All photos ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR
I was at a local civic lunch recently, and I secured some exclusive photography work through one of the attendees. I felt very privileged to be trusted with this high profile assignment, and I reflected on why this had happened to me instead of another photographer.
I strongly believe that the main reason is the professional way I conduct myself when in the company of influential people (and anyone, really, because everyone deserves respect). Here are my 3 tips for how to behave when dealing with well-known – even famous – clients and acquaintances.
Tip 1: Use ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’
At the civic lunch. I was under instructions to get photographs of as many people as I could, and while I knew some of the assembled people by name, there were many I didn’t recognise, including MPs from other counties that I didn’t know from Adam. There could have been titles in there, couldn’t there? So it is best to address them as “Sir.”
So if you don’t know who people are, just get into the habit of saying, “Can I move you to here please, sir?” or “Can you step forward, madam?” Then if they do happen to be titled, you’ve not disrespected them. After all, they have (probably) worked hard to get that knighthood.
Even if you do recognise the well-known person, address them formally unless you have been told otherwise. Take Sir Mo Farah. You might recognise him, but it’s disrespectful to the title to say, “Mo, can I have you over here, please?” Stick to “Sir!” and let him tell you if you can call him something different.
On that note, I witnessed a funny exchange between Keeping Up Appearances actress Patricia Routledge and the Lord Mayor of Bradford. Patricia kept calling the Lord Mayor, “Sir,” until he said, “You don’t have to keep calling me that. I’m just a GPO engineer who’s got a fancy robe and an office.”
Patricia replied, “Oh, please can I keep calling you Sir? I’ve never met a Lord Mayor before.”
If a celebrity allows you to use their name, be careful not to slip into calling them by their stage or character name. Going back years, when I was working for TV producers, I was with Coronation Street actor Bill Roache. His part name was, of course, Ken Barlow – still is, in fact – but if I were to call him Ken, I’ve just insulted him. Although they like to be recognised for their on-screen parts, most actors want to be addressed by their real name. It might seem a petty thing but it will get you a ton of respect – and that often leads to more work.
On a similar subject, don’t abuse your privileged access. Some people will ask, ‘Oh, please could I have a photo taken with you for my family,’ etc, which is intruding on the client’s time. Behave professionally and treat them like everybody else.
Tip 2: Respect their confidentiality
One benefit of working with well-known people is that you often get a heads up about upcoming events that are not public knowledge yet. After the civic lunch, I was booked for one, but I can’t tell anyone about it yet because the information is confidential.
I certainly wouldn’t tell any of my contacts at the papers because they’re bound to tell somebody. Local papers are often owned by companies that are connected to the tabloids.
However tempted you are, don’t divulge privileged information to anybody – not even your family. You have to be like Jackie Chan’s character Bob Ho in The Spy Next Door. He was a secret agent who had to baby-sit his girlfriend’s children. He had to keep his role secret while using all of his spy skills to keep the kids under control. If you’ve got to keep something a secret, don’t even mention it. If you say, “I got an exclusive today, and I’ve been given a good job in a couple of months, ” then the missus is going to say, “What is it then?” If I then say, “Well, I can’t tell anyone,” she will feel put out because I’m not trusting her to keep quiet. So just don’t mention it.
Make sure youve got passwords on your computer so you can secure any sensitive documents or files. The way I justify that to the family is by saying, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s so that if anything goes wrong, the buck stops with me. If I find that photos are missing or Photoshop has been deleted, I know it’s me who’s pressed that button. I can’t blame anyone else.” So they’re all going to say, “Fair enough.”
Tip 3: Always carry a ‘Go Bag’
My third tip is more practical in nature, but it will convey a professional attitude to your work as a photographer. Wherever you go, always have a ‘Go Bag’ within easy retrieval distance (i.e., on your person or in your car). If the well-known person requests an impromptu photo, they will likely be impressed that you are always prepared.
I will be posting another blog in the future on what to put in your Go Bag, so if you want to stay in the loop, please fill in the form on this page and add your name to my mailing list.