I’m a big fan of instagram. Recently however i’ve found myself concerned on others behalf about how much they’re giving away on a daily basis. Instagram is a fantastic business tool that allows us to share images with no fuss. We can post stories, live videos and so much more. Stories in particular are a brilliant way for our followers to get to know us a little better. Snapshots and behind the scenes images can all be shared and gone again before we know it, leaving our feed “clean” and focused on showcasing our work.
If you’re a wedding supplier, of a weekend it’s like a showreel of who’s shooting where and who they are with. Today alone i’ve counted 18 instagram stories from photographers documenting the wedding they are shooting today. Locations tagged, venues tagged, other suppliers tagged. I know where all of those photographers are at this exact minute and I know that because they’re shooting a wedding they probably aren’t going to be home for the next 4-5 hours at least too.
Opportunity
Today we had a knock on the door from a neighbour to let us know that they had been burgled yesterday afternoon. In broad daylight, in the middle of the day. It wasn’t a random opportunist event where a window or door had been left open. The poor family had their french doors smashed in. Their home, their personal space, somewhere they felt safe was invaded. Their things were taken. Memories, photographs, things that cannot be replaced were stolen. Someone knew they weren’t home and seized an opportunity.
It really worries me to see so many people consistently advertising the fact that they aren’t home. Advertising the fact that they aren’t going to be home tomorrow because they have a wedding or engagement session. It is so easy to find addresses for a lot of photographers and other suppliers. If someone wanted to they could quite easily obtain the addresses of at least half of the photographers I saw post today.
Your security is more important than instagram
It’s lovely that you’re working and it’s lovely that you’re excited but your security is so much more important than having something to post on instagram. You’re a business but you’re also an individual and you have the same right to protect your personal safety as anyone else. For the sake of a few instagram clips, for the sake of (at best) a couple more likes or followers, is it really worth the risk?
By all means still record the clips, take the photos, but hold off on posting them maybe. Post them tomorrow and simply change the caption from “Shooting here today” to “Look where I was shooting yesterday!”
Don’t become a victim
We have several friends and colleagues who’ve been victims of break ins and it’s horrible. It’s horrible to see how violated they feel and it’s horrible to see the exhausting process of trying to replace things and make insurance claims. I feel so incredibly vulnerable and unsafe in my own home at the moment just knowing what happened only a few meters away from my back door. All the while I was sat in my front room, oblivious. I can only imagine how I would be feeling had it been my home. My things taken. My neighbour seemed completely broken when they told me what happened and I had no idea how to console them. How do you? You can’t. By that time the damage has been done.
Please put your safety and security first and stop advertising the fact that you aren’t at home. No one is going to think any less of you because you aren’t basically live streaming a wedding. No one is sitting on tenter hooks just waiting for that next behind the scenes shot. It can wait. I promise. Please. I really don’t want to hear about anyone else having to go through this because some unscrupulous scumbag knew you weren’t home and took a chance. Save it for tomorrow.
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