TOP 10 Questions #10. How Much Is This Going to Cost?

If photography was an off-the-shelf commodity, this would be an easy question to answer. There would be one flat rate no matter what it takes to create the image. Well, in the big box portrait studios, that's easy to do. The customer sits down in nearly the exact same position and exact same pose as the 1,000 people before him/her. The photo is taken with the exact same camera, the exact same lens, at the exact same height, with the exact same lighting.

Don't you deserve better than mere snap shots of your projects that look like everyone else's? You want to capture the essence of the design! How can you do that with a cookie cutter? What great creative solution did you apply in your project? What "side" of your project is most photogenic? You don't want a "mug shot" of your design. Commercial photography is about capturing your vision with the creativity and talent of your photographer.

There are so many factors that contribute to beautiful architectural photography, lighting, time of day, angle, lens, composition, arrangements, and the tiniest details all together make a the image one that moves the viewer to stop and look closer at the soul of your design. All these factors can play a part in determining the cost of your photography project.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

TOP 10 Questions #9. I Paid You To Take The Photos… What Do You Mean I Don’t Own Them?

This can be a touchy subject with some photographers, and their clients. Just like when you rent a car, you don't own that car. The same is true when you license images from a photographer. The costs of creating your images are probably broken down into three categories, Creative Fee, Usage Fee, and Expenses

Creative Fee is exactly that, the creativity and talent required to capture your vision of a subject by the photographer.

Expenses are self explanatory, these are the actual expenses such as travel, equipment rental, props, etc.

Usage is, to put it as simplistically as possible, is your rental fee to use the images created. Your photographer should be clearly illustrating those terms in their Estimate and invoice. Two years exclusive use for all marketing efforts with the exception of paid advertising. One year, non-exclusive use, etc. If you don't see these "rental" terms on your estimate, be sure to ask the photographer what they are, AND, be sure they are part of the final estimate you sign. This will save you form misunderstandings in the long run.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

SAP-TOP 10 Questions #8. Scouting... Why Would I Want to Do That?

Whether you have a scouting trip is completely up to you and your photographer. Scouting can significantly help elevate the chances that the images you receive from the photographer are the images you envisioned.

There are three types of scouting:

• You and the photographer are both present on site. This is the most ideal situation to ensure the exact views and details of an image are exactly what you’re envisioning, but can also be the most expensive.
• You have the only photographer (or one of his/her assistants) go to the site. They take rough scouting images based on a floor plan/site plan with a shot list and angles for images identified. Those images are sent to your office for review, feedback, and approval for the final photography shot list. The margin for error in you achieving exactly the shot you want increases with this option, since you’re not there on site with the photographer.
• You provide rough images. These have been taken previously by yourself or someone on your staff and generally accompany a floor plan/site plan given to a photographer identifying angles and specific details provided. The chances of not receiving exactly what you anticipated is increased further, as the photographer will have never visited the site before the day of final photography and can’t plan for potential issues that may impact the shoot that would otherwise be identified during a scouting visit.

Which type of scouting is also a judgement call based on several factors:

• How confident are you in the photographer understanding what images you want or details to highlight from just a conversation or a floor plan diagram?
• How critical are the images to your portfolio? If these are going to be “flag ship” images, then the more critical it is that you be there to ensure your vision is captured in the images
• Is it a cost effective decision for you to also be at the shoot if it is not local to your firm’s main office?

NOTE: Reshoots are expensive and can be irritating to all parties involved, so, if at all possible should be avoided, and the best way to avoid them is a scouting session.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com

SAP-TOP 10 Questions #7. Another Firm Gave Me These Images from A Project We Worked On Together, It is OK To Use Them On Our Web Site… Right?

Tentatively Yes, if along with the images, they have provided you a written statement from the Photographer either granting you permission (a license or usage document), or a statement that the Copyright has been transferred from the Photographer to the firm giving you the images, and that firm is giving you permission to use them.

Typically… ABSOLUTELY NOT.

If you have received photographs from another person or firm, and you have not seen a document providing written permission for you specifically to use them, it is YOUR responsibility to secure licensing rights before using them. When in doubt, contact the photographer before using the images.

Any copying, reproduction, distribution, public display or creation of derivative works of images without specific permission from the photographer is a violation of Federal copyright law. This includes putting them on your web site or social media marketing.

Simply having physical possession of photographs, slides, prints, transparencies or electronic files does NOT grant the right to use them.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

SAP-Top 10 Question #6 - How Long Should The Actual Shooting Take?

A rough estimate, not based on any details whatsoever, each view, each image takes approximately 45-90 minutes to prepare, stage, and shoot.

Whoa... that long? What in the world could take that long?

Survey - the photographer (and potentially yourself as the client) need to look over the scene, find the best angle, evaluate challenges and favorable aspects of each scene.

Set Up - the camera, tripod, and possibly lights need to be unpacked, set up, positioned, adjusted.

Staging - this can be as simple as picking up pieces of paper on the floor, or as advanced as adjusting the direction of every single wheel on each leg of a chair in a laboratory classroom... all 45 chairs, so all 180 wheels.

Final Composing - a myriad of adjustments need to be made in the camera itself, focusing, focal point, aperture, shutter speed.

Final Scene Adjustments - after looking through the view finder additional adjustments most likely will need to be made in the scene, pivoting furniture, adjusting foliage, etc.

Image Capture - generally more than one frame is shot of each view. There are a variety of reasons to do it this way. But depending on the photographer's approach, it can be as simple as having an insurance policy of more than one frame of each view.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

TOP 10 Questions #5. It’s OK to Give These Image to ______ to Use In Their Marketing, Right?

Absolutely not! And WHY would you do this? You paid hard earned money for these images. Why would you let someone else get for free something you had to pay for?

Similarly, you wouldn't want someone taking your design and selling it to someone else, and pocketing the money for themselves? You worked hard on those designs. You deserve to be compensated for them. You may want to pay the other party a commission on the sale, but you created what was being sold, you deserve the money for it.

Any copying, reproduction, distribution, public display or creation of derivative works of images without specific permission from the photographer, and possibly the original commissioning party, is a violation of Federal copyright law. This includes putting them on a web site.

Just like your blueprints, simply having physical possession of photographs, slides, prints, transparencies or digital files does NOT grant the right to use them and hand them out to others.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

TOP 10 Questions #4. Why Doesn't My Print Have the Whole Image from the Contact Sheet?

This question is coming up less and less frequently, but, it still warrants explanation in the case you might not realize this reality of photography.

Why don't your prints have the whole image detail from the online contact sheet? 

Simple. Aspect ratio. On your contact sheet we provide the entire image as captured by the sensor in the camera. Aspect ratio is the ratio of the width of an image to the height. 

An 8x10 image has the same aspect ratio as a 16x20 images (one is exactly twice the size of the other). But both of these have a different aspect ratio than a 5x7. And all three of these have different ratios from an 11x14.

You didn't know you were in for a math lesson, did you?

But what it comes down to, if you want prints of your images, there is a strong possibility that some cropping will need to be done, on the longest side, in order to make the image fit the width of the paper size you have selected. But, you don't have to take equal amounts from each side, you can frame the image in the desired paper size, in the most visually favorable manner possible.

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We'd be happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer
Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

SAP-TOP 10 Questions #3. Why Can't I Get My Images Today?

Snapshots, which aren't intended to grab the attention of potential clients and land you new projects, are ready at the time you snap the camera. But the types of images you need to set yourself off from the competition require at least some post processing. There may be some color cast adjustments, dust removal, cropping, or straightening needing to be done by your photographer or his/her post production expert.

However, taking advantage of digital media, you can also have your images look better than ever was possible with film. You can remove light switches and outlets, adjust isolated color casts, remove elements, digital stitching to create a panorama, just to name a few of the advanced post processing available to make your images show stoppers.

So, to take your images to the next level and wow your prospects, isn't it worth a wait?

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, if you have any questions or comments about commissioning architectural photography, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We're happy to help!

Kimberly Blom-Roemer    Owner/Photographer

R2 Photography, LLC

p. 866-722-9506  e. kimberly@r2-photography.com

ASMP-General Member/National Board Member, IAAP, AIAP, REPAI

www.r2-photography.com 

  

SAP Top 10 Question #2: What is Licensing/Usage and Why Do I Need It?

us·age [yoo-sij, -zij] –noun. Any manner of doing or handling something

You may not realize it, but you utilize licensing/usage every day. On a specific project you are granting your General Contractor/vendor usage of your designs in order bring your creations to life.

However, though your GC physically has copies of your design documents, you would never, ever consider letting them go to the local blueprint place, make as many copies as he/she likes, and build additional identical structures for other clients, or resell those plans to third parties. Well, at least not without compensating you significantly anyway. If you were to allow this, the money you would receive for it would be considered a usage or license fee you would require your GC to pay before using those designs in that way. You would still own those designs.

And, if you have more than one vendor that would like to use the designs for another project, you would definitely charge those vendors to do that. They are going to make money from your designs, you surely deserve to receive compensation for that.

Just as it is with your firm's designs, images are the intellectual property of the creator. 

Usage is typically broken down into four general categories:

• Commercial - refers to images that are used to sell or promote a product, service, or idea.
• Editorial - refers to photography used for educational or journalistic purposes.
• Advertising - any instance where you have paid to have your ad (and the image in question) placed in a magazine, journal,
• Retail - refers to photography commissioned or purchased for personal use.

The difference between these categories is not in the type of photography, but in the use of the images. For example, suppose you hire a photographer to document project ground breaking event. For you, the type of photography being commissioned is event coverage, and the use is commercial because the your firm will use the photographs to promote your new project. However, if a local newspaper covers the same event, the use would be editorial.

Retail photography is for clients that are only desiring images for their own personal use, such as a family portrait or a wedding. The client isn’t using it to promote themselves for monetary gain. However, if they choose to use their family portrait in their advertising campaign for a family owned business, now the usage is commercial because they are intending to make money from the image.

So, as you can see, the same image can have various types of usage. And each different type generally has a difference cost for usage. A basic rule of thumb, the more money an image stands to make you, the more it will cost to use that image in that way because that image is more valuable to you.

Usage can be a complex topic, and can be confusing. But, what it comes down to is you created those designs, and, you can't imagine allowing someone to use those designs to make money without compensating you for it. So, you grant them license/usage of those designs. 

Whether we are your photographer on a project or not, we are happy to help make your commissioning of photography a successful, pain-free experience!  

Kimberly Blom-Roemer    Owner/Photographer

R2 Photography, LLC

p. 866-722-9506  e. kimberly@r2-photography.com

ASMP-General Member/National Board Member, IAAP, AIAP, REPAI

www.r2-photography.com