More Than Just Watching the Forecast
One of the things that surprises people most about my job has nothing to do with photography.
It's the weather.
If you've ever booked a beach session with me during the Florida spring, summer or fall, you've probably received more weather updates than you expected. I'll text you radar screenshots, explain what I'm seeing, reassure you when I think we should wait, or occasionally suggest moving a session altogether.
I've joked more than once that I should have been a meteorologist.
The truth is, I'm constantly watching the sky because your vacation memories deserve more than a quick glance at the weather app. Florida weather doesn't always behave the way the little rain icon on your phone suggests it will.
A Session That Reminded Me Why
Recently, I had a family whose session had already been moved from sunrise to sunset because of changes to their vacation plans.
Then the weather became the next challenge.
All afternoon, I watched the radar. Storms were developing all around us, and the forecast seemed to change every time I refreshed it. We talked through different possibilities, considered backup plans, and waited.
Finally, I noticed what looked like a small window.
If we started around 5:30, I believed we had just enough time to complete their session before another line of storms arrived. It wasn't a guarantee. It was simply the best decision I could make with the information I had.
We went for it.
The session was beautiful. As we finished photographing, you could look in almost every direction and see storms surrounding us. Within minutes, the sky looked completely different.
It was one of those evenings that reminded me why I spend so much time watching the weather in the first place.
It's Part of the Experience
When families hire me, they're not just hiring someone to press a button.
They're trusting me to make hundreds of small decisions before they ever step foot on the beach.
Choosing the right location. Choosing the right time. Watching the weather. Knowing when to wait. Knowing when to move forward. Knowing when it's simply not safe.
Sometimes those decisions happen days before your session. Other times they happen minute by minute while I'm watching radar and cloud movement. Most of the time, clients never realize how much thought goes into those decisions because everything works out exactly as planned.
And honestly, that's the goal.
The Best Part Had Nothing to Do With the Weather
After the session, we stood on the beach talking.
I ended up giving them dinner recommendations, we hugged goodbye, and I drove home thinking about how easy they had been to photograph.
Every once in a while, you meet a family that simply feels like home.
There isn't an awkward warm up period. They trust you. They follow your lead. Everything just clicks.
After spending days watching the forecast and hoping we'd find the right window, meeting a family like that made every bit of the planning worth it.
Maybe I Should Have Been a Meteorologist
So no, I probably wasn't meant to be a meteorologist.
But after nearly two decades of photographing families outdoors, I've learned that paying attention to the weather is one of the most important parts of my job.
Sometimes the best photographs happen because of the decisions made long before we step foot onto the beach. And if that means sending one more radar screenshot or one more weather update, I'm perfectly okay with being known as the photographer who's always watching the sky.
