Last summer my also pregnant friend Lauren and I went out to take some photos in the sunflower fields in August. I kid you not, it was the hottest day of my life. There were literal SHEETS of sweat running down our legs and bellies. 🤣 We were hugely pregnant and hugely under-prepared for standing in rows of hot sunflowers (it was like 20 degrees hotter and stickier in there). We got the photos we wanted but agreed if we ever did something like that again there would be ground rules. 😬 So today I am bringing you some tips for photographing in the heat. These are all still relevant to read if you are the one being photographed but some are directed mainly at the photographer.
Water. All of the water.
This is a no-brainer but we honestly did not bring enough. We each had one reusable water bottle and we probably needed about 4 of them each. You should 100% pack a cooler with more than enough water. I also recommend always bringing light snacks (if you’re a mom I know you’re doing this anyway 🤣). We were dreaming about a wagon filled with a cooler of cold drinks and we literally photographed for about 15 minutes.
Light, Breathable Clothing
In my post here you will find tips for selecting summer outfits! Prioritize comfort and sweatability when planning your outfits. You may have to let hubby wear shorts and show of those legs. Dresses are great bc you can flap them around like a fan, which is 100% what we did. 🤣☠️
Give your camera and lens time to adjust
If you go from a cool climate into a hot and humid one, you will notice your lens will fog up. Build in some extra time for your lens to settle. You’ll notice that you can keep wiping the fog away but it will just reappear. It needs a good few minutes to adjust to the temperature. You should also check your manual for temperature and humidity recommendations, because they can cause permanent damage to your camera. It should tell you what the max temperature and humidity you can safely use your camera in. A padded or insulated camera bag can help protect it when you’re not photographing. I think you can almost still see the condensation on these photos. They seem just a tiny bit hazy from the heat.
Pick the coolest time of day
Lucky for you the more favorable light conditions are also closer to sunrise and sunset when the temperatures will be cooler!
Offer or ask for shorter sessions
Summer is a great time to consider adding mini sessions to your game or at least shorten the amount of time you spend on a normal session. Go with your posing workflow in mind and stick to it. Choose a location that doesn’t require a ton of walking and has some shade where you can take breaks.
Really pay attention to how you feel
I know you always do this, but photographers, if your client is starting looking tired or wiping sweat away or anything of the sort, stop and offer a water break in the shade. Some people will feel awkward asking for a break so you need to be in charge and schedule the breaks in. The same goes for you! You are working hard photographing, and will probably need a break. If there are children present be especially vigilant about watching moods and behaviors caused by heat stress.
Consider not doing it
I know you can’t just lose our income for the summer if you are a photographer. I recommend investing in some education on artificial lighting and only photographing indoors if you live somewhere that gets extremely hot and humid in the summer. Consider booking an indoor lifestyle session or studio session if you are a client looking for photos in the summer.
Need more than tips for photographing in the heat?
I hope these tips for photographing in the heat can save you this summer but in case you are looking for more, click here for more photo session prep tips!