Gray & Overcast? Perfect Weather For Portraits!
Hey, where's the sunshine??
You came all the way to Hawaii for sunshine, blue skies and warm sand between your toes. Then you saw this website and thought to yourself, "Self, I LOVE this guy's photography and I want photos just like that for me and my loved ones!" But naturally, of course, the very evening of YOUR photo session it's gray, overcast and threatening rain! Geez, why even bother?
The sunrise didn't happen for Shawn's proposal to Brie....
...but I don't think they cared or noticed!
Well, the good news is that this scenario doesn't happen all that often here in Hawaii. While the weather report almost always indicates a chance of precipitation, that's because it rains everyday in the interior of the islands where the knife-edged mountain peaks scrape the rain from passing clouds. The beaches, however, tend to remain surprisingly clear and dry overall.
Family "sunset" portrait... except the sunlight is from a flash!
Another proposal on an overcast day...but notice how "soft" the light is...
The greatest chance of gray, overcast days is during the winter of course. And sometimes, it does happen that a storm blows through the week you're here on holiday (see this wedding in the rain). However, this blog post is to prove to you that stunningly beautiful images are still possible even when the sun is totally obscured and the day is overcast! Every image on this post is from a session on a day that wasn't "sunny & perfect."
Color clothes make you “pop” out of the scene on gray days.
And the sky really was that color. This was not enhanced or “Photoshopped!”
The good thing about cloudy, gray and sunless days is that it actually creates a very soft light. With just a little judicious use of flash or careful placement of where you stand, a professional photographer can use overcast conditions to create images that are just as good or even better than on a "sunny day."
Flower power in the park on a gray day...
Upside down on Dad's back...
Gray, overcast, sprinkling...and then the rainbow came out...
The kids didn't care if there was no sunshine!
He proposed… she said yes!
Lightly sprinkling, overcast and gloomy elopement ceremony
Obviously, we all wish for a gorgeous sunny day for our photos, but there are also definite drawbacks to it, such as squinting eyes, harsh lighting, deep shadows and too bright highlights on faces, to name just a few. But no matter what kind of weather shows up on the day of your photo session, if you stay open to the possibilities, we can make beautiful photos together!
Claire & Jarrod's elopement started off in sunshine...
...turned to rain just after the ceremony as a squall swept thru....
...and mostly cleared again for our final portraits! (for some reason they kept kissing a lot....)
I hope this little blog post has helped ease your mind about weather on the day of your photos shoot! I'm pretty sure you'll agree, every one of these folks loved the photos they got even if it wasn't "perfect" Hawaii sunshine conditions.
Gray day for Michael & Amy's wedding too...
"Sunshine" created by a flash...
Judicious use of flash can make...
....all the difference on a gray day!