I’ve always wanted to do a photoshoot inside a church because those stained glass windows make killer backdrops. But guess what? You can’t just walk into one with your camera gear like it’s a public park. Churches get weird about people snapping pics without asking, so I went through the whole permission dance myself. Here’s exactly what went down step by step.
Where I Started
First off, I picked St. Mary’s downtown ’cause it has those epic high ceilings. Googled their website like a normal person but couldn’t find any photography rules. Their contact page only had a general email address – no direct phone number. So I punched out this awkward email:
“Hi I’m a blogger wanting to photograph your interior on August 15th around 2pm. Would last 90 minutes max. Just me + one model. Can you help?”
Sent it on a Tuesday morning. Radio silence for three whole days. Started sweating by Friday so I physically drove over after lunchtime.
The Church Showdown
Found some lady at the front office shuffling papers. Told her straight up: “I emailed about photos but got zero reply.” She squinted at me like I was selling vacuum cleaners but went to fetch the pastor. Pastor guy showed up in like two minutes flat – turns out he never checks that inbox.
He hit me with rapid-fire questions right there in the hallway:
- “What exactly are you shooting?” (Had to show mood boards on my phone)
- “Will there be outfit changes?” (Promised only one outfit)
- “Any tripods or lighting equipment?” (Swore I’d use natural light only)
He kept nodding slowly while chewing gum. Thought for sure he’d shut me down.
The Golden Ticket
Suddenly the pastor whips out this ancient carbon copy form from a drawer. Made me fill out every single detail:
- Exact shoot date/time window
- Model’s full legal name (weird but whatever)
- Promise not to move any furniture
- No photos during services
He circled “NO FLASH” three times with red pen and made me initial it. Then slapped a $50 “donation” fee on top – cash only. Paid it right then so he couldn’t change his mind. Got this dinky handwritten permit receipt that looked like a lunch order ticket.
The Actual Shoot Day
Showed up 20 minutes early just in case. Some old deacon met us at the side door holding my janky receipt. Followed us THE WHOLE TIME leaning against pillars like a bored bodyguard. Couldn’t even adjust the model’s hair without him clearing his throat. But hey – got all the shots without getting kicked out!
Aftermath
Sent them three prints as thank you gifts later. Pastor actually emailed back saying we were “less disruptive than the wedding photographers last month.” Would I do it again? Yeah, but next time I’m skipping email and going straight for the office ambush. Pro tip: bring cash and prepare to feel like you’re negotiating with airport security.
