612 - The Beekman
Today I got kicked out of the Beekman Hotel in New York City.
Which isn’t surprising. At this point in my career, I understand that walking into a luxurious hotel and taking photos of the architecture is usually frowned upon.
The moment they see that fancy camera popping off, it’s always “Sir, unfortunately you can’t take photos in here, you need the permission of management.”
A line I know all too well. One of my favorite variations, courtesy of The Conrad in Washington DC, was “Excuse me sir, In order to use a professional camera in this hotel, you’ll need a permit, which can be obtained for $500 from the front desk.” Absolutely bananas. By this point, it’s simply become a game of how many photos can I get before they drop the line.
As a photographer, it seems crazy that a hotel would gate-keep its world-class architecture from professional cameras in the world of social media. But on the other hand, if the guests are paying $400+ a night to stay there, it makes sense to create a private environment where photographers aren’t running rampant.
Either way, I’m not paying $500. I opt to take the road less traveled and stealth shoot until I get kicked out. You’d be surprised how far you can get:
Here’s my best pieces of advice:
Dress confidently for success. Wear attire that makes it appear as though you’d be an upper-class patron staying at the hotel, and walk in like you own the place.
Board the elevator when you see another guest walking up, in the event that it needs a key card to go up. I always stand on the opposite side of the elevator from the buttons and always say “Floor ____, if you don’t mind.”
Alternatively, use the stairs to go up if no one is coming. Oftentimes they aren’t key card enforced.
Don’t act like you’re doing anything wrong, but don’t act like a fool.
By this I mean be friendly to maids/bellmen while taking photos.
Don’t use a tripod or disrupt the environment in any way.
Note that laying/bending down for crazy angles is a risky maneuver. I’ve had hotel security cameras notice me doing it even in seemingly empty areas.
Save the lobby for last, as it’s usually the concierge or security that enforces the rules. Plan your angles before whipping out the camera, then quickly snap.
For example, at this hotel, The Beekman, I walked right through the lobby and up to the top floor to start shooting:
I particularly enjoyed the streak of light coming down in this shot. That’s that beautiful midday lighting for you. (A line rarely spoken on this website.)
I also decided to lean into a horror angle of the hotel by darkening out the bottom floor. I wanted to give a feeling that it descends into darkness forever.
One tip I have is to make sure you re-add camera grain into shots where you blacken out portions in Photoshop, to give the appearance of it being shot in camera. A mistake I used to make all the time early in my career.
Here’s the next photo I got, as I descended down the floors:
Reminds me of a bug, the way the floors looked like legs. Finally I got this shot in the basement:
A nice compliment to the above shots.
It wasn’t until I started taking photos of the lobby at the end that I got the infamous line. But I simply smiled and bounced, because I’d already gotten everything I wanted.
Mission complete.
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
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