Do you live in a place that’s miserably hot in the summer months like I do? Sometimes families come to visit during these unbearably warm months, and so that’s the time we have to take photos. Here’s how to make that work.
Indoor Options
There are plenty of places in any city where you can shoot indoors…for a fee. Here are some ideas for places that might allow you to shoot inside for free as long as you check with them ahead of time.
- Public libraries – especially in newer libraries, there are a lot of beautiful spaces for photos. But I cannot stress this enough: you need to get permission beforehand, and be courteous. That means not using flash, not asking patrons to move, not disturbing patrons in any way, and leaving things the way you found them.
- Hotels – this one is hit and miss with whether or not they will allow you to use their lobby for photography, but many do!
- Breweries – a lot of breweries these days are very photogenic, and depending on the day and time of day, a lot of locally owned places are happy to share their beautiful spaces with photographers.
- Local shops, like coffee shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, etc. are often happy to let you use their space for photos, especially if you are patronizing their business by buying something. A bonus on hot days is to use an ice cream shop for air conditioned photos and then take the ice cream you buy outside to let kiddos eat it while it melts for more photos.
The most important point of these ideas is that if you are using a business to take photos, make sure you ask for permission first. Not when you show up with camera in hand and clients on site. But before. Then if they are a business, make sure you buy something from them, whether for the photos or not. Be a good person first, and you’ll likely find some place for your photos!
