Friday, May 29, 2009

Fun Fact Friday - You can still have beautiful photos in rain

Fact: I shoot outside when the weather is wet.
Now, if there is a tornado warning or a monsoon downpour I will find another location that is both safe and beautiful...

Andy and I got married 8 years ago this very weekend - the weekend after Memorial Day. And it rained. Outdoor photos were extremely important to me and I had to beg, beg, beg my photographer to go to a park. Back then, my photographer was shooting with a medium format film camera that wasn't weather proof, and of course he didn't bring any rain gear. Not even an umbrella.

I sure am glad that I forced him to shoot outside during our rainy day. Those are the photos I love the most... especially the ones of Andy and I kissing under the umbrella.

This is why I am sooooo determined to shoot in any weather. It is as important to me that you have outdoor wedding photos as much as it was to me on my wedding day 8 years ago. In order to shoot in the rain I bring 8 black golf size umbrellas for you and your wedding party. I bring rain gear for myself and my cameras. If I know it is going to rain really hard I will scout the area for overhangs so you will stay dry while I shoot out into the openness.

Last weekend I shot an outdoor ceremony at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh. Of course, minutes before the processional started heavy drizzle. The show went on. Luckily, guests brought umbrellas and the Michelle at the Paine distributed even more. The ceremony was beautiful despite the rain... and I was able to capture some great moments.


The great thing about a light drizzle is that there is no blinding sun and no harsh light that can create ugly shadows. Actually, I'd rather shoot on a dreary day over any other day! The colors from last weekend's wedding are so bright and vivid - an amazing contrast to the wet surroundings.

Full blog post coming soon on Jessica and Jerrod's May 23, 2009 wedding at the Paine Art Center and Gardens - Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Are you worried about rain on your wedding day? Tell me about your wedding day weather worries or true life stories!

5 comments:

  1. GORGEOUS pics! And I totally agree with you on shooting in the rain. My favorite wedding from 2008 was in September and it poured rain the entire weekend but the pictures are some of the best I've ever taken!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello! I love reading your blog and I have to admit that I'm really worried about rain. My husband and I are renewing our vows next Saturday and having an outdoor ceremony. Thanks for some tips. I'm going to buy umbrellas if the weather says rain

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved reading this post! It rained the morning of our wedding, and even though it stopped, I opted to get married inside because the ground was still wet. It was overcast the rest of the day and I was so upset because of it! I envisioned a beautiful, sunny July day on the lake with us getting married over looking the beautiful gardens at the Villa Terrace, and I could not believe that it was cummy outside in what was supposed to be the "driest month of the year." Looking back, I don't know why I was so upset because when we got our pictures back the shots that I love the most are the ones where the clouds look the most heavy. It got foggy at night which made shots out on the riverwalk downtown look even better. Another positive was that the clouds made it a nice and cool 70 degree day verses the next day during our gift opening when it was 90 degrees and humid as ever! Besides, isn't a little rain on your wedding day supposed to be good luck ;) And with a great photographer like you Amy, no one needs to worry about whether or not their pictures are going to turn out fantastic! Cheers to rainy weddings!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree Amy, shooting in somewhat inclement weather can add an extra dash of color, fun, and challenge (in a good way) to the photos.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comment!