“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” William A. Foster | 1. I am capable of taking my own photos, OR I could hire an amateur and save a few bucks.
You’re an architect, designer, or builder. You obviously have a penchant for balance, composure, and structure. However, you’re also intimately connected to your work and, as such, have a very different perspective than someone in the market looking to hire you or your firm. Also, while you completely understand the technical nuances of your design, which may certainly be appreciated by other professionals in your field, do you know how to capture the image that will truly speak to your potential client? Hiring a professional architectural photographer ensures that your work is represented from every angle—literally—every time and without the mistakes that can inevitably befall the novice, who’s only spent a semester—at most—studying the basics of architectural photography. To sacrifice the years of experience that a veteran brings to your business in the name of “saving money” can adversely affect your future potential earnings. A professional, particularly one who knows the types of construction materials, design choices, and environmental considerations that are necessary to your industry, is invaluable.
2. This isn’t a complicated process. After all, it’s really just point and shoot, right?
In order to prepare for a professional shoot that will optimize high-caliber results, many considerations are deliberated. Tantamount to camera specs, there is accessory equipment to set up, adjustments in lighting, positioning, and environmental conditions to factor into the mix, and then there are readings the photographer must repeatedly assess in order to control the quality of the image. These decisions, which are non-existent in the typical point-and-shoot, cell-phone-generated images of the masses, differentiate the consummate professional’s work from the consumer paparazzi’s. |
| 3. The price point is the breaking point.
When a client asks you how much it will cost for your design or for a construction to be completed, you know that the answer depends upon myriad factors. Is this a new construction, alteration, enlargement, conversion, reconstruction, remodeling, rehabilitation? Where? Are there certain materials that must be used (or avoided) to maintain historic preservation requirements or to comply with environmental regulations, etc.? As an architect, contractor, design, staging, or construction specialist, you must deliberate many variables in quoting a price—the same is true for the professional photographer. Quality work takes time to produce. Period. However, there are ways that you can minimize costs in order to budget for the type of quality photography that best showcases your work and your business: - Plan ahead so that we can realistically set a schedule that will allow me to consider your needs and the time it will take to give you the best possible quality photos.
- Retain my services for several projects as part of a single agreement, but that will cover an extended period of time. This way, you are able to look at your long-term needs, and I can offer you the most economical options for the ongoing contract.
- Be candid about what you want while understanding how your budget will be affected. For example, fast and cheap usually results in lower-quality yet adequate results; on the other hand, requiring a fast turn-around time and exceptional quality will garner a greater expense. Being open to a flexible schedule gives us both the time we need prepare.
Save time and money by anticipating future needs and photographic rights/usage associated with the images that you want to represent your work—both long-term and short-term. I can help you with the planning process in order to help you anticipate any additional costs associated with reproductions and usage rights. This will keep you—and your business’s images—working to enhance your presence now while impacting how your quality will be perceived by future customers. |
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