Introducing the Business of Architecture Photography Series: APAlmanac’s New Video Courses
If you’ve been a photographer for any stretch of time, you probably know that it’s easy enough to take a good picture. But how do you get paid to take those pictures in the first place? By far the most common questions that we receive here at the Almanac are business-related. What to charge, how to license, how to deal with infringements, how to market your services, and so on.
This is why we are proud to release our first video course which focuses on the business of architectural photography.
For as long as the Architectural Photography Almanac has been around, I’ve wanted to make it a resource for photographers from all corners of architectural photography – an industry that has typically operated behind closed doors. I remember when I first started out how hard it was to come by information and I swore that if I ever ‘made it’ in architectural photography, I’d work to change that.
I’ve spent nearly 15 years studying the business of photography and in that time frame have gone from sneaking reads of Best Business Practices for Photographers to running a successful architectural photography business commissioned all over the world to photograph some of the most high-end homes and developments on the planet.
But I didn’t want this to just be a video bragging about how you should act when you’re trying to land a job photographing absurd mansions in Bel Air, so I enlisted the help of Kansas City based architectural photographer Matthew Anderson to lend a counter-point to the video. Matthew has made a name for himself with his business videos that he has made himself (many of which we have shared here on APA) which had a profound effect on how many photographers approach copyright, licensing, and business.
Matthew operates in a small to mid-size market where he has had to learn to apply ‘big market’ business techniques on his own scale. The contrasts between big market and small market approaches are not as wide of a gulf as you may believe, and both sides of the coin are presented with equal weight throughout the tutorial series.
About the videos
We explore six topics in this series, resulting in seven videos (Pricing Your Architectural Photography consists of two videos), which can be purchased individually or as a bundle. Click on each link to further explore what each video has to offer, and view preview clips of each.
Pricing Your Architectural Photography
Goes into detail about how to arrive at a fair price for your architectural photography. Comparisons of small, medium, and large markets, as well as the value of your work are discussed. A second video is included, discussing finance topics.
Licensing Your Architectural Photography
A deep dive into licensing models and how retaining your copyright can lead to a successful career as a photographer or artist of any kind. After watching this video, you will confidently be able to navigate the licensing of your work.
Sales and Marketing for Architectural Photography
Hear lessons from Matthew Anderson’s career working in a small market (Kansas City) and how his methods compare and contrast to Mike Kelley’s experience marketing his work in a large market (Los Angeles). You can expect to learn about building your brand from the ground up – including tips for creating a portfolio from nothing, getting in front of new clients, organic networking, knowing your rates, handling positive and negative feedback, branding your marketing material, social media, and approaching your first job.
Contracts For Architectural Photography
A supplement and explainer for our Contract Template, the Contracts video walks you through the application and implementation of a professional contract for architectural photographers.
Dealing With Copyright and Infringements
Every photographer in history has had to deal with their work being stolen – it comes with the territory. How you handle it can be the difference between getting a fair payment for your work or being taken advantage of over and over again.
How To Handle Your Work Going Viral
If you’ve been a photographer for long enough, your work will eventually be ‘swept up’ in virality. Whether within the architecture and interiors industry or in the world at large, it can be a double edged sword. Successfully navigating the exposure, consequences, and fallout of virality are vital if you are to have any hope of monetizing and understanding the value of a viral photo.
Bottom Line
If you’ve ever wished you could pick the brains of different architectural photographers to figure out what their business practices are, or lessons they’ve learned along the way in their careers, this video series is for you. The Business of Architecture Photography features a variety of videos discussing the ins and outs of running a business photographing architecture.
