These days, I have been watching the weather a lot. I wonder if it's warm enough to go for a walk outside, or if snow might cancel an event. But I am especially interested in what conditions I may be facing for an upcoming family portrait session. While rain usually leads to postponement, sometimes cloudy days can be disappointing for the families I work with. But I want to show you how overcast days can actually be really great for family photography!
One of the biggest benefits to having the sun behind clouds is that it opens up more options for setting up a shot. In this photo, the sun may have come in at a sharp angle and been unacceptable on her face. But as it was, I could have her sit exactly where I wanted her on this little bridge:
When the skies seem dark, there are other ways to brighten up a portrait. Here, I shot through some bare branches of a bush, which lightened up the scene and gave this pretty face a soft background.
These bright yellow leaves probably would have been un-usable for a portrait setting if the sun had been on them. Here, they add a lot of color, cheer, and "brightness" without being too light. I think the yellow is a nice complement to the blue in this family's clothing, too, but that's another blog for another day!
Here's another portrait that feels sunshiny but would have been impossible if the sun were directly shining.
Back to our girl on the bridge, overcast skies let the tone of this image remain a little more subdued, matching her expression.
In this series of shots for a couple's Christmas pictures, it was VERY warm out! If the sun had been shining, they would have never been comfortable in the scarf and vest, and their Christmas pictures wouldn't have looked winter-y at all. Imagine if their hair was lit from behind with warm low sun- they would look out of place in these clothes! The cloudy skies definitely added to the illusion of a cooler day in this case, and that was a very good thing.
Hot cocoa and a blanket in the middle of a Christmas tree farm. Thank goodness for the overcast sky.
So, at this family's session just outside of Knoxville, it actually did rain off and on. The clouds were quite low and dark. The sun would have ruined the expressions of these boys, making them squint and wrinkle up their faces as they laid on their backs looking toward the sky!
A damp setting can mean richer colors all around:
So, before you start to worry about scheduling for the perfect weather for your family or children's portrait session, just remember that cloudy days can yield some great photographs!