probably excited, maybe you even have a due date for these photos because you want to use them for your save the date cards, or to announce your engagement on social media, we totally get that, but we promise (promise!!) waiting for the perfect day is so worth it.

so how does this work?

Let’s say you have a general idea of when you want to shoot your session, for example in May. May can be a really beautiful time of year since we’re finally thawing out of winter, the sun is more consistently shining, and the temperature is climbing! With May though there also often comes rainy days, the occasional dip in the thermostat, and sometimes even muddy conditions (depending on where you want to go this could be a big factor in rescheduling your session). Because of this, we simply ask for your first, second, and third availability for May. If we get to our first shoot date and the weather is less than ideal we’ll check in the morning of and move to our second date. When our second date rolls around, if the weather is still the same, or worse, we’ll move on to our third date. If by the time we get to our third date and somehow we keep striking out with bad weather, we haven’t really lost on anything right? If you’re tired of putting this off, or even if you have to send in your save the date cards and need your photos, so we don’t have any more time to reschedule, then so be it, let’s do it!

so what if we do shoot on an overcast or rainy day?

Don’t worry, while we don’t loooove overcast days, it’s not the end of the world! A rainy engagement session running around the beach could actually be so fun! An overcast day where you cozy up at home together, making (eating) some pizza on the couch could be so beautiful! But if you are looking for a bright and romantic session shot at golden hour (sunrise or sunset) know that you will not get this on an overcast day.

Overcast days are cloudy days, those days where there is not a clear sun in the sky, when sometimes it’s somehow both cloudy but bright outside and you have no idea why you’re squinting and need sunglasses? People like to say on overcast days “isn’t this the best weather to shoot in?” because there are no harsh shadows from the sunlight but in our opinion… no, we much prefer sunnier days! Overcast days leave soft shadows everywhere, which can be great yes, but that also means having raccoon eyes and soft, unflattering, shadows on your faces. It means having flat, not very dynamic, photos.

This is not to say that shooting in overcast is the worst thing in the world

Absolutely not!! If you enjoy moodier and high contrast photos, you can find this on overcast days. If you are someone who sweats a lot and is not comfortable in the heat (hello, yes, us too!), then perhaps a cooler and less sunny day is best for you. Sometimes there are deadlines and not a lot of flexibility between our schedules no matter how hard we try to make it work so we just have to play the hand we’re dealt. The great thing is: with all of these years of experience under our belts, shooting in both the best and the worst of conditions, we are well versed with it and we promise we will make the best of it!

It’s important to us to set expectations upfront and being clear about the kinds of photos you’ll get on a cloudy day vs. with a clear sunset and two drastically different things that we don’t want you to confuse. At the end of the day we want you to be happy with your photos and your photo shoot experience with us, and this is just a little step in making sure that happens!