Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you're all staying cool and hydrated! I'm opting out of the hot temps and staying in the AC for the day to catch up on emails, blog posts and final editing from previous shoots. Which brought a topic up for discussion and I thought I'd share it here.
I had an outdoor photo shoot scheduled for this afternoon at 2 p.m., but with temps in the mid 90's, and a heat advisory issued, I knew I wasn't going to chance it. I've been keeping touch with my client since Friday afternoon (when I saw the projected forecast) and let them know I would make a decision the morning of (because we all know sometimes the forecast is not even close to being accurate). This morning, I decided to hold off a few weeks until the weather hopefully gets a bit cooler. My client was actually relieved by this and thanked me for not putting her family, and myself, in danger.
When I first started, I DID shoot in temps like this, only to be upset by the final outcome of my pictures. Not only were my clients completely drenched in sweat by the end of the session, but the overall shoot was just miserable - for both myself and the clients. We were constantly taking water breaks, always wiping sweat off of faces and, for girls, the humidity did a number on their hair (talk about a frizzy mess). For kids, they get very irritated within the first few minutes of the shoot because they are just too hot and uncomfortable. So, I made the decision about 3 years ago to halt shooting in temps above 90 degrees. I didn't think my clients would understand why, or I would get negative reactions because of it, but when I explain to them the cons of shooting in hot heat, they seem very understanding and grateful I'm not making them do it. At that time, I'll either postpone the shoot for later in the evening, when the temps are much cooler, or we'll reschedule for another day and hope the temps aren't as hot. I've also done a few early morning shoots in the past, which are great up until about 10 a.m.
Also, people don't always realize how much work goes into a photo shoot. You're constantly switching poses, moving around and, in a nutshell, you're outside in 90+ degree temps for almost 2 hours in most cases. It can definitely take a toll on your body. And about 1/2 hour into the sessions, I noticed my clients were very uncomfortable, which, in turn, showed in their images. It's just not a pleasant experience for anyone in heat like this.
For weddings it's obviously a different story, especially if it's an outdoor wedding. You really have no choice. But when it gets this hot, I've seen several couples throughout the years who offer an endless supply of water at their ceremony and those cool little fans so people can fan themselves. I've also seen the time of ceremonies cut in half when it's super hot. As for the formal shots, I'll find the most shaded area and let them know we will get through the pictures as fast as possible (which, in most cases, was about 15 minutes!) Or, if there is an indoor venue on site, I'll send the the family and the party indoors for the formals. That has worked wonders!
You're experience with me should be a pleasant one and your images should reflect the fun we had during your session. When shooting in heat like this, one of the only reminders clients will have was how hot it was, how bad they were sweating, and how uncomfortable they look in their pictures. That's not the goal I want to achieve and that's definitely not the experience I want to give my clients. Therefore, you will have no worries when it comes to heat like this!
And YES, photoshop can do wonders when it comes to ridding sweat off of faces and hiding sweat spots, but not when I have to do it to every single picture!! It makes the editing process 10 x's longer and I honestly don't like having to photshop my images that much. It takes away from the true meaning of the image.
Stay cool my friends!
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