Holiday Message

Happy Holidays

and a

Prosperous New Year

from everyone here at

R2 Photography, LLC

Why Is All This Paperwork Necessary? All I Want Is Some Pictures!

As a business person, you know the fastest way for a project to "go south" is for there to be a difference in expectations between the parties involved. Even the smallest detail to one party, can be a major issue to another.

The best way to ensure a project's success is to thoroughly document everything. In the case of commissioning photography, this is achieved via signed Estimates, use of Terms and Conditions, a clear Usage/Licensing statement, Change Orders, and detailed Invoices. The more information you can provide to your photographer, including any prospective layouts the images are going to be included in or intended uses, the higher the odds your project will be a resounding success.

Your photographer is there to work with you, and wants the project to be a success as much as you do. So, if you're presented with documents and don't understand what you're looking at or reading, talk to your photographer. He or she will be happy to answer your questions and explain everything.

So, these documents are there to ensure the success of your project and are a sign you're working with a true professional.

Whether you were there or not, and 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?

Simple. Aspect ratio. On your contact sheet I 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 you were there or not, and 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

Schedule/Timing/Duration of Shooting Images

Ideally, the order in which images are taken needs to be established before arrival on the location and can easily be established by some kind of scouting. Natural lighting through windows, on exterior faces, etc. can determine what order images will be shot in. As a very rough rule of thumb, each individual image can take from 45 to 90 minutes to set up, properly stag with props and furniture arrangement, and photograph. However, some of the highest end architectural photographers can take several hours for set up, primarily to position lighting. I know of one of the top photographers that can has been known to use 200+ lights on a single image and it took eight hours to achieve his single, award-winning shot.

Photography Staging Area

Talk with the photographer about what kind of staging area needs are required. He/she will need space for cases, lighting assembly, and, if the photographer doesn’t work with their camera tethered to a display, a workstation to review images after the shot. Depending on the amount of equipment and props required, these needs can be just a few square feet, but generally average about 10x10.

Your Input - How Much Are You Involved?

Photography is a collaborative effort, but how this is handled varies from photographer to photographer. My approach is working with you, listening to your vision for the image, your preferences, learning what you’re trying to achieve with an image, etc. helps me create an image that hopefully exceeds your expectations. But just like you are a specialist in your field, we are as well, and bring unique experience and creativity to the process as well. If it were easy to just press a button and capture incredible images, you could bring in a high school student or someone from your administrative staff with a good camera.

Potential “Don’ts” When Working With A Photographer

This is varies from photographer to photographer:

• Touching Equipment. Just from a liability standpoint, if you were innocently shift a tripod or a light stand, and it were to fall over... well, you get the picture.
• Looking Through the View Finder/Touching the Camera. Some photographers absolutely don’t like this at all. With more and more photographers shooting tethered, you will be able to see the image instantaneously as soon as it is shot anyway. Besides, again, would you want to accidentally knock over that camera that potentially is worth more than some used cars?
• “Saying Anything But “Yes.”  I saw this written on another architectural photographer’s web site as something some photographers demand - and they were referred to as prima donnas. Personally if you were always saying yes to me, I would be worried that you weren’t completely involved in the project, and we might not be accomplishing your vision.

Whether you were there or not, and 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

R2 to Present "How to Work with an Architectural Photographer" to AIA-KC

Kimberly Blom-Roemer of R2 Photography, LLC will be presenting "How to Work with an Architectural Photographer" to the AIA-Kansas City chapter.

February 25, 2010

12:00-1:00

AIA Kansas City Offices

1801 McGee, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO

This presentation is based on the Best Practices developed jointly by the AIA and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) to illustrate the fundamental principles involved during a typical architectural photography project. By defining key terms, answering commonly asked questions and using easy-to-follow case study examples, this presentation will guide you through the entire process of working with an architectural photographer:

Topics covered:

- Selecting Projects to Photograph for Your Portfolio

- Selecting an Architectural Photographer

- Understanding the Estimate for a Photographic Assignment

- Preparing for the Location Shoot

- At the Location Shoot

- Post Production

- Controlling the Cost of a Photographic Assignment

- Licensing Photographs for Publication

- Continuing the Alliance

- Preparing for Professional Photography: A Checklist

Since arriving in Kansas City in 2008, your presenter Kimberly Blom-Roemer of R2 Photography, LLC is both an Affiliate Member of the KC AIA and the Vice President of the ASMP-KC/Mid-America chapter. R2 Photography specializes ONLY in architectural photography services. We believe the unique needs of the architectural, interior design, and construction industries absolutely require a 100% focus on this specialty in order to provide the exceptional our clients demand.

2009 Holiday Message

Wow... what a year! With 2009 drawing to a close, I am sure, like everyone in the industry you're looking to 2010 with anxious eyes.

Rather than drone on and on about what you need to be doing to be successful in the upcoming year, let’s take a well-earned pause... sit back… have a virtual cocktail together (clink)… and toast ourselves that we made it through the year. Just making it is an accomplishment.

We’ve seen long-time friends and associates become victims of the economy. We’ve watched pillars of the industry shudder. Some of us are more bumped and bruised than others. But, we are a little older, a little wiser, and, as much as it doesn’t feel like it, our businesses are going to be stronger for it.

To look positively, we’ve learned creative ways to keep things going, techniques and approaches that, in a good economy, we never would have thought of. How much is that benefiting our businesses now and will be long into the future?

So, in looking at 2010… let’s apply the three P’s… Positive… Productive… and Patient. Or, to borrow from the slogan used in Great Britian during WWII, “Keep Calm and Carry On.” :-D

Cheers (clink)… one thing is for certain, 2010 is going to be an exciting year!

Happy Holidays!

--Kimberly

and everyone on the team at R2 Photography, LLC

www.r2-photography.com