Back on Monday I mentioned I was looking for new locations to shoot.  Well I pulled up Airbnb and began serching for interesting appartments I could use.  I like the map filter where I can search by location and limit to whole house rentals.

I found a lot in my area.

I decided I’d see if the home owner of an aprtment in Toledo, Ohio would be interested in letting me use their place to shoot. So I sent them an e-mail through AirBnB

 “I am a photographer from Michigan and I would like to rent your place to use a location to take photographs when I come down to Toledo. I want to contact you first to see if you have any objections with me using your home for this purpose.

I really like the fact that the apartment is on the 2nd floor and has a lot of light. If you allow me to rent the space from you I will treat the space with care and respect. I rent spaces up here in Michigan and typically what I normally do is arrive a couple of hours before my shoot for set up. I then shoot for 2-4 hours. I then spend an hour or so tidying up then I leave. I don’t normally stay overnight. I might make use of your kitchen to make Tea / coffee etc. To all intents and purposes I would be just another Airbnb customer. NOTHING disrespectful or untoward would be going on at the property while I rent it.

 I believe in honesty and full disclosure if you have any questions or concerns please let me know and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.

If you are not comfortable with your home being used this way I will respect your wishes and not use it as a photography location.

If you do give the OK for me to use it I will go ahead and start booking dates when I have a shoot in Toledo.“

About an hour later the owner replied back wanting to know what I would be taking pictures of. That seems a more than reasonable question so I replied back.

“Mostly people, one person per shoot. Usually the person posing for me will change outfits 2 or 3 times and we will shoot in different angles at the location so we can get a number different looking images for each of our respective portfolios.

Not sure if this link will work but its the pictures I did to shoot I did at a park up here in the snow. You can see examples of different angles and an outfit change.

(website hidden)/

There will be a range of styles being shot but NOTHING torrid or untoward. I just want to use the location for variety and as a place to work from in Toledo.

I will not be offended if this is something you are not comfortable happening at your property. ;0)” 

The link to my dropbox pictures of Heavenly Rose got filtered out by the AirBnB mail service but I managed to send the link by using s p a c e s in the URL. When home owner replied back they seemed very concerened that she was a young lady and wanted me to assure them that there will be nothing illegal and that all your subjects will be at least 18 years old.

That sort of made me go Huh?  

 20130317  Heavenly Rose Set 04 Image 01

Heavenly Rose is young (early 20’s) but certainly not creepy young… I scanned through the pictures trying to see what would give the home owner the impression she was under 18. All I could think was the rosy pink completion from the cold might have made her look younger… So I replied back

“I can absolutely guarantee everyone I work with is over 18 . Everyone I work with has to sign a model release stating they are over 18 and I also take a copy of their ID proving that they are. It’s part if my record keeping. I can also state that nothing I do is illegal and nothing illegal is planned to be done on your property by myself or anyone I’m working with. The link I sent was an example of outfit change and differing angles. I actually work with a wide range of people both men and women and a wide age range. The woman in the link is actually in her early 20s, the very cold air gave her face that rosy pink completion.”

Well that seemed to assuage their concerns they agreed I could use their home as a location for my photography.

All I need to do now is book a model and work at the location.