A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to photograph the historic Union Station in Denver, which is being rebuilt as a mixed-use, transit-oriented hub that currently hosts bus service and Amtrak. Eventually the station will also provide light rail city-wide service and a commuter train to the airport (DIA). The main station itself will house shops, restaurants and a hotel.

One of the most challenging aspects of being a travel photographer is accessing cool and unique subjects to photograph. Special access means better pictures, and better pictures means a better chance of licensing them to publications. I gained access to the train platform by joining a group sponsored by the University of Denver.

Because I was the only one with a tripod I stood out like a sore thumb, but the folks conducting the tour pretty much forgot about me after a few minutes (this happens to me even in non-photographic situations; don’t know why).

We spent over an hour at the site, and it was fun for me to photograph the beautiful architecture even as I learned a thing or two about how the project came together. More importantly, being able to photograph architecture when it is brand new means everything is clean and freshly painted; all the lights work; there are no cracks in the wall; in short, it looks as good as it ever will (regular readers of this blog know that, no matter what you are photographing, the better-looking your subject, the better-looking your pictures).

After the shoot I edited my work, optimized some of my favorite images and sent them to potential clients. Sending new pictures to editors is a great way to stay in touch, as it keeps your name in front of them and you might even make a sale (this has happened to me more than once).

So next time you get the opportunity to access a new, unique, or otherwise special location, take advantage of it. You will then have images in your collection that most other photographers don’t have, plus it will help you with your marketing efforts.

Now get out and shoot something.