The question I get most in the week before a session is some version of "what happens if it rains?" The short answer for a rain photoshoot in NYC: we look at the hourly forecast together, and then we either keep the session, move it under cover, or pick a new date. You never have to stand in a downpour to keep your booking.
Here is how I think about each of those, because a grey forecast is often better news than it looks.
Rescheduling for weather
For outdoor shoots I am glad to reschedule for weather wherever it is feasible. If the forecast turns, message me. The day before is usually the right time to decide, because New York forecasts shift a lot in the last 48 hours and a morning of rain often clears by the afternoon.
What I look at is the hourly forecast for our actual window, not the icon on the weather app. "Rain" for the day can mean one shower at 8am and a dry evening. Steady rain, strong wind, and thunderstorms are the ones where I will suggest moving the date myself.
Why light rain is often worth keeping
Overcast weather is some of the most flattering light there is. The cloud works like a giant softbox: no squinting, no harsh shadows under the eyes, skin looks even, and the colours in clothes and trees come out rich instead of washed out.
Light rain adds things you cannot get on a sunny day. Wet pavement reflects the streetlights and shop windows. An umbrella gives two people a reason to stand close. And the city empties out: the places that are shoulder to shoulder with tourists on a Saturday afternoon are suddenly yours.
If you want to lean into it, bring a clear umbrella rather than a black one. It keeps your faces visible and lets the light through, where a black umbrella puts everyone in shadow.
Where to go when it pours
New York has a lot of beautiful covered architecture, and most of the usual locations have somewhere dry within a few minutes' walk, so a session can move under cover without anyone getting on the subway.
The Bethesda Terrace arcade, Central Park. The covered walkway under the terrace, with its tiled ceiling and arches, is one of the most beautiful rooms in the city, and it is a short walk from the Lake and Bow Bridge. I photographed Sydney and Braden's engagement session there on a dry day, and it works just as well in the rain.
Grand Central Terminal. Warm light, marble, and the main concourse. It is busy at rush hour and much calmer outside it.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A full session indoors, with galleries that look nothing like a typical photoshoot. I wrote about couples photos at the Met separately, including how the timing works around the crowds.
Around City Hall. If you are getting married at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau, rain does not have to change the day. The civic buildings around it are full of colonnades and covered entrances, so we can keep shooting between showers. The date is fixed for a wedding, so this is the one session type where it is worth planning the rain route in advance rather than rescheduling.
DUMBO. The Manhattan Bridge Archway is a covered plaza right under the bridge, and the wet cobblestone streets around it photograph beautifully.
How it changes by session type
Couples and engagements. Light rain is usually a keep. It makes for some of the most romantic photos of the year.
Families with small children. Usually a reschedule. Young kids are uncomfortable in the wet long before adults are, and an unhappy toddler matters more than the look of the sky. An at-home session is the other good option if your date is tight.
Maternity. Depends on the plan. A studio or at-home session is unaffected, and for an outdoor one I would rather move the date than have you standing in the cold and wet.
Headshots. Studio and office sessions run the same in any weather.
If we do go ahead in the rain
Wear shoes you can walk on wet stone in, and bring a spare pair if you care about the ones in the photos. Keep a hair tie or a hat in your bag for humidity. Leave an extra ten minutes for travel, because the subway and the traffic both slow down in bad weather. And do not worry about a few drops on your jacket. It looks far better in the photos than it feels at the time.
If you are planning a session and want to know how flexible your date is, send me a message with the date you have in mind. The FAQ has the full booking and rescheduling policy.