If you’ve lived in Washington for any amount of time, you’re no stranger to rainy weather and cloudy, overcast days. It’s practically in the name, WASHington.

Over the past 10 years, Seattle has seen anywhere from 33.8 inches of rain to 48.5 inches, with the wettest months typically being December and January (the two months I take the least amount of clients, both for the poor weather and the holidays).

However, you may also be familiar with the constant changing of the weather and the forecast. You could check the forecast for tomorrow right now, and in a couple hours it could completely change!

Have you ever been sitting on the couch with the sun shining through the window only to go into another room and notice it’s suddenly raining? Yeah, good ol’ Washington weather!

So, with all this unpredictability, what happens if it rains on the big day of your dog’s photo session?

A black giant schanuzer laying on black sand, rain falling around him creating a glistening scene

Trust in your personal meteorologist

Did you know you hired more than just a photographer? In the days leading up to your session, I keep a very close eye on the weather. I’ve learned to read the radar, use multiple sources for weather forecasts, and gauge the day based on my experience and knowledge of the location we’ll be working in.

Unless there’s a very high chance of heavy rain, I usually don’t make a call to reschedule until it’s 2-3 hours prior to your session (earlier if we’re going a bit further away). Sometimes it could say 60% chance of rain, but due to how the clouds are moving it may not even come close to us. Or it may not even rain at all!

While we always hope for decent weather for your dog’s session, sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. Worst case scenario, we’ll simply reschedule for a better day. Since we work with a smaller number of clients each month, you shouldn’t have to wait long for your rescheduled session.

What other options are there?

Planning for rain is tough, but there are a few other options and things we can do to try and work with our lovely Washington weather.

A red poodle laying on a red/orange rock, rain glistening as it falls in the background

Embrace the rain

“Rain is just confetti from the sky” - Unknown

It may not be according to plan, but sometimes rain can be a wonderful thing! It adds a whole new level to your session, enhances the dark and moody vibe classic to the Pacific Northwest and sometimes it even creates a lovely, almost sparkling affect to your photos!

This tends to be easier with our longer haired friends, so seniors and short haired dogs may prefer to reschedule then play in the puddles.

You can also dress for the occasion and throw on those rain boots and umbrella for extra fun props!

Be flexible on your session day

No matter the time of year, it can always be helpful to be flexible for your session day. Even without actual rain, sometimes it’s a rather dark overcast kinda day and depending on your session location (think thick forests) we may want to move your session up a little from near sunset. Simply adjusting by one hour earlier can make a huge difference.

A corgi looking behind himself over the shoulder in a bright, orange glowing scene — *This was taken the same day and place as the above poodle photo, only about 40 minutes later. You just never know what the weather will do!*

Communicate, communicate, communicate

On the day of your session, we’ll be in constant contact regarding the weather, so be sure to keep your phone handy! Often I’ll check things first thing and message you with my initial thoughts on the weather. Once it gets closer to your session, we’ll make a final decision on whether to move forward as planned or wait for a better day.

But also, don’t be afraid to let me know how you feel about the weather, too. If you’re firmly against a rainy session or have your heart set on sunnier weather, that’s okay.

These are your memories, and we’ll adjust as needed to make them perfect.

Rest assured

You’ll be taken care of. While I can’t control the weather or have magical “Rain-away” powers, we’ll do what we can to work with what Mother Nature presents us with or simply adjust our plans to fit the vision you have of your big day.

Are you team embrace the rain or would you prefer to wait for better weather? Share in the comments 😊

Rain, Rain, Go Away! What Happens if it Rains on Your Session Day