Studio.News. 07.22: Full Stealth at the Apple Store
Designed by Foster + Partners
as observed and written by Jesse Janzen, Studio Associate
Our journey is full of surprises, and today is a doozy. We have a four hour window to grab a shot of the new Apple Store at The Grove in Los Angeles. But we absolutely DO NOT have permission to photograph, and upon arrival we discover The Grove charges a $6,000 photography fee to fire off a professional camera on their primes. L.A., am I right?
But the other LA in this story is Lawrence Anderson, and he would not be so easily defeated.
The Apple Store was designed by Sir Norman Foster and it’s stunning. Giant glass edifice and a mirrored ceiling, and, thanks to the electrical team at EXP AND HENNESSY DESIGN, at dusk it glows like a thousand birthday candles waiting to grant your every ISO wish.
The Apple Store is located at The Grove, a posh outdoor mall with no shortage of ambiance and Lululemon leggings. A lovely environment for photo taking, which The Grove must’ve been aware of, given their very steep fee.
The shot is due today. The lighting is right, but the timing is tight.
We discover that a permit is required at an outrageous fee. Uh oh.
Grab a table at the bar. Use candy to shield the camera and the mini tripod. Keep shooting for 3 hours.
We need this photo by the end of the day. We don’t have time to submit a modified budget or busk on the streets to raise the funds. And rescheduling is not an option.
If we’re gonna get this shot it’ll require a clever, covert approach. Lawrence declares: No camera cart. Not even a tripod. We have to go full stealth. All we can risk is the camera itself.
No tripod??! But Lawrence relies on composite shots, which necessitate the precision that only a tripod can provide!
Problem Solved.
Lawrence lifts a finger to his lips “Shh”, dons his spy gear (aka his steadfast Ray Bans) and slips into the crowded Grove.
I, the novice spy, start chatting up some security guards thinking this could be a good in for us. I get a call from Lawrence. In a hushed whisper he says “I got a table. Don’t come now, the security guards know what you look like. Go back to the van and change clothes. Then join me at The Fountain Bar. Outside table.”
In a new outfit, I slide into a chair across from Lawrence. He’s ordered at least 5 drinks and appetizers and littered the table with bags of See’s Candies. I’m wondering if now’s the best time to be eating our feelings, when I realize what Lawrence is up to. He’s paid for our spot at this table, strategically across from the Apple Store, and has fortified a wall of food, drinks, and See’s Candy bags to hide the camera - secure on a miniature tripod. This isn’t Lawrence’s first rodeo.
When the light’s right, I play the tourist and hop in front of the Apple Store. Lawrence parts the crinkly candy camouflage and clicks a shot, then waves me away to get a clear shot of our true subject. Click click click. Then I stroll back to the table, laughing like an out-of-towner. No one saw us. We repeat this move every 20 minutes for 3 hours.
As the last bit of blue fades from the sky, Lawrence lowers his Ray Bans and smiles. “We got it.”