1I was born and raised in Florida. Now I live in England. Could you get more of a stark contrast than that?

England can be gloomy. Really gloomy. And gray and cold and bitter. I do whine a lot about the English weather and it’s mostly tongue-in-cheek because England can also be the freshest, most glorious, fragrant place on earth in the summer months.

But for a girl with an obsession for getting out with my kids for a daily photo shoot, the gray conditions couldn’t be better. Why? No harsh shadows or flaming bright spots. No need to say “oh guys I really love what you’re doing could you please just come do it in the shade?” No squinting eyes. Just a beautifully diffused light perfect for photography.

There’s also another thing to love about gray, cloudy days.

Last week I was doing a school. In some down time, I followed the kids outside and took photos on the playground. I stood up on an apparatus and just waited for kids to walk by. “Hey look up here!” *snap* And they were all perfect.

The gray sky was a gigantic softbox, softly lighting their faces with the most beautiful light and, oh my, what beautiful catchlights in their eyes!

So the next time you’re down about the weather, take the kids outside, climb up high and just tell them to look up!

When was the last time you had a moment where you asked “why didn’t I think of that before?”

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