I had a photo shoot planned this morning with a model I’ve worked with for many years. I had no firm idea of where the shoot was headed, I just knew I wanted to get out and shoot a portrait. Looking out my office window this morning, the thermometer said 36 degrees and there was steady rain falling out of gray skies. Sounds like this shoot was going to be cancelled. No way!
I can’t count the number of times photo shoots take an unexpected turn; things just don’t go as planned. You have two choices, call it quits, or see what you can make of it. My model was game, and something about bad weather only motivates me more to go out and shoot. Some of my best images were created when I decided to go out….rather than call it quits. I headed to Target to buy some umbrellas and the shoot was on.
One limitation can be gear. I knew my D850 and 105mm F1.4 could handle light rain all day long. Many strobes don’t handle the rain well at all, but I knew my Elinchrom ELB500 would perform without a hitch. The pack is well designed to prevent rain from seeping in, and it even has a clear plastic cover over the top. We shot for an hour in steady rain and all my gear performed without a problem. I was using TTL flash mode on the ELB500 for quick shooting, no manual flash metering needed. I never thought I would use TTL flash so much with studio packs, but it has come in handy on many occasions.
Remember the next time you are debating a photo shoot because of bad weather or unforeseen logistics, just roll with the punches. If you don’t go out, one thing is for sure; you won’t create any compelling images. And if you do go out, you might just be surprised at what you create.