Ask APALMANAC – Architectural Photography Almanac

Architectural Photography & The Law: Property Releases

Leslie Burns — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 13:00:00 +0000

APALMANAC is proud to be partnered with California-based intellectual property attorney Leslie Burns. Leslie is back on the blog this month to answer another reader’s question about intellectual property and the law.Please remember that the answers here are not legal advice, but rather for educational purposes.

Dear Appy: Should We Trade Images for Access?

György Palkó — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:00:00 +0000

An APA reader asks: I was hired by a development company to photograph a handful of specific angles of a project that is completed. The images were delivered to the original developer client, and they are happy with them. I’ve already been paid for the job and figured it had been put to rest with everyone involved being happy.

Dear Appy: Including Wall Art in Photos

Brandon Vogts — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 12:57:25 +0000

Marty C. asks: “If I am photographing a building or a house with artwork on the walls and a magazine wants to publish the images, are there copyright concerns regarding the artwork on the walls?”Excellent question, Marty. In short, there are certain considerations you should take into account when incorporating other creative works into your photographs.

Should I Charge a Licensing Renewal Fee?

Mike Kelley — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:46:19 +0000

LG Asks: I am an architectural photographer just starting out my business. I have downloaded the APA contract template as well as read articles about licensing. I had a question in regards to renewing a license. For example, when I photograph for a client and all goes well and licenses photos to the client for 5 years.

I’m Being Asked For COVID Discounts – Help!

Mike Kelley — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:23:51 +0000

M Asks: I’m getting quite a few requests for shoots starting late April / May. Everyone is pleading poverty, from £120m new openings (who I know had already budgeted marketing) to £10m refurbs. Every quote so far has asked for a reduction in fees. My own view is that I won’t lower my fee (mostly because my expenses & talent are same as pre-covid and I have a gut feeling that if I lower it, it will be impossible to raise later) but I am being super-flexible on pretty much all else.

What Should an Architectural Photography Contract Look Like?

Brandon Vogts — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 05:52:12 +0000

A question that we receive at APA regularly goes something like this: I shoot predominantly real estate with a basic contract and would love to hear more about how established architecture and interior photographers went about creating and modifying their contracts.

Do You Need An Architecture Degree To Photograph Architecture?

Mike Kelley — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 06:38:44 +0000

P asks: Is it possible to be an architectural photographer without previously being an architect? My girlfriend is an architect and our first idea is to open a studio together. Do I have options in this world without having studied a degree in photography or architecture?

Should Magazines Pay To License Images That Were Already Commissioned?

Mike Kelley — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 19:21:21 +0000

Q: I'm an architecture and Interiors specialist in Detroit, I basically give my clients a non-exclusive perpetual unlimited usage license, and include contest entry, but this wouldn't include editorial feature usage. How frequently are large publications going to...

Should I Go To College For Photography?

Mike Kelley — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 17:29:08 +0000

No.

Today, I jump into a large 3-part question that I have strong thoughts on.

Ask Appy: Am I Stuck in Real Estate Hell For All Eternity?

Mike Kelley — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 04:21:49 +0000

T asks: Does a photographer HAVE to shoot real estate to get into architecture? I have a wedding photography business that has produced a six-figure income five years in a row so I don’t need real estate to pay the bills. However, I definitely want to move out of weddings and into full-time architecture over the next, let’s say, 5-10 years.

Ask Appy: Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Drones

Mike Kelley — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 01:56:31 +0000

MM Asks: What does your “typical” day look like?MK: There is not really any ‘typical’ day. I shoot probably 1-4 local gigs a month (LA) and then usually do one bigger travel job every month. I divide my life into two kinds of days…days where I set an alarm (flights or shooting) and days when I don’t, hah!

Dear Appy: Nightmare Clients, Taking Control, and Simple Billing

Mike Kelley — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 04:16:15 +0000

MW asks: Have you ever had a client that micromanages to the point where they say “take the photo from exactly right here and make sure you get everything I took in this iPhone picture for reference”? If so, how have you dealt with working in that situation?

The Best Time of Day, Protecting Your Intellectual Property, Purposefully Not Shooting The View

Mike Kelley — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 04:31:12 +0000

NC Asks: If a company never paid me and is using my image, how can I prove that I took the image and how do I decide how much to charge them for each image that they illegally used?The easiest way to do this (in the United States, at least) is to register your images with the US Copyright Office as soon as is reasonably feasible.

Client Lists, The Disappointing Lowel Gl-1, CamRanger 2: Where Are You?

Mike Kelley — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 16:31:36 +0000

SD Asks: My question is..if you do a TFP with someone, for instance a museum, would you write that museum on the clients list on your website?

Ask APA: Hourly Hotel Rooms, Making Dope…, Clipped Reds, and Ovaltine

Mike Kelley — Fri, 24 May 2019 16:36:36 +0000

R asks: When trying to expand and grow your network and brand as a photographer, do you think “mailers” with a small handwritten note can work or what do you suggest to getting more clients to work with you?In the past I think this worked, today, not so much.

Ask APA: Your Architectural Photography Questions…Answered

Mike Kelley — Wed, 22 May 2019 09:01:33 +0000

Over the past few weeks, APA has…grown…a little bit, into something I’m beginning to feel slightly proud of. In the background, I’ve gotten many questions about architectural photography from our small but fiercely interested reader base. Rather than let these questions slowly fall into the fires of Mount Doom, ah, I meant page two of our gmail account, I thought it would be great to begin to publicly answer them.Starting