Photo Weather

Let’s talk about Photo Weather: Sometimes You Just Have to Beat the Rain

When you schedule beach photos, you hope for perfect photo weather. Usually, that means soft skies, a gentle breeze, and a beautiful sunset. However, the beach sometimes has other plans. Reagan and her three beautiful daughters proved that less-than-perfect weather can create some of the most memorable photos of all.

Sometimes sunset photos don’t work out as planned.

Originally, we were scheduled for sunset photos. Unfortunately, the radar showed a storm heading straight toward us. Waiting until sunset would likely mean a complete rainout. Reagan did not want to lose her session, though. Therefore, we made a quick decision. We would scramble, gather everyone, and try to beat the rain!

Late Afternoon Photos have a feel of their own.

By the time we arrived at the beach, the storm was racing toward us too. Surprisingly, the sky was still bright and blue. In fact, it matched the girls’ beautiful blue dresses perfectly. Meanwhile, the wind was definitely making its presence known!

Storm approaching, birds flying, wind blowing, LOVE the result!

Thankfully, these girls were ready for photos. Their mom is pretty handy with a camera herself, so they already knew how to pose and have fun in front of the lens. Instead of worrying about the wind, we embraced it. Soon, we were running around the beach like the crazy seagulls surrounding us.

Despite the approaching storm, we captured the sweetest mother-and-daughter photos.

We got the session in, and it was perfect for my pretty ones in blue!

Reagan had only a couple of special requests. First, she wanted a photo of each of her daughters individually. Of course, we made sure to capture those. Then, she wanted a picture tossing her youngest daughter into the air while she could still pick her up. Those are exactly the kinds of moments worth remembering.

Next came the seagulls.

Some nearby sunbathers were eating chips, which had attracted quite a flock. Naturally, I had an idea. I borrowed a few chips and tossed them toward the girls, hoping to create a fun photo with birds flying beautifully in the background.

Well…the birds were apparently very hungry.

Heads up! This was an experience to remember.

Instead of politely flying behind the family, they swarmed them! The youngest daughter was startled, everyone started laughing, and the entire thing turned into an experience none of us will soon forget. Needless to say, the outtakes are hilarious.

Even better, the story continued the following day. The kind people who supplied our seagull snacks found Beach Shutters on Facebook and commented on the photos. They specifically asked about the outtakes because they knew those pictures had to be funny!

Lessons learned.

So, what did we learn about photo weather?

First, if a storm is coming and you are a free spirit who can gather your family and rush to the beach, sometimes you should just go for it. Dramatic weather can bring movement, personality, and incredible skies. In this case, the bright blue background perfectly matched the outgoing personalities of Reagan and her girls.

Secondly, when using snacks to attract seagulls, go light on the chips!

Apparently, Gulf Coast seagulls take photo sessions very seriously.

Who knew being a photographer in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach could bring so much excitement on a stormy afternoon!

In the end, we beat the rain, laughed until our sides hurt, and created beautiful memories along the way. Sometimes perfect photo weather isn’t perfect weather at all. Sometimes it is simply the weather that gives you a story you’ll still be laughing about years later.