Doing ON-LOCATION Photo Shoots

Take it from us that the best kind of photography is on-location. There is simply no match for wide-open plains, rich blue skies, crisp and bold waves or a downtown metropolis as a backdrop. This is why when a client asks us to shoot on-location we are more than happy to oblige.

First and foremost is weather. You never know what you'll get. It requires more planning, watching forecast and being prepared for anything. Even then it can go wrong so have a backup plan. A sudden downpour can and will ruin a very expensive photo shoot in a matter of seconds. I am also known to watch tide prediction charts. If we are shooting on a beach, it is imperative to know when the tides are at their peak and their lowest. Why? Because the last thing I want is to have our equipment swept out to sea. Also, there are some seriously sweet places that become inaccessible at certain tide levels while others open up. For example, we have a certain little hidden gem of a spot right here in the Pac NW that when the tide is high you cannot even see it. But when the tide is low, one can see a nice little path to a nice spot perfect for a small photo shoot.
The largest hurdle in our opinion is getting permits. If you've hired us for an on-location project before then you know that some places are just off-limits unless we get permission first. Most locations will NOT permit commercial photography without a permit so know that if this is the case we will need to consider that in your quote if that is known prior to booking. A few places can be more lenient if the project is not commercial and you're not disturbing the public. Even this can be somewhat ambiguous. One day one person will tell you one thing about a location while another may tell you something different about the same spot but they both work for the same building or department You'll want to get someone of authority to give you a written permission letter, a business card or something saying it is okay. Otherwise, you may come face to face with a police officer, a park ranger or a security guard looking for an excuse to put you in cuffs and they're not always as friendly as they could be. A few will come by, give you a friendly reminder and tell you to move on. Others may opt to have you face down in the dirt threatening to confiscate your equipment and threatening to press trespassing charges. Trust me this is not a joke.
So what to do? Follow the rules. If you need a permit, get one. But the best way is for you or your talent to ask for permission beforehand. We have found that it is incredibly difficult to turn down a beautiful person standing in front of an administrator asking nicely to briefly use their facility for a few minutes. Some may see it as a potential promotional opportunity for them, their facility or their park. This happened to us just recently. We wanted to shoot in a park filled with flowers and I went about politely asking what the rules were beforehand. I received a kind reply that in summary emphasized being kind to other park users, making sure the shoot was non-commercial and staying directly away from the actual flower beds. Otherwise, I was told a shoot would be okay. In fact, I was encouraged to tell them what day I would be coming by so the facility could promote the event on social media. Now that is how you handle business. Be professional, be courteous and be transparent. Fortunately, this person saw the benefit and instead of becoming defensive and rude, she took advantage of a potentially free promotional tool should we choose to use it. Unfortunately, someone like this administrator is rare.
I fully support being able to protect your assets. I certainly would not want some unknown person profiting or loitering on my property. They could be casing the place or using my property for commercial purposes without my knowledge or consent. I get that. What permits also do is insure that people do not destroy property and unnecessarily disturb other patrons. It can be an expensive and lengthy process but in some places under certain circumstances I dare say it may be smart for some property owners to do so. You would not want someone coming into your parking lot with dozens of people in a mobile studio, shooting a full motion picture movie which blocks parking spaces and in the process causes damage the street, the curb and shrubs planted on your property or business; then that mobile studio leaves without any accountability. No one wants that. But for most of us this is NEVER going to be the case. Most photographers want a comfortable place they can go and unobtrusively make beautiful art. The best way I have found to do that is to ask first. I can't afford to apologize later. I don't have those kinds of privileges afforded me and quite frankly that is too expensive of a mistake for me. Just ask. Better yet, get your client or in some cases get the model to ask.
Every shoot we do is NOT a commercial one. In those instances I prefer the model or photo subject to obtain permission. Most often they discover beautiful locations they want to shoot on and I simply say go and ask for permission and we can set it up. Give them a day and a time and in most cases that property manager or owner will happily obliged. Let me tell you, it is difficult turning down a beautiful face, a sincere smile and a genuine non-commercial promotional opportunity.
Next time you need a place to shoot, think about the places you visit; the cafe you go to every other day. Surely the staff knows you by now. They'd love to have you do a small unobtrusive photo shoot there. Think about the bar you like to have drinks at once a week. You already know the owner or the manager. Ask about shooting there after hours or before they open. Consider that friend you have with the huge horse ranch. How about that large commercial parking lot with the colorful graffiti walls next to it? Surely someone manages that lot. Just let your model get a business card with a date and time of the shoot written on the back of the property manager's card. It's that easy. If they say no then you move on and figure out something else. Chances are if you went to them nicely and respectfully they would say yes.