What Happens If It Rains on Your Photoshoot Day in Sweden

Many visitors assume the summer is the safe season. In fact, according to SMHI, the national weather service, more than 85 per cent of Swedish weather stations have July or August as their wettest month, and spring is normally the driest time of the year.

That does not make summer a bad choice, because of how the rain tends to fall. Summer rain often arrives as showers that pass within an hour or two, so waiting it out can be the whole solution. A band of steady autumn rain from a passing front is different: it can settle in for hours and may not leave any useful gap.

Location matters too. Gothenburg and the west coast take more rain and wind off the sea than Stockholm, and the weather there can change quickly. Stockholm gets less rain overall, but the wind off the water can make the waterfront feel much colder than the forecast suggests.

Look at the hourly forecast the evening before, and again on the morning of the session. SMHI and the Norwegian service yr.no both publish hourly forecasts for Swedish places. Then match what you see against this rough guide:

Wind is often the deciding factor, not rain. Umbrellas turn inside out on the quays and hair goes everywhere, while the same rain in a sheltered street would be easy.

Agree two things in advance: who makes the call, and by what time. Most of the stress on a rainy day comes from two people each waiting for the other to decide. The photographer has the last word on safety and on protecting equipment, and you have the last word on whether you still want the pictures.

Rescheduling is agreed in your proposal, not promised in general. Depending on the professional, the terms may say whether weather counts as a reason to move a session, how late the decision can be made, and whether a new date costs anything. Do not assume a free reschedule unless your proposal says so.

Some situations have little room to move at all:

• A wedding day does not move for rain. The plan changes, not the date, so the photographer and you need a wet-weather version of the timeline from the start.
• A proposal is usually tied to a trip. If you are only in Sweden for a few days, put the session early in the visit, which leaves another day for a second attempt if your terms allow one.
• Travel can complicate a new date. If the photographer has to take a ferry or a flight, ask how a change affects those costs.

If the date does move, we go back to the photographer to see what is free. A new date depends on their availability, particularly in the summer. Our FAQ has more on changing a date after booking.

Rain takes away some things and gives you others. Knowing which helps you decide whether the pictures you want are still possible.

You lose the sunset, long views across the water and any shot that depends on a clear horizon. Viewpoints such as Monteliusvägen in Stockholm have no cover, and a grey sky over a wide view is rarely what people came for.

You gain soft, even light with no harsh shadows, which is flattering on faces at any hour. Colours in clothing and leaves look deeper when they are wet. Cobbles and pavements turn reflective, which suits Gamla stan or Haga in Gothenburg, particularly once the street lights are on. Rain lit from behind shows up as bright streaks, while a dark background behind you makes the drops visible.

Expect the photographer to work closer and to shoot more tightly. They will also stop now and then to wipe the lens, because a few drops on the front glass can ruin a frame. An umbrella is a prop as much as a shelter, and a transparent one keeps faces visible and bright.

Good cover comes in a few kinds: archways and passages in old town streets, generous building entrances, garden cafés and greenhouses, and interiors you have permission to use. Your photographer knows which are close to your location.

A few real examples, each with a condition:

• Stockholm. The greenhouses and café at Rosendals trädgård on Djurgården give soft, diffuse light on a wet day, but it is a working garden and business, so ask first. Metro stations are covered and often striking, but the transport operator has its own rules on photography, so check before planning around one.
• Gothenburg. Stora Saluhallen, the covered market on Kungstorget, is a real working market with stalls to get around, so keep it short and ask. The Palm House in Trädgårdsföreningen looks like the perfect answer, but its current rules welcome private photos only and state that commercial photography is not permitted, and parts have been closed during a renovation. Ask how a booked session would be treated before you count on it.

Hotels are often the easiest fallback. If you are staying somewhere with a good lobby or a bright room, ask the hotel in advance whether you may take pictures there. On exposed places, remember the ground as well as the sky: bare rock such as Skinnarviksberget turns slippery when wet. Who to ask about each kind of place is set out in our checklist on when a photoshoot in Sweden needs permission.

• Couples. The simplest case. A short walk under one umbrella is easy to photograph and needs no cover at all.
• Surprise proposals. Rain makes the plan harder to disguise, since your partner will wonder why you still want to walk to a viewpoint. Agree a sheltered alternative and a signal with the photographer ahead of time, and keep the decision to yourself and them. Our Stockholm proposal page describes how those sessions are set up.
• Families. Small children often manage only about half an hour of wet weather. Shorten the session, bring a change of clothes and plan something warm immediately afterwards.
• Weddings. Agree the indoor alternative for portraits, who brings umbrellas, and how the group photo will work. It helps to have a covered spot close to the ceremony.
• Drone shots. Rain and strong wind ground most drones. As with the other details, the drone rules guide covers what to agree with the pilot.

Choose clothes that still look right when they are wet.

• Fabric. Thin, pale cloth clings and can turn see-through. Heavier fabrics and darker tones hold their shape.
• Hems and shoes. Long hems pick up water and grit quickly. On wet cobbles you need grip, so bring flat shoes to walk in even if you have something else to wear in the pictures.
• Colour. A strong colour such as deep red, mustard or forest green reads well against a grey street. All-grey outfits can disappear into it.
• Layers. A good wool coat photographs better than a technical rain jacket, so keep the waterproof for between shots.
• Hair and make-up. Plan for frizz and water. Hair that is meant to look a little undone survives best, and waterproof mascara is worth it.
• Small things. A towel, a spare pair of socks and a bag for wet coats make the hour much more comfortable.

Do this before you accept, because the answers are all set per booking:

1. Does weather count as a reason to move the session, and who decides?
2. By what time on the day, or the day before, does that decision have to be made?
3. If the session moves, is there a charge, and is a new date limited to a certain period?
4. What happens if the new date is not possible, given that availability depends on the professional?
5. Is there a covered alternative near the planned location, and do we need permission to use it?
6. Are there travel costs, such as a ferry, that would be spent either way?

Put your date, your place and any flexibility you have in your availability request. The proposal names the professional, the package and the price, and states the terms, so you know the answers before you commit. Starting prices are on our pricing page.