The Journal · Behind the lens
4 min read
March 2026
Every wedding photographer secretly hopes for overcast. Here's why, with examples from a foggy morning at Lake Como and a thunderstorm in Budapest.
When a couple texts me the night before a wedding to apologise for the forecast, I usually respond with a single word: "perfect." Fog and rain are the only weather conditions that consistently improve photography. Direct sun creates harsh contrast and forces squinting. Overcast skies are nature's diffuser, lifting shadows and flattering every face.
At Lake Como last September we had four hours of dense morning fog. The villa we were shooting at became a silhouette, the cypress trees became suggestions, and the bride in white emerged from grey nothingness like a painting. Those images now hang in three magazine archives. None of them would have been possible on a sunny day.
The trick is to know how to use it. Light fog softens skin and adds depth. Heavy fog requires moving closer to your subject. Rain gives you reflections in stone and asphalt that you can never get otherwise — and a couple under a single umbrella becomes a frame you'll remember a decade later.
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