Okay, so I got this idea to check out Saks Fifth Avenue in Birmingham and take some photos for my style inspo stuff. Grabbed my camera after lunch, thinking it’d be quick. Parked my car downtown, walked over to the spot, and immediately saw their fancy windows. Figured I’d start snapping right there on the sidewalk.
First Try – Total Mess
Pulled out my DSLR, aimed at the window displays… bam! Security guard popped out faster than a jack-in-the-box. “No professional cameras allowed, sir” – straight up blocked me before I even pressed the shutter button. Felt like I was trying to rob the place or something. Tried explaining I’m just a blogger, but dude wasn’t having it. So much for outdoor shots.
Switched to my phone instead. Got one decent pic of the entrance awning before another employee side-eyed me hard. Decided to bail before things got awkward.
Plan B Disaster
Went full spy mode next. Thought I’d blend in as a shopper. Walked inside, grabbed a random scarf, pretended to browse near jewelry cases while sneaking phone pics sideways. Worst idea ever. Here’s why:
- Lighting sucked – everything looked either too yellow or super shadowy
- Salespeople hovered – got asked four times if I “needed assistance” in five minutes
- My shaky hands – all pics came out blurry from nervousness
Finally Got Something
Gave up and just walked straight to the shoe section. Asked this young salesgirl if I could photograph some Louboutins for my blog. Shockingly, she said yes! Finally caught a break. Snapped like twenty shots of those red soles real quick before anyone noticed. Also grabbed close-ups of leather textures and store details near checkout when her manager wasn’t looking. Felt like a dang ninja.
By the end, only three photos were actually usable: those shoes, a rack of trench coats where lighting accidentally worked, and one wide shot of the staircase when I was leaving. Totally not what I planned. Should’ve just worn a disguise or something. Pro tip: big luxury stores hate cameras more than they hate returns.
