Top 10 Questions #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 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
Architectural and Aerial 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 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
Architectural and Aerial 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 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

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 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

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 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

TOP 10 Questions #1. What is Included in an Estimate?

Working in this industry, you understand the importance of accurately defining the scope of work in order to determine your firm's design fees. Similarly, in order to prepare an estimate for you, a photographer must have a detailed description of the assignment.

Though every photographer is different, typically an estimate has three components:

• Project Description
• Licensing Rights (Usage) Granted
• Pricing

Project Description

Including the name and location of the project additional information that will need to be included is the number of views, and the project timeframe, usually with a few milestones such as shoot date, and proof delivery date, final delivery date.

Also be sure to include your final image requirements as they relate to specific forms of media. Do you require transparencies, slides, black and white prints, color prints, electronic files or other specific deliverables? Remember to specify the sizes and quantities you will need.

Licensing Rights (Usage) Granted

An image is considered the intellectual property of the creator, the photographer. The photographer owns the copyright to the images he or she creates and is the only one who can license their use. This section of the estimate should very specifically answer these three basic questions:

• Who will use the images?
• How and where will the images appear?
• How long will the images be used?

We tend to have our Usage information detailed in the Usage section of the Estimate, but some photographers have a separate licensing agreement document. If several parties choose to share in the cost of an project, each party is provided with a separate written licensing agreement unique to their specific needs.

It is vitally important that you and your photographer agree on the scope of a license before beginning the project. Should your marketing plans for the images change, be sure to discuss them with your photographer as soon as possible. This could save you money, because if you were planning on using the images in an advertisement, and now you are not, the cost of your usage fee will go down significantly.

Also, if you plan to share photographs with third parties who have not been involved in the commissioned assignment (e.g., members of the design team, contractors, consultants, product manufacturers, clients, tenants or magazine editors), permission must be obtained in writing from the photographer. Yes, oftentimes this will involve a cost, either to you or the third party, but, would you want someone to get something for free that you spent a lot of money to commission?

Also very important, you cannot give the right to use images to another person or firm without the written consent of the copyright holder, the photographer. You should also advise the party receiving the images to contact the photographer directly to secure a license granting permission for their use.

CAUTION: If you have received photographs from another person or firm, and you haven’t seen a document providing written permission for you 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.

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

Pricing

An estimate typically has two components:

• fees
• expenses

Fees

There are two kinds of fees:

- Production or Creative Fees-reflect the time it takes to complete the entire assignment. This includes intangibles such as the photographer's experience, creativity and vision that he or she brings to the assignment. Other variables include: the total number of views requested, travel time, scheduling and deadlines, site logistics, and artistic considerations such as vantage point, time of day and composition.

In addition to the actual time spent behind the camera, a photographer's pre-production and post-production time may also be included in the Production Fee. Pre-production tasks commonly include: client meetings, site visits, meetings with the facility's management to organize access to the location, conversations with building engineers to arrange technical assistance with lighting, landscape maintenance and other related site-specific preparation. Post-production tasks commonly include image editing and selection, digital enhancement, client meetings and preparing images for final delivery.

- Licensing (Usage) Fees-reflect the value of the usage for each image in the assignment. This is determined by a number of considerations including how widely the images will be viewed, reproduced and distributed. Typically, the more extensive the usage, the higher the fee. Similarly, the fee increases correspondingly with the number of unique views being used.

To obtain the best value at the outset, negotiate usage for the entire group of images based on your currently planned needs, with the understanding that additional rights and related fees for unique purposes can be arranged in the future.

Expenses

Expenses for film photography may include: material costs such as film, processing and supplies. For digital photography, they may include: image capture charges, file conversions, post-production charges, archiving, digital retouching and file delivery.

Additional expenses may include charges for assistant(s), travel, photo finishing, special equipment or prop rentals, stylists, costs for location access, models, special insurance and miscellaneous expenses.

Whether we are your photographer 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

Introducing: The Top Ten Questions Our Clients Ask

We're starting a new series, based on the commonly asked questions we hear from clients. We hear these comments and questions over and over again, so hopefully they will be of help to you. Once a month in our eNewsletter and this blog we will post a new question and a detailed response. Have a question for us, please don't hesitate to email it!  Whether we are your photographer 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 Architectural and Aerial Photographer R2 Photography, LLC r2-photography.com 866-722-9506

Saving Money on Your Photography

With today's economy, savings money is forefront of everyone's minds. It is easy to think putting off on marketing efforts, including photographing your projects, but when things are slow is the exact time you should be ramping up your marketing.

There are all sorts of ways to reduce the financial impact of photographing your projects:

- Share the Cost with Others. If you feel a building is worth photographing, your general contractor, vendors, interior designers, and even the building owner or occupant probably feel the same way. Here at R2 we encourage you to talk with other participants in a project and have the jointly commission the photography with you. When you do that, we divide your creative fees and expenses equally between the commissioning parties. Suddenly you have reduced those line items of the shoot by half, two thirds, etc. A signifiant savings. The only aspect of the shoot that is not split among participants is the usage fee. That is because each participant probably has different uses for the images. While one firm would want the images for web sites, corporate brochures, etc. another may want to use them in advertising.

- Plan Ahead, Be Flexible. The more flexibility you have in your shooting schedules and deadlines, the more inexpensive your project can be. If we are able to combine travel expenses with another project, both projects share in the savings. The more time we have to fit the project into our schedule, we also extend savings to our clients. Rush jobs, or quick turn around projects are exponentially more expensive.

- Shop Locally. By utilizing local talent for your photography needs, you're significantly reducing the travel costs for a project, pure and simple. It is an amazing phenomenon that out of town photographers are so much higher regarded, just because they are from "out of town." But, they are local to somewhere, so, there is a pretty good chance you have extremely talented photographers right nearby.

- Prioritize Views / Use Fewer Views. This is the toughest way to save on the costs of photography, you really want 10 images documenting all the features of the design in a structure, but your budget just can't absorb that many images. But reducing the number of images can save you across the board with photographer time on site, post production, usage fees on all the images.

- Multiple Projects. This can be a great way, with one caveat, be prepared to contract for the projects all at the same time. Here at R2 Photography we are thrilled to secure multiple projects with a client, and offer a discount on all the projects. The projects do not have to be shot one right after the other, but just have the projects on the books and the contracts signed. The reason we insist on all the projects being contracted at the same time, is, just like nearly every other photography firm on the planet, we have heard, "if you give us a discount on this first project, we will use you again on this one coming up" and… nothing happens with the second project. 

Whether we are your photographer 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

Continuing the Alliance

Congratulations, you have found a photographer you like their work, their prices, and most likely, you like them. How do you stay in touch with them?

- Stay in Contact

- Join their mailing list

- Follow their blog

- Invite them to send in new work

Future Project Estimates - Try to give the photographer as much lead time as possible for a project to ensure they can provide a thorough Estimate as well as give you priority scheduling in their calendars. By having them provide Estimates against other photographers that you also like their work, will ensure the pricing you are receiving is on standard with the industry.

Really Like Them - Consider a Multi-Project Contract

This will ensure they are there for you.

How to Get More “Bang for your Buck”

Provide Feedback.

Be sure to provide the photographer feedback on his/her images. These are business people the same as yourself, and if you, the customer, isn’t happy or would like to try a different approach, the photographer should be open to your suggestions.

Scrapbook

As you go through your business day/weeks, there are bound to be images of other projects that an angle catches your eye, a time of day/lighting, anything. Show these to your photographer. It will help him/her gauge your tastes and preferences, leading to increasingly successful projects in the future.

Whether we are your photographer 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

Image Delivery

This can depend on a multitude of variables, as well as the methodology of the individual photographer. But most importantly, if there was a serious time consideration, this should have been disclosed to the photographer at the time the Estimate was requested.

Time Frame

This is greatly dependent on the number of images in your shoot, specific deadlines requested at the time of Estimate, and the workload of the photographer’s studio itself. Your photographer should provide you an estimated date of delivery of proofs (whether online or hard copy) within 1-2 business days of the shoot. Just a basic rule of thumb on the typical processing time images not requiring extensive post production efforts is two to twelve hours for each image, so if you have a five image shoot and taking an average of that, you could potentially be looking at 30 man hours in post production, so, potentially a week.

Online Contact Sheets

For ease of review, and sharing among many parties within your firm, many photographers provide online contact sheets to their clients. From these contact sheets, final delivered images can be selected. However, some clients still prefer to have a physical contact sheet delivered. If this is your preference, be sure to tell that to the photographer at the time you’re asking for the Estimate.

Final Images

There is a wide variety of image delivery options available to you:

• Electronic Download - final image files can easily be downloaded directly from a photographer’s web site
• DVD Delivery - a physical DVD with all the final images delivered to your office
• Hard Copy Delivery - a hard copy print(s) created by the photographer
• Combination - some clients prefer a combination of two or more of the above delivery options of the final images

Image Storage

Though your photographer undoubted is going to maintain a copy of your images, to be absolutely safe that you always have access to your images, the best approach is maintaining your own catalog.

The industry standard for Digital Asset Management (yes, DAM) is the 3-2-1 approach.

• Three (3) copies of the images
• Two (2) different onsite drives or media (one hard disk/server, one DVD, or two hard disks)
• One (1) offsite copy. These files can be maintained on either a hard disk, back up service, etc.

Whether we are your photographer 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506

EXCITING NEWS! Take Your Business Image to New Heights!

R2 Photography has always provided aerial photography, but we're excited to announce in addition to traditional fixed wing aircraft, we now provide our clients with two unique multi-rotor aerial platforms which have been custom designed exclusively for R2. These flexible solutions will provide the safe and professional capture of high-quality stills and videos that were previously only available by expensive fixed wing or helicopter aircraft, if they were available at all. 

Most importantly, we're not just hobbyists looking to cash in on a fad, we're serious imaging professionals. We are fully insured and we have undergone a rigorous training certification program. Both these qualifications provide our clients with the confidence they are dealing with true professionals with safety and high quality footage paramount to our services.

You can see examples of our work at both at r2-photography.com and r2aerials.com

In addition to on-site services, after the shoot you will receive professionally processed images and footage. We don't just dump a bunch of raw, unedited images/footage on your team to handle. This ensures the images look their absolute best!

Our services and expenses will be determined on a case-by-case basis due to site conditions, client requirements, and the client desired finally editing. 

As when working with R2 Photography, in working together you will be able to depend on several things: a cost effective approach, on time, on budget, no surprises, and a high quality end product. Our promise to you is a photography service you can build a strategic, enduring alliance with, and not just a one-time solution. We strive for you to see our services as an integral partner to achieve your goals.

We look forward to working with you to take your business' image to new heights!

Whether we are your photographer 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
Architectural and Aerial Photographer
R2 Photography, LLC
r2-photography.com
866-722-9506