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Selecting a Professional Photographer
This article is part of the Best Practice library of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). It was contributed to the library by the Architectural Photography Specialty Group of the American Society of Media Photographers. A PDF version may be downloaded directly from the AIA site.
WHEN ONLY EXCELLENCE WILL DO
Photography, like any other custom service, is never a “one size fits all” proposition but rather a matter of finding the right person for the job. In this Best Practice we discuss how to identify prospective photographers and choose the best one for your needs.
The applications that demand the utmost in image quality are Web sites, portfolios, client proposals, competitions, magazine articles, advertising, and display art. What these have in common is the factor of persuasion. You aren’t merely documenting your work but actively trying to convince other people that yours is the best of its class. You hope that folks you’ve never met — competition judges, professional peers, potential clients — will be impressed.
Just as architecture is more than construction materials, photography goes far beyond the mechanics of focus, exposure, and composition. It requires an aesthetic aptitude for creating a unique and compelling presentation of a physical structure. It requires craft: knowing how to choose lenses and where to aim lights, caring for details of cleanliness and arrangement, understanding what color adjustments will put the most pizzazz on a printed page, making sure the permissions and releases are airtight, and so on. It requires professionalism, ensuring that finished images will be delivered reliably, on time, on budget, and looking better than you expected. Not least, it requires a visual style that presents your work to its best advantage.
Photography plays a major role in defining how we come to know architecture and interior spaces. Because of the pivotal role that photography plays in understanding the built environment, choosing a professional photographer to photograph your completed project is a most important consideration. Here are some suggestions on how to make the experience of photographing your project a good one.
Seattle Public Library — Designed by Rem Koolhaas and photographed for the owner by William Wright (www.williamwrightphoto.com). Wright’s photographs have been featured in numerous publications, including Sunset, Old House Interiors, Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes, and Seattle Homes and Lifestyles.
IDENTIFY YOUR NEEDS
Begin the planning for photography by identifying which aspects of your project might best represent your designs. Would you like to highlight any specific concepts, architectural elements, or other features? Are some areas best avoided? Which areas would illustrate creative problem solving?
Next, consider how you will use the photography as an integrated part of your marketing plan:
- Shown to clients via a Web site, portfolio, or presentation?
- Kept in your archives and used for in-house reference and documentation only?
- Used for internally produced publications?
- Submitted for competitions?
- Used in trade or consumer advertising?
- Supplied to editors of trade magazines or books?
The answers to these questions will help you and the photographer to define the assignment parameters and develop cost estimates.
Joining with other parties. At this stage, it’s worth inquiring whether other parties in your project (such as the owner, contractors, consultants, product suppliers, financing sources, or even public agencies) might be interested in participating in the assignment and sharing the expenses. If so, all of the participants should likewise identify their needs and priorities.
It is important that the participants understand which costs are shared and which are not. As discussed in Best Practice 06.03.06, “Understanding the Estimate for a Photographic Assignment,” the total price has three components: expenses, production fees, and rights licenses. Expenses (e.g., travel; consumables; equipment or prop rentals; and fees paid to assistants, models, and stylists) and production fees (the photographer’s time, expertise, and judgment) can be shared on any basis the participants choose. Rights licenses, in contrast, are based on the use each participant makes of the images and are not shared or transferable among the parties. (For more details about multiparty assignments, see Best Practice 06.03.04, “Sharing the Photographic Assignment: A Case Study.”)
RESEARCH THE CANDIDATES
There are a number of possible strategies for finding the right photographer for the job. One is to scan architecture magazines for images that impress you, then find out who made those shots. If the photo credits do not appear next to the pictures, they are usually near the magazine’s table of contents or the masthead. Coffee-table books and competitions usually credit their photography sources. Advertisements often do not, but a call to the advertiser (and perhaps to the ad agency) might produce a name. Of course, your professional colleagues may have a recommendation or two as well.
To narrow the field of candidates, you may wish to visit photographers’ Web sites, then request samples of their work or schedule meetings for portfolio presentations. Be aware that Web sites and portfolios often represent only a limited selection of the photographer’s work. Thus, when asking to see portfolios, it is reasonable to request images from assignments of similar scope and building type to the project you have in mind.
Architectural photography is a specialty within the profession, requiring different tools and skills than, say, weddings or wildlife. Within the specialty are further specializations — interiors, exteriors, landscapes, aerials, scale models — that may be important to your project. One criterion for evaluating a Web site or portfolio is whether the images indicate that the photographer has the skill and experience you want.
Another factor is often just as critical, however: the photographer’s “vision” or stylistic approach. You want a visual style that complements both your architectural designs and your marketing goals. Style cannot be quantified in a database or listed on a CV. Thus, evaluating this factor is often the primary goal of a portfolio review.
ASK FOR ESTIMATES
Once you have identified the few photographers who seem to have the experience and skills that you need and a vision that matches your goals, it’s time to ask for estimates. You are not looking for a “lowest bidder” at this stage but rather for a confirmation that each candidate fully understands the nature of the assignment. This understanding should encompass your budgetary goals, of course, but also your marketing goals in using the images.
Although photography is a competitive industry, it is not a commodity business; you should expect some variations in the initial proposals you receive. The differences may reflect the photographers’ experience and professional stature but also their different creative approaches and interpretations of your needs.
An estimate is not a cut-and-dried document. If it reveals a misunderstanding of your requirements, call the photographer to discuss the matter. The photographer might make suggestions that could yield better results or lower costs. (For some concrete suggestions, see Best Practice 06.03.08, “Controlling the Cost of a Photography Assignment.” For more information about interpreting the photographer’s estimate, see Best Practice 06.03.06, “Understanding the Estimate for a Photographic Assignment.”)
Don’t underestimate the value of a photographer’s enthusiasm and experience, as he or she can become an important part of your creative team.
CONCLUSION
Just as architects specialize in certain kinds of work, so do architectural photographers. Some are adept at photographing interior design, residential spaces, and scale models. Others may have expertise with industrial locations, construction documentation, and aerials. Still others may be versed in exteriors, commercial spaces, or complex lighting techniques. Each of these disciplines requires special knowledge and equipment.
Of course, some photographers have the knowledge and skill to produce high-quality work in all these areas. Depending on the scope and complexity of your project, you may choose one photographer or you may prefer to collaborate with several.
Try to match your needs with a photographer’s strengths. Other factors to consider when making your decision include the photographer’s professionalism and compatibility with your style. The right photographer for you is one who understands your design ideas and can communicate them visually to the wider world.