Most of the retail stores I photograph are opening for the first time. The brand is usually based somewhere else (New York, Vancouver, London), the visual merchandising team flew in for the install, and they need images of the finished store before the first customer walks in. In some cases they need them the same day, for the opening announcement.
I've photographed openings across South Florida for brands like Aritzia, Anine Bing, Varley and Isabel Marant. The Aritzia store at Sawgrass Mills was my third store for them, after Dadeland and The Gardens Mall. Here's what I've learned about planning these shoots, so the images are ready when the doors open.
Shoot before the store opens
The best window is early morning, before opening. Most of my opening shoots start at 7:00 or 7:15 am and run two and a half to three hours. That gives me an empty store, no foot traffic in the mall corridor, and time to work through the shot list without rushing.
If the store opens at 10, plan for the shoot to wrap by 9:30. Someone from the store team needs to open the doors for me at the start time. I've had a shoot lose its best hour because nobody showed up with the keys.
The store has to be ready before I arrive
This is the part that decides how good the images are. Before the shoot:
Fully merchandised. Every rack, table and wall the way you want it shown.
Cleaned. Floors, glass and mirrors. Glass is the hardest surface to fix in post.
Barricades down. Mall barricades often come down the night before. If they're still up, the storefront shot doesn't happen.
Someone from the team on site who can adjust merchandising when a table or rack needs a change for the camera.
My rate covers the photography. Clearing boxes, restyling a wall or moving fixtures takes time out of the shoot, and removing clutter in post isn't the same as a clean frame.
Get permissions from the mall or landlord
If the store is inside a mall or a department store, the brand needs to arrange photography approval with property management before the shoot. Without it, security can stop the shoot halfway through. It has happened to me, and it's an easy problem to prevent with one email a week ahead.
Plan the storefront around the sun
For outdoor storefronts and open air centers, I check the sun's direction for the store's orientation before picking the time. Early morning usually gives clean light and no people. Indoor mall storefronts have their own problem: kiosks in the corridor and reflections in the glass can limit the angles. If the exterior matters a lot to you, tell me in advance so I can scout it.
Send references and a shot list
Most of my retail clients aren't in Florida, so I work from what they send: photos from their other stores, a shot list, and how the images will be used. A typical opening set is around 20 to 25 final images:
Wide interiors that show the full layout
Styled vignettes and tables
Fixture and material details
The storefront
I frame most images as horizontals that still work cropped to 4:5 for Instagram, and add verticals where the subject suits it.
Same day images for the announcement
If you need images for opening day posts, I can send a small set of graded hero images the same day and the full set the next day. For fast turnaround I shoot on the Canon R5. For projects where the timeline allows it, I use medium format.
Think about a team portrait
The store team on opening morning is part of the story. If everyone is there before the doors open, a group portrait in front of the store takes a few minutes and gives the brand something personal to share alongside the store images.
What a good opening shoot gets you
Opening images get used fast: the announcement post, the store page on the brand's website, and the team's own records of the install. After the Aritzia shoots, their interior design director left me a review, which meant a lot coming from the person who designed the space.
If you're opening a store in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach and want it photographed before the doors open, see my commercial work or book a call and send me your opening date.
FAQ
How far in advance should we book a store opening shoot?
Two to three weeks is ideal. I can often do less, but opening dates move, so it helps to hold a date early and adjust if the store gets delayed.
Can you photograph the store before it's fully merchandised?
I can, but the images will show an unfinished store. If the opening is close, it's better to shoot the morning of opening day or the day before, once everything is in place.
Do you travel outside South Florida for store openings?
Yes. Most of my work is in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, and I travel for retail and hospitality projects elsewhere.
