Grey skies and holiday lights

 The holiday season is gathering momentum like a snowball running down hill! Christmas cards have been ordered, received and sent out, and gifts to the Grands on the west coast have been mailed. The Christmas tree has made it out of the basement but not yet been assembled and holiday "get-togethers" fill the calendar. Still, once again, sickness is getting in the way of the fun. This year, it's the triple threat of COVID, flu and RSV; it seems like a lot of people are getting sick! As I write, an icy rain is bucketing down and it's a toss-up whether it will turn to snow overnight. I notice more people are wearing masks in the stores again and almost everyone I talk to is worrying about staying healthy for the holidays.

It's not the best time for family portraits. Most of the prospective clients I talk to are focusing on spring for their pictures. They want leafy trees and blue skies and, while I could simulate them in the studio, I think most people would like the real thing!

What is a photographer to do when the skies are grey and gloomy? I recently took photos for a young woman graduating from college. We started outside, on the college campus. The grey skies led to even light, much easier to handle than bright sunlight. I raised my ISO a little and opened up my aperture to the max for my kit lens (f4). My subject wore a red dress under her black college robe which provided a pop of color and it was easy enough to warm up the pictures a little on the computer.  Inside the college buildings, there were holiday decorations and a colorful mural to provide interest and color. I used a flash and a higher ISO to get a nice variety of shots. 

It all goes to show that there is no one season for portraits! Memories are made all year long, but especially at this time of year. Even when the snow flies, there are memories to be recorded and milestones to mark with a portrait session! Looking ahead to 2023, what milestones are you going to mark?