Working as a Photographer can be a very exciting job. You might be taking photographs of families who want to document their happy times together, working as a wedding photographer to document snaps of a couple’s happiest day, working for news outlets to capture photos of events as they unfold, or simply taking photos of things that interest you to display on your website or in a gallery. Whatever kind of photos you take, however, your safety is of utmost importance as you do your job. This is especially true if you often go to meet photography clients on your own. Here are some key things that you can do to keep yourself safe.
Conduct Client Checks Beforehand:
Most photography clients are who they say they are and are simply happy to see you turn up with your equipment to capture the photos that they want. However, you cannot rule out the possibility that a client is actually a bad person who wants the opportunity to get somebody alone. Along with charging a deposit that might put some criminals off, especially if you require it to be paid electronically so that the payment and their details can be tracked if needed, you can also find out more about your client using Nuwber. Use the service to check the information that you have about them using their contact number, check if they have a criminal record, and that everything looks legitimate.
Keep Somebody Updated:
If you typically work alone as a photographer, don’t go to a job without telling somebody where you are and how long you expect to be. You could even arrange to send this person a text or take a call from them at a certain time so that they can ensure that you are OK. Go a step further and use a service like Find My iPhone with your partner or a trusted friend before going out to jobs so that somebody can track your phone’s location at all times and quickly alert authorities to where it was last seen if anything goes wrong.
Trust Your Gut:
Jobs mean money for photographers but if something seems off about a client or a job that you’ve been asked to do, it’s always better to trust your gut and pass on the opportunity to get paid – more will come your way in the future. Whether a client is saying uncomfortable things to you, acting in a way that make you uncomfortable or they are unreasonably refusing to pay a deposit, it’s always better to simply get out of there and away from the situation rather than put yourself in potential danger.
Take Somebody With You:
Having an assistant can be handy in more ways than one if you are working as a freelance photographer. Not only will they be able to help you get the scene set up and help you with your equipment when you are doing a job, but working with somebody else can also reduce your chance of being attacked or put in harm’s way by clients who aren’t who they say that they are. Your assistant could be a friend or family member who’s looking for some extra work or you could use it as an opportunity to offer local photography students some real-world experience.
Working as a photographer can be a lot of fun, but when you’re doing it alone, you could end up in more danger than you might realize. Keep these tips in mind to keep yourself safe.
