The weather forecast for a natural light photographer is an intergral part of the shoot. We need the weather to cooperate!

Weather reschedules…have you been there?

You booked sessions everyday in the week, and the…plot twist…it rains, or is too overcast/cloudy the whole week! Yowza. Then you catch yourself starting to worry about the back up that’s about to happen in your shooting schedule with weather reschedules!

What can you do? Here are some guidelines to help release the worry of the inevitable:

LIMIT YOURSELF

I literally had to write myself a post-it note saying not to book more than 3 clients per week. It’s tempting to put clients in when they want….BUT….it’s key to the overall success to have some wiggle room for weather reschedules!

COMMUNICATE

Communicate with your client when they book, that a weather reschedule is a possibility. The more they know, the less shock and disappointment there will be. Also communicate this may be a last minute call on the day of the shoot. Reminding your client this is a change outside of your control is also helpful!

BE FLEXIBLE

Keep a flex day in your schedule specifically because this may happen. Or, be open to shooting on days you do not regularly shoot. For instance, I do not shoot on the weekends, but I open my weekends to reschedules if the weather doesn’t cooperate on our original shoot date, as long as my schedule allows.

SHOOT A “DOUBLE HEADER”

A “double header” is two shoots on the same day at the same location….1 right after the other. So you can maximize the time in your calendar!

SUNRISE SHOOT

Especially in the summer time, this is a wonderful solution for many reasons. Beat the heat, beat the crowds, and you have the rest of the day still open!

In conclusion, things may not always go as planned, but know that, in the end, it will all be worth it with amazing sun filled images for your senior! Being flexible and understanding the weather is out of your control, is the way the cookie crumbles in this industry. Chances are, you won’t make it through the season without a weather reschedule…or five.

Follow on Instagram for more tips on running your senior photography business! Work with me 1-on-1 here.

Cindy Swanson, Photography Educator