Why We Hate Plexiglass

You're basically choosing style over the safety of your little clients.

When you do a search for smash cake photos, you see it everywhere. A cute chubby baby in front of a cake with a beautiful reflection on the floor. That awesome looking reflection comes from placing a giant piece of plexiglass underneath your subject. It’s a classic technique and it looks great.

So why do I hate it with the passion of a thousand burning suns?

Smearing plexiglass with frosting makes it slicker than a politician on an election year. And then you want to place a little tyke who can barely walk on top of it? You're basically choosing style over the safety of your little clients.

Think maybe I’m over exaggerating just a bit? Here’s my favorite cocktail recipe. Have three of these and then go barefoot on a greasy frosting-smeared sheet of plexi. For those of you without health insurance I recommend substituting your 90-year-old grandmother to take your place on the buttercream ice rink of death. As a small business owner you can’t afford to be out 6 weeks with a broken leg and honestly, grandma doesn't have a lot going on.

As the photographer you are responsible for the safety of EVERYONE on your set. Safety has always got to be top of the mind. There are always times when accidents happen and there is no way that anyone can prevent them. For those times we have photography insurance. Right!? You have insurance?!!!

But if you keep sending a long line of broken babies to the hospital for frosting related injuries you won’t have an insurance policy for very much longer. By choosing to avoid plexiglass you can skip any injuries and unpleasantness that comes from bouncing babies off the floor for the sake of art.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Thanks for reading and enjoy that drink recipe,
- Daniel

PS: for those who are taking clients and don’t have insurance check out my blog on why I think that’s the absolutely dumbest, laziest, most ignorant decision EVER!

I mean...check out my blog on the importance of having business insurance.

Images provided by Troutman Photography