There are a few months out of the year where thunderstorm conditions become extremely favorable in the evening. This can make it a little tricky to plan the exact time for your session. Radars are incredibly unpredictable and things can change in a second. Because of this, I require my clients to arrive a little early for sessions that take place in the evening during summer.
If your session is taking place at the beginning or end of stormy season (June or September), there's a chance it could be totally sunny. In this case, I would inform you a few hours before your session that you can arrive later.
During July and August it's almost guaranteed to storm. Since we won't be able to tell exactly when it will storm, you will arrive around 1.5 hours before sunset. If it appears that it's going to rain later in the evening (about an hour before sunset), we will start your session upon your arrival. Storm clouds block the sun making the light manageable. If it starts to pour as soon as you arrive, we will wait for the storm to pass and then we will start your session.
If it were possible to tell you an exact time to arrive, I absolutely would, but I've trusted the radar too many times only to have my clients show up closer to sunset and then it pour the rest of the evening.
I don't want that for you!
In some cases, I don't recommend evening sessions during the summer. For people who:
If you fall into one of the categories above, I recommend doing a sunrise session, or waiting until after stormy season to do your photoshoot.
I have photographed some of the most epic skies before and after storms. In my opinion, it's totally worth it!