Rob van Esch | Architectural Photography Almanac

The Road to Success With Photographer Joel Grimes

by Rob van Esch

While he isn’t specifically in the architectural or interiors niche, Joel Grimes is an impressive photographer. His portraits, landscapes, and composite images are of the highest quality. You could think of him as a performer in the Champions League of Photographers (sorry, I am European, so translated for my American friends: the Superbowl).

An Unconventional but Fast Method for Color Correction

by Rob van Esch

I don’t know how you balance the colors in your images, but here is one thing that I can guess – You are correcting colors differently than I am, and you are doing it differently than you were five years ago in your own workflow. There are so many tools in Photoshop that keep changing and evolving to help you achieve the right color balance in your images.

Trent Bell and Eugene Colberg Discuss the Relevance of Photography for Architects

by Rob van Esch

How can you make a living by doing what you love – for us, that’s taking photos of buildings and interiors – while there are thousands of others doing the same? For me, there is only one answer to that question: learn how to add value to the business of your client.

Removing Objects From Complex Backgrounds

by Rob van Esch

As architectural photographers, we regularly have to deal with removing unwanted objects from an image. Over the course of time, and after building your own experience, you probably have found a few favorite ways to do so. I personally am endlessly searching for ways to improve my post-production workflow, especially because Photoshop’s instruments are always improving.

Billing and the Business of Architectural Photography

by Rob van Esch

To make architectural photography your profession, you need to have more than just the skill to take beautiful photos. To make a living from it, you must be well aware of the value of your service. To build a viable practice as an architectural photographer, it’s important to know how to increase that value.

Customizing the New TK8 Plugin and Your Photoshop Workspace

by Rob van Esch

Just after my last post about painting with contrast with the TK7 panel was published, the panel was updated and changed to the new TK8 luminosity masking plugin. There are many new features such as edge masks, color-grading, watermarking, expanded web-sharpening, selection editing, gradient effects, sketching actions, a smart object indicator, and much more.

Painting With Contrast? Give It A Try

by Rob van Esch

As mentioned earlier on this site, I am a huge fan of the TK7 panel for luminosity masking, developed by Tony Kuyper. I owe my high-speed workflow to this panel in Photoshop. I really wouldn’t know what to do without it (by the way: there are also other panels that can be used properly, but TK7 is my personal favorite).

Demystifying SEO for Architectural Photographers

by Rob van Esch

I recently received a call from Martijn Koetsier, a SEO expert with whom I have regular contact. In order to broaden his horizons, he had decided to spend a day every now and then this year with someone who does something completely different from him.

Mission Impossible: The Perils of Inaccurate GPS Data

by Rob van Esch

Have you ever thought about the accuracy of GPS data? I actually didn’t, until I was commissioned to take a photo of a particular place before any work was done, and a photo from the same exact vantage point after the place has been renovated. Would that even be possible?

An Intro To My Workflow With The Amazingly Powerful Luminosity Masks

by Rob van Esch

I really don’t know how I could do my post-processing job without luminosity masking. When I mentioned this in my article The Architectural Photographer’s Digital Toolbox, many asked me to show my workflow with luminosity masking. While it is impossible to sum up in one single article, because I really use this tool for everything, I can make a start and give you a look into my process!

Where, Who, Wow: Lessons Learned in 7 Years of Marketing and Growing My Client Base

by Rob van Esch

Every market is different. Architectural photographers in the USA will operate differently than those in Asia, and again differently than those based in Europe. That being said, there will also be many similarities. That is why it might be useful for you if I share my experiences in recruiting clients, from my first year in business up until now (my 7th year).

The Benefits of Including People in Architectural Photography

by Rob van Esch

Almost every client of mine asks for the same thing; “let your images show how my spaces are used!” Architectural photographs must be brought to life. It is something that we photographers have to do subtly because people have to add a ‘usage dimension’ to the image and should not become the main subject.

The Architectural Photographer’s Digital Tool Box

by Rob van Esch

In addition to our physical equipment, we also have access to a variety of digital tools to perfect our output. And that's where the fun starts, because there is so much choice.

My No. 1 Business Secret: My Website

by Rob van Esch

In my (free to download) eBook The Value of Architectural Photography, I touched upon instruments our clients can use to increase the value of our work. I asked the following question: “Any time of the day, 24/7, someone who could be your next client can check your website.

Consistently Find The Right Color Across Your Photo Series With Photoshop

by Rob van Esch

Are you having trouble finding consistency in color in a photo series? You are not alone! With the method explained in this blog post, you can overcome many difficulties that come when matching colors. I love watching good Photoshop tutorials. It’s a bonus if it is targeted at us, architectural photographers, but often that is not the case.

Let’s Increase the Value of Your Work (For Both You and Your Clients)

by Rob van Esch

Hi everyone, Rob here! I just joined the APALMANAC writers rank and am really thrilled to be part of the team that makes this magnificent, unique platform come to life. My brief is to write about architectural photography with an emphasis on post-production, so in the future, I’ll bother you with color management, image blending, and all other kinds of topics you can think of that involve our production process.