Process & Rates
Starting Our Collaboration
The photography process starts with a conversation. It’s important to me to learn more about the scope of your project, the inspiration behind it, as well as those design and build elements that are most important to you. This information allows us to craft a shot-list aimed at capturing images that highlight your creative vision and convey your brand. To arrange a chat, please click here.
Ideally, a scouting visit to the project site is preferred because it contributes to a more defined shot-list. Having this clarity usually makes the photoshoot go more smoothly. Given that so much of architectural photography is about “chasing the light”, our scouting visit also allows for a clear sense of where the sun is going to be throughout the day. This, in turn, helps me to plot out the best times of day to capture each photograph.
If a scouting visit can’t be arranged, that’s OK, as I always spend a good chunk of time doing a walk-through of the project on the day of the photoshoot – hopefully with yourself. Doing this allows me to see the elements you described in our initial conversation. As for sun position, I use an app that calculates its path at a given location and time.
Rates
My fee structure is based on the following core elements:
Creative Fee – This covers the time, skill and effort involved in completing the photoshoot and includes: pre-photoshoot tasks such as any meetings I might have with you, scouting the project location, pulling together creative briefs and creating a shot-list. The creative fee is quoted at either a ‘per day’ or ‘per half-day’ basis.
Full day photoshoots typically last from 8 to 14 hours, depending on the amount of daylight available at certain times of year, and yield anywhere from 18-30 final images captured for each full day, on-site. Half-day shoots are perfect for clients who want to capture a smaller project, where only a handful of images are required.
Post-Processing – I apply a seven-step editing method that is aimed at establishing a consistent look-and-feel, every time – something that’s vital for your brand. The editing process includes things like: manually blending the best elements of multiple images into a final photo; colour correction; fixing perspective issues; making targeted adjustments for contrast and texture, etc.
It’s a very involved process that requires painstaking attention to detail and, as such, it’s very common for the editing process to consume at least as much time as the actual shoot. Post-processing also includes an electronic proof-gallery, appropriate re-sizing and compression of images and storage of all images.
Photography Assistant – A good assistant makes the photoshoot go by much more effectively, which usually means more and better photos.
Standard Use License – The images that I’ll deliver to you will come with an industry standard license that describes the many different ways you’ll be able to use the photos to promote your business. It includes virtually all the usage needs you’re likely to need, with additional usage licenses made available, if required.
Cost-Sharing
Cost-sharing has become an industry standard within architectural photography and allows multiple parties to realize significant savings on a photography project.
I use two cost-sharing options:
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All photos accepted. The first model is based participating parties agreeing to license all the photos selected by the commissioning client. Given this commitment, this model offers the greatest potential savings. Indeed, even with only one additional party agreeing to cost-sharing with the commissioning client, both parties would realize a 35% cost savings on the photoshoot. The savings become even greater when more parties are involved.
- A la carte. This model is available when additional parties do not wish to license all the photos but would rather select only the images they’d like to have. In this option, jointly selected photos are discounted between 15-25% depending on the number of parties selecting the same photos.