I am sure many of you belong to Linkedin and, to get the full benefit, groups related to your interests. Naturally, I am drawn to all the groups concerned with kitchen design, one of which is “Tour of Kitchens.” There is an interesting article, reprinted by Laurie Burke, a member of that same group, that I want to share with you. I think many of you have experienced using a professional photographer for your projects with some positive and some not-so-positive outcomes.
Five questions you should ask when hiring an architectural photographer.
First impressions count. We’ve established that your images are an investment. You can’t leave your precious time and work to an amateur photographer. You’ve got a beautiful project you need to photograph, a willing client who will let you take over their space to stage and photograph it for a day or an afternoon. How do you choose a photographer?
Question #1 to ask: Do you specialize? Select a photographer who specializes in interior architecture. You have to know what you want your image to convey and explain that to the photographer. What do you want your image to say to your potential client?
Question #2 to ask: What do you use for lights? You need lighting to make the picture come alive. A photographer who works with natural light alone is not the photographer you want to work with. If you are after magazine quality architectural photography, making adjustments to images through Photoshop is not enough.
Question #3 to ask: Can you provide references? Time is money and you need to work with someone who will respect your time, your client’s time and able to deliver the finished images in an agreed upon turnaround time. Not to be overlooked, respecting your photographer’s time is equally important. Spend time staging your project before your photographer arrives on the scene. The time you spend on location before your photographer arrives also helps you discover what shots you are after.
Question #4 to ask: How much should I budget? Plan your photography budget at the beginning of your project while you are in the quote stages with your client. Are you including your photography in your mark up? You should allow that cushion in every project to allow for photography. Call your photographer when you start a project and get a ballpark budget.
Question #5 to ask: Licensing rights and permissions. Be up front with your photographer what your plans are. Will these photos be used for your website, brochures, and magazine advertisements? You want the permission to re-use these photographs for print publications. Make an agreement what your usage rights are under the pricing.
These questions and more tips on how to save money can be found in the article, Picturing Your Work: Tips for Hiring a Professional Architectural Photographer by Juliet Farmer, ConcreteNetwork.Com Columnist
