Apart from its breathtaking natural beauty, Vancouver in British Columbia has a thriving arts and culture scene. After all, the Vancouver Art Gallery is famous for its large collections of regional artists. If you're planning a photo shoot, you're just in the right place. Surrounded by mountains, set on the Pacific Ocean, and filled with historic buildings, Vancouver is the perfect spot.
Giggster's got a range of locations if you're on the lookout for a space to take vintage-looking pictures. A romantic heritage apartment with simple decor and tiled kitchen floors makes the perfect backdrop for a bridal photo shoot, while a quirky townhouse in downtown Vancouver has a lovely rooftop with a view of the ocean. Instead of making use of photo studios, shoot at an authentic 100-year-old house with a cozy attic and a working brick fireplace.
Giggster's got dynamic and budget-friendly locations for you to peruse on the easy-to-navigate Giggster app, and we can promise that you won't walk away displeased from one of our locations. So get browsing and find a great place for taking a family portrait or product photos.
Giggster's venues encompass everything from colorful suburban family homes with gorgeous facades to large, dimly lit pubs with pool tables and outdoor seating. No matter what aesthetic you're going for, we aim to please!
A spacious event hall with high ceilings, chandeliers, and wooden floors in downtown Vancouver can be set up to take old-timey wedding photos before the actual wedding.
If you're looking for the perfect venue with large windows and plenty of natural light for daytime photos, a charming bungalow from the 1950s nestled on a quiet street is just the spot for you.
A studio space with creative, artsy touches and cozy vibes is great for shooting a commercial or photos for a lifestyle magazine.
A hair salon on wheels done up in pink and white is not only great for getting ready for on-site productions and shoots, but could make a kitschy backdrop in itself!
Exceptional Variety & Quality: From a one-of-a-kind home with bright and colorful wallpapers in all the rooms to an absolutely beautiful loft event space with original wood flooring, we have the perfect setting for your photoshoots starting at only $38/hour.
Hassle-Free Booking: Choose from among 26 properties and don't choose blindly! The Giggster site provides all sorts of details and information about the venue, from the equipment available to the number of people it can accommodate.
24-Hour Free Cancellation Policy: Canceling a booking is never fun for either party. Still, we understand that there are problems and emergencies, and we allow free cancellations within 24 hours of confirmation. Our only caveat is that you should have booked at least 48 hours before the shoot.
Platform Protections: Giggster also has optional protection packages and coverage against damages and liabilities. So you can now book a venue like Party Room/Studio Rental On Commercial Drive without worrying about all the little details!
While the beauty and historicity of Vancouver is certainly unchallenged, don't jump to book a venue here before considering all the pros and cons!
Advantages
There are any number of beautiful outdoor parks and gardens like Stanley Park or Queen Elizabeth Park or a national historic site like Lighthouse Park if you need to take outdoor photos.
In your free time, you can take in the delights of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Museum of Anthropology, and the Vancouver Public Library.
It's a popular destination for filming and photoshoots, so you'll find equipment and rental stores if you need some.
Disadvantages
One of the worst things about Vancouver? The rainy weather. It gets especially difficult ferrying all that heavy equipment around in bad weather.
Vancouver has some of the worst traffic conditions in all of North America. It's certainly not ideal for an impatient person.
If you're not shooting at a proper studio, you might have to obtain all kinds of licenses and permits. You'd better research that a little bit beforehand.
Forget a generic Vancouver convention center or photography studio if you want to take the kind of vintage wedding photos that you've seen in your grandmother's albums, or you want to plan a photo shoot that will stay in the minds of people for days. Start with Giggster's 26 venues instead.
Loft – Vintage Locations. The lush greenery of potted plants and exposed brick walls of an elegant loft make for absolutely stunning photos. On the other hand, a Gastown loft with high ceilings and exposed piping has exactly the sort of unfinished look that adds that vintage aesthetic.
House – Distinctive and Heritage Settings. Whether it's a 100-year-old home with sloping ceilings in the attic or a mid-century home with a large stone fireplace, there is surely a beautiful space where you can shoot for a family holiday photo with old sepia-toned vibes. Not to mention a townhouse in downtown Vancouver with stellar views from the rooftop.
Bar/Pub – One-of-a-Kind Party Spots. If it's unique and unusual pictures you're going for, check out a neighborhood bar and grill disguised as a vintage thrift shop, designed as a journey through time. For something slightly more classic, an Irish pub with wood-paneled walls and real leather bar stools has a timeless elegance to it that cannot be matched.
Photo Studio – Convenient Backdrops. The best thing about a photo studio is that you can do exactly whatever you want in it and make your photos turn out however you like. Rent out a versatile downtown studio with a black painted room that's ideal for product photography and displaying art or merch. Set it up with vintage furniture to achieve the look that you're going for.
Event Hall – Set Up to Your Taste. Alternatively, you can rent out a classic event hall with high ceilings, a balcony, and chandeliers for your bridal photo shoot. There's a green room and coat room to the side for the bride to get ready and the wood and velvet curtains give it the kind of vintage look that is not easily achieved in a studio space.
Now that you've read about all the different kinds of venues that are on offer in Vancouver, it's time to go beyond that and plan the rest of the photo shoot. Whether you're looking for classic wedding photos you can frame around the house or you're trying to sell a product, prior planning can go a long way so that you're not scrambling at the last minute.
Determine Your Budget – Are you trying to do a fashion spread where the surroundings complement the outfits? Is the purpose of the photo shoot just to get a family portrait that you can put up in your living room? Is it an advertisement for a new music video you're about to launch? All of these things will involve completely different budgets.
Choose a Venue – This could be as simple as a black box studio where your clothes and accessories are allowed to shine without any interference, or it could be a heritage townhouse and rooftop with a view of the Vancouver skyline—it depends on what you want.
Hire a Photographer – You might think that any photographer would work, but some photographers have made it their job to work on vintage photo shoots. With their expertise, you're going to get much better results. Even without vintage settings, they can get the lighting equipment and camera angles to make it work.
Get Clothes and Props – A few touches like gloves or fascinators or a vintage typewriter can set the scene and transform the viewer to another period with very little effort. And these are little props that can be rented or found in thrift stores at very little cost.
With the idea of content creation just taking over the internet, different aesthetics like the vintage aesthetic have become cool. There are so many shortcuts to taking vintage-style photos without spending a lot of money.
Make use of free backdrops.
Breathtaking views of the ocean or cobblestone streets in some corner of Vancouver are free props that you can make use of without paying any money for them at all.
Borrow or rent accessories.
A stunning lace veil or a pair of old suspenders can immediately change the tone of the shoot. You'd be shocked how many such things you can find by trawling through your parents' or grandparents' wardrobes.
Find out what your venue is equipped with.
Sure, you've found a great spot with lots of old, vintage features. But does it have natural light that you can take advantage of? What about an old sofa or couch? The more your venue can provide, the less you'll need to rent.
Capture the charm of a bygone era in Vancouver, BC, by taking photos in a loft garden oasis with plenty of potted plants and absolutely gorgeous natural light, or a bright atrium with a piano in a heritage building with the most beautiful facade. Giggster's Vancouver locations offer you the best of the best!
