Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a location owner? We book the fabulous Bayfield Hall for some lovely shoots, and caught up with owner Caroline and Emma, our location agent, during a Boden shoot, to have a chat…

Caroline, how did you get started as a shoot location owner? What inspired you to venture into this industry?

C: I started being a location owner quite by chance when a friend of mine who worked at Vogue rang me out of the blue and said they had a shoot booked for the following week, but the photographer didn't like the house they had optioned - so they sent up someone to look at Bayfield.  And just like that, our shabby chic home was what they wanted! From there my life began as a location owner.

Can you describe the types of shoots and productions that have taken place at your location?  

C: We started with editorials for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and a few other magazines and our first catalogue was Hackett with Jonny Wilkinson which was great. England had won the World Cup, and he was in high demand - as you can imagine my son loved it. Since then, we’ve hosted Next, Marks and Spencer, Littlewoods Charles Tyrwhitt, and Mini Boden amongst others.

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Boden loves using Bayfield, what’s it like to shoot with them?

C: Boden has evolved over the years - all my kids grew up wearing Boden. One of the oddest shoots was taking one of our old metal bedsteads out of the house and making a bedroom by the beech tree alongside the lake - it looked fantastic! We had 3 children riding our pony Mulberry, looking like a circus pony painted! I have enjoyed watching the Boden brand develop from using our friends' kids as models to professional child models - I am so happy it is still thriving, and I love working with them. I also loved working on the latest womenswear shoot, the team were great and a pleasure to host, and the shots looked amazing.

E: I love working with Boden! Their initial shoot brief requirements are always exciting to fulfil, we represent incredible shoot locations but it's always nice to know that we've scouted something a little bit special just for their brief. Boden work with the best creative teams which result in gorgeous final shots.

What unique features or characteristics make a location stand out?

C: My favourite feature of Bayfield is the terrace looking over the lake it's very special and romantic. My favourite room is our drawing room with double-aspect Georgian windows - it's always so light.

E: The most important thing we are looking for is something a little bit special and unique. Beautiful light-filled interiors and unusual features. Every brief is different though – it could be for gorgeous gardens and grounds, modern or period, rustic or Scandinavian with interesting backdrops and textiles.  Good access for large vehicles and ample parking is always helpful too.

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What goes into preparing your location for a shoot? Are there any interesting behind-the-scenes details that people might not be aware of?

C: My biggest piece of advice to give to any new potential house owners looking into using their house as a location is, don't be precious about anything, have rules and firm guidelines, but be as laid back as you can be - it becomes such a better experience for everyone involved.

E: Our clients are super respectful and we have damage policies in place to protect your property against any accidental damage but it is important to be relaxed and open to letting clients take control of your house. They may want to move furniture, take down artwork and have access to your fridge and kitchen for catering lunch! Some owners find this harder than they had expected. Having your location clean and tidy for recces and again for the shoot date is key and removing any excessive personal items such as fridge magnets and photos is beneficial. 

What advice do you have for individuals or businesses interested in becoming shoot location owners themselves? 

C: I love doing any sort of shoot - I enjoy having people around and you see insights into fashion that I would never have known - it's fun and if you have people staying it is also hard work, but very much worth it - it puts a little bit of glamour into my Norfolk life.

E: It’s important to understand that being a location owner can be difficult sometimes! You will need to be quite flexible due to the nature of productions. You’ll need to be ready for the crew to arrive for an early start, you will need to be happy with strangers being in your house and various equipment and props being brought in.

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If you're interested in registering as a shoot location with us, fill out a form here. 

To discover more of our film & photoshoot locations, browse our full library here.