It was a perfect afternoon. Cool spring weather, bright blue skies, and a slight breeze. We met our client on top of a parking garage with the Phoenix skyline perfectly positioned behind her. We’d shot here many times before. It was one of our most requested and frequented cityscape locations. Until now. You see, for the first time ever…we got kicked out of a location!
It wasn’t as bas as it sounds, but it made us think that putting together a list of some of our tips and tricks for location etiquette might be helpful! So without further ado…
Call First, When Possible
One of the quickest ways to lose momentum on a photoshoot is to have trouble at the location you are planning to shoot at. One of the most simple, easy to-do things to prepare for your client’s desired location is to call! Yes, it’s old school, but it works and saves time and potential embarrassment! We know some people are hesitant to call because they don’t want to be told no, but here’s the truth: the answer isn’t going to change regardless. If it’s a no, it’s a no whether you find out in advance or worse, find out in the middle of you session when they ask you and your clients to leave!
When calling, be as polite and professional as possible. Have information they will want to know such as the date, time, size of your group, and any special considerations you might need. From calling in advance, we’ve also been able to find out about particular location fees for the shoot which then gave us the opportunity to present those to our clients. In any situation, calling in advance is a great way to eliminate most potential issues while at a location.
Be Courteous
In our situation, we had no reason to call. We were in a parking garage, had paid for the duration of the time we were in the garage, and had shot there many times before with no issues. There were no signs posted that would indicate we couldn’t take photos there. And since it was a parking garage, we really didn’t know who we would call anyways!
We had just started our session with a beautiful high school senior when a security guard approached us. He informed us that in the last 2 weeks, the company that owns the parking garage implemented a change that excluded activities like photography on their property.
This was the moment that could have been make or break for us. We had JUST started shooting. Our client was SUPER excited about the location. We could have reacted. We could have told him that we’ve done this countless times without a problem. We could have made a stink about it. Instead, we apologized that we didn’t know about the changes. We told him that our client was really looking forward to some photos at this spot, and asked if we might have just a couple of minutes before we left to grab a few more photos.
The result?
He smiled, and gave us 30 minutes to grab as many photos as we could. Being courteous goes a long way. This guy didn’t need to be berated for delivering bad news. He was just the messenger after all. Instead, showing him kindness paid off, and won us a little grace with him in return.
Be Respectful
We found out during our exchange with the security guard that the reason for the change was due to people abusing the spot, leaving garbage on top of the garage, along with other illegal activity taking place that pushed them to make the change. With that knowledge, we knew that we wanted to be extremely respectful of the timeframe he had given us to finish up. We didn’t want to abuse his generosity by running over or asking for 5 more minutes. Instead, we wanted to be done and leaving before he gave us notice that time was up. We got to work, strategically used the best spots to get as many options as possible for our client, and called it a wrap at that location.
Being respectful of this man’s generosity solidified his trust in us and resulted in us both being able to do what we needed to. We were able to capture photos for our client, and he was able to ask us to leave – all in a mutually respectful way.
Even when on a location you have made arrangements for, being respectful still comes into play. Venues that open up their property, even for a fee, still don’t expect that their property will be damaged or left in any other condition than you found it in. For example, we always make sure that if we move something, we out it back. The same goes for the timeframe of the shoot. If you secured the location for an hour long session, you should finish the session within one hour. We’ve always found it best to never give an opportunity for them to have to come tell us the time is up. Again, it goes along way with the venue staff and shows them that you respect their rules. Who knows, they could be your next great referral source, so keep that in mind too! 🙂
While our experience was a lesson learned that despite our best efforts, we can’t always be 100% certain at every location. What we can control, however, is the way we react to others by being courteous and respectful. Those two traits saved the day for our session. While we are disappointed that our favorite city location is now off the list, we’re still so grateful we were able to have one final session in it’s glory!
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