Photographing Your Local Businesses: Why It Matters
Seeing a photo of a local business from any part of the world always brings me a feeling of joy and optimism. The existence of such places is a testament to a thriving community, where people are constantly pushing themselves to do better. And the business itself brings attention to the surrounding areas, thus making it livelier and more welcoming.
A local shop, a small restaurant or café, apart from bringing employment opportunities to the community, can also bring attention to any other emerging types of business. Ergo, their existence can only have a positive impact on the surrounding areas and on the people inhabiting there.
How I Discovered It
My interest in photographing small businesses was born in Havana. Back when I Love Cuba Photo Tours became part of my life, Havana was a hotbed for traveling Americans. That permanent presence also gave birth to perhaps the biggest wave of nascent small businesses Cuba has ever seen… even bigger than the one that started when Castro decided to allow people to open their famous paladares (1).
Thanks to my being constantly on the move with traveling photographers —who also happened to get hungry and thirsty at times— a new world within the Cuban capital was opened for me.
The small cafés, bars, restaurants and shops, all private, were introduced to me by my clients, my own curiosity or simply at random. And as a true documentarian, I took my camera and shot as much of that as I could.
At that time, I had NO IDEA that I was not only documenting but also doing some branding for those small businesses. In a nascent form of industry in Cuba, some of us saw how the private sector coffee shop turned things around in Havana and then became widespread around the rest of the country. Although La Habana Vieja and Centro Habana were at the epicenter of these small businesses, the rest of the Cuban capital, as well as the other provinces, started seeing them more often as well.
Being a fixture on some of the most underground and cost-friendly ones in Havana, my face became familiar, my first name would be used among the staff to get my orders, and my camera started snapping photos of the places. Most of the time, I would make sure to create a connection with everyone, make them feel confident and comfortable, and then ask for permission (verbally or nonverbally) to let the camera do the rest of the work.
Getting to Know Other Cultures
Of course, this experience enabled me to look at things differently when I got out of Cuba again.
I had been to the United States in 2016 and 2017, but on both occasions, I had only ventured to take photos of small businesses twice. One of them had been in a barber’s shop in Connecticut, and the other in an Irish pub in New York City (McSorley’s Old Ale House).
Yet, going to Canada for the first time, coming back to the United States, and spending five months in Mexico provided a series of photo opportunities that mimicked the ones I had had in Cuba before Covid. The small local business, sometimes being in the backbone of a community, became something I supported and enjoyed.
Taking photos of gift shops, antique shops, cafés, pubs, small restaurants, food trucks, and fondas (2) became an adventure that I was very happy to share with people. My camera kept on shooting and capturing those images, and, in consequence, I would follow through with an Instagram publication. Many times, my posts ended up being reposted or posted in the stories of the business social media, and sometimes even the personal accounts of the owners of workers.
Even now, I try to go on an adventure every now and then, sometimes out of town, sometimes out of state. Then, I just go in, show my camera, buy something, talk to the people, inquire about the history of the place and those working there, see if they have social media, and then shoot my photos. Afterwards, the process is just selecting the best images, editing, writing the story and posting —always tagging the place’s social media handle. The results have been very positive, even with feedback from the Canon USA Instagram account.
I must say, however, that the experience has not always been nice. As a photographer carrying a big camera everywhere, there are always going to be people who either target you or treat you with mistrust. Sometimes they may even be profiling you racially (like it has happened to me twice), and you just have to step back and not do them the favor or wasting your art and skills on them. In the end, it is their loss.
The To-Do List
With that in mind, I have a small list of things I do to ensure that every one of these experiences goes in smoothly and cleanly. This little checklist has enabled me to identify what places to photograph and what places to ignore. I must say that it has gotten easier each time.
Look for camera restrictions: As welcoming as some places are, there are sometimes signs that say, “No photos”. Your duty as a photographer is to always find those signs, whether they are written or whether they are images. Once you see one of those signs, you have two choices: 1. Put your camera away. 2. Turn it off and try not to grip it while you are inside the place.
Make sure your camera is visible: This may sound like a stupid thing to do, but letting people know that you have a camera and that you are a photographer is going to help you check other things off this list in a better and easier manner. You will see why.
Don’t aim your camera: The same way you make sure to show your device, you also need to let people know that you have no intention of using it… for the time being. That will help you assess people’s reaction to you and your equipment without the distraction of shooting.
Don’t sneak pictures: As much as I snuck pictures in Havana, I never did it inside a place, let alone a private property. The streets belong to us all, and in that case I didn’t even need to sneak, but I still did it. Inside private property, you can’t sneak photos. It is simply disrespectful.
Assess the people working at the place: It is important that you assess the people working at the place and understand their reaction and body language to your presence and the camera’s. An unfriendly gaze means you are not going to be welcome, and your photos are not wanted. Most of the times it is a stupid modus operandi, but you always have to abide by the rules of the place. Again, if they don’t want you to take photos and give them free promotion, it is their loss.
Be friendly: This is basic for every photographer. You must be friendly and engaging in order to make people be friendly and engaging to you. It is important that you show them that you are nice to talk to, and that will also enable you to start introducing the idea of taking photos of the place properly.
Buy something: This may sound imposing, but the reality is that if you go to a place that sells something, whatever it is, it is just a common courtesy to buy, even the smallest thing, if you want to then ask for permission to aim your camera at them. A coffee, a drink, a small gift, a souvenir, anything that helps that business financially could potentially open the doors for you to photograph freely and be welcome as you do so.
Search for social media markers: Many of these places have a Facebook or Instagram handle printed somewhere, painted somewhere. It is your job to actually find it, identify it, and be ready to talk about it.
Ask for (or don’t ask for) permission… nicely: Saying “Can I take a photo?” alone will not open the doors of a place for you. You need to be engaging and use all the information you have compiled before to know if you can ask for permission or not, and how to do it. Mentioning their social media handle will be something that you need to use to make a point that social media presence means tagging possibilities. Also explain who you are and why you are doing what you are doing: it can open the doors for you. Do not forget that people’s reaction towards you will tell you whether you will be allowed to take photos or not. Most of the places will not have a problem with it, but some others will. Learn how to determine when to retreat before battle. Also, remember not everyone deserves your free online promotion.
Don’t act entitled: Knowing what your rights are is important. Yet, it is also important to know when you have no right. One of my biggest problems with some “influencers” (I don’t believe any so-called influencer influences anything, to be honest) is how they feel they have the right to go to places and get free stuff. Sometimes they expect to get a free full meal just because they are going to the place and “promoting” the location to their “many” followers. Reality is richer than that, and it is more than important that you understand that the world does not revolve around you, and that you will be giving some promotion, but they have been doing okay without you. It is true that throughout the years I have received certain perks in certain places just for taking my photos and promoting them (it happened in Cuba, Mexico and the United States), but it has never crossed my mind to ask. I have been offered, and I have kindly accepted, but I have also left tips every single time if I am a regular at the place.
Posting, tagging and reacting: What follows is one of the most fun parts (at least for me). First, you need to write a little excerpt about the history of the place, or anything you find out about it. That writing includes all the nice things you can think of the place and how it made you feel. Then, you select the photos, tag the place, post and wait. Most of the times, you will get a comment or reaction from the place’s official account or from one or the workers or the owner. In each case, you react to those comments, and you reply to them. If they repost your photos or publish a story out of them, it is important that you thank them for doing it, and if possible, repost the story. That way, you will keep that connection alive, and you will be opening doors for yourself, as the many followers they have could see your work and username, and possibly think of you for possible shoots.
Reference
(1) Paladares: Privately owned restaurants established in Cuba in the 1990s, when the Castro Government allowed for private ownership of some of those restaurants. The restaurants would be set up in a family home, mostly the house of the owner.
(2) Fonda: In several Hispanic countries, a makeshift and informal restaurant consisting of a makeshift kitchen and some tables, very often with no menu, but the owner is probably also a cook and/or a server.
