What To Do If It Rains On Your Photoshoot?
What do you do if it rains on your photoshoot? If you live in Atlanta, you know that the weather is pretty fickle. The saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 30 minutes.” That’s fine for everyday activities, but what if you have a portrait session scheduled? Do we pack it in? Do we push our luck? Seriously, what do you do? Knowing it’s a possibility, it’s smart to have options.
Here are 19 options for what to do if it rains on your photoshoot.
If It Rains On Your Photoshoot
1. Reschedule Your Portrait Session
Rescheduling is the easiest option, but it stinks. If your sessions must have blue skies, then we’ll need to pick a new date. I typically make the call to reschedule the morning of or within a few hours of the session. If there’s lightning, hurricane-force winds, hail, or similar unsafe conditions, you should reschedule without question. You’ll need to talk it over with your photographer if it lightly snows or rains on your photoshoot.
2. Bring Umbrellas
You can do some pretty fun stuff with umbrellas in the rain. Your pants and shoes may still get soaked, but rain shots are freaking cool. If you have a great location already picked out, it may be worth pushing on.
3. Bring Multiple Outfits
Multiple outfits give you options for what to wear for your portraits, but it’ll also guarantee that you’ll have a dry set of clothes to wear after your session ends. No one likes driving home in wet, cold clothes.
4. Bring Towels And A Plastic Bag
After your session, chances are you’ll be wet, and so will your outfits. I recommend bringing some towels and plastic bags to hold your wet clothing and items after the photoshoot.
5. Have a Rainy Photoshoot
Umbrellas or not, rainy portraits can be a blast. Have fun with it, get soaked, and do something different. I promise you’ll be one of the few people with portraits in the rain!
6. Find An Overhang
Still shooting but don’t want to get wet? Try to find a building with a large overhang. Overcast skies create flattering light for portraits. If you can find an outdoor space with an awning and take pictures just on the edge of the rainy area, you can get some gorgeous shots.
7. Move It Indoors
You can always call an audible and move your photoshoot indoors. This is tricky because some locations may require permits, or they may be packed since everyone is trying to stay out of the rain as well. Your photographer will need to be well versed in the locations you are shooting to know where you can smoothly go for indoor portraits.
Where To Go If It Rains On Your Photoshoot in Atlanta
These are some of my favorite locations to shoot portraits. If it rains, these venues are easy to access while still looking pretty darn cool. To see a more comprehensive list of my favorite outdoor portrait locations, see this article.
8. Krog Street Tunnel
Grungy, covered in graffiti, and an Atlanta staple, Krog Street Tunnel is an excellent choice for portraits. It may not fit your vision, but it’s covered and unique. Parking is available on the streets but can be tricky to find, and you’ll need to walk a bit to get there.
9. Krog Street Market
Located right down the road from Krog Street Tunnel, the Market is a super fun spot. A bit hipster and industrial in style, it has overhangs and some cool places indoors. It will most likely be packed wall to wall, though if it’s rainy outside. But, there’s a great little bakery with coffee inside and a Jeni’s Ice Cream.
10. Ponce City Market
A fun, industrial venue near Midtown Atlanta, Ponce City Market, has many potential spots to shoot. Tons of overhangs, lots of indoor space, and food, if you need it, PCM is a fun alternative. Natural light photos only, though!
11. Parking Garages
Don’t laugh! Parking garages are some of the best places to take pictures. The lighting is spectacular because gray concrete reflects light everywhere. And you can find them all over Atlanta. They’re great for avoiding rain on your photoshoot or just in general.
12. Hotel Lobby
This option will require some schmoozing and phone calls, but some hotel receptionists may be open to letting you take some shots inside the waiting area. So long as you keep to yourself and don’t bother the actual guests, I’ve found hotels to be pretty accomodating.
13. Georgia Tech’s Campus
If you want a modern or old gothic style, Georgia Tech’s campus is an excellent location in general. I love it for rainy day portraits because you can get into most buildings, and they almost all have stellar window light.
14. Dancing Goats Coffee
My favorite one is located near Ponce City Market. The actual indoor coffee shop is super dark and orangey, but they have an outdoor seating area that’s gorgeous with chairs, tables, and hanging style sofas. The outdoor seating area is fully enclosed with windows so that we can avoid the rain easily. It gets pretty busy, but it’s worthwhile if you can find an open spot.
15. Octane Coffee
Octane Westside is my absolute favorite coffee shop in all of Atlanta. Located off of Marietta Street in West Midtown, this coffee shop doubles as a bar in the evenings. It’s got a great industrial look. The staff is super friendly, makes killer drinks (alcoholic and caffeinated), and the locale has a really cool vibe.
15. Westside Provisions
Although it’s mostly an open area, there are sections with overhangs that make for great portraits. Because of how the venue is set up, you can get some beautiful cityscape backgrounds with your images. I highly recommend this area in West Midtown.
17. Downtown Alpharetta
Similar to Westside Provisions, but with a more brick and mortar feel, Downtown Alpharetta has some great spots to shoot. The library and shops have plenty of overhangs, and there’s free parking all around.
18. Rock Mill Park
Located in Alpharetta, this little park has some fun little gazeboes with plenty of working space for portraits. It’s a green park all around, so you can get a woodsy look without standing in the forest. It also has a small amphitheater area, which makes for great shots if the rain lets up.
19. My Studio
If we still can’t figure out what to do if it rains on your photoshoot, we can take your portraits at my home studio. It’s on the smaller side but can work well for many portrait concepts. Plus I have lots of English Breakfast Tea. Otherwise, we can always use a regular portrait studio, but these can be expensive, and availability is not guaranteed.
Things To Consider If Moving To An Indoor Location
If you decide to move your photoshoot indoors because of rain, be aware that it’s not a smooth transition. Many locations in Atlanta require permits, which can be challenging to acquire quickly. Also, not every venue will have availability, so it may need multiple phone calls to figure out where you can go. And finally, space can be super limited. When it rains, everyone heads indoors, which means you’ll be competing for space to take your portraits. Again, it’s all possible but will require some quick thinking and flexibility.
If you have any questions about the above items, or other suggestions regarding what to do if it rains on your photoshoot, comment below! You can also email me with specific questions regarding your portrait session!
