Business

You just wrapped up an amazing shoot and delivered the images to your client, who loves them as always. A week or two later, you’re contacted by a publication asking to use the images in a story they are running.

This is awesome! You’re over the moon and swelling with pride. But wait – what should you charge for publication usage of your photos?

Ok, full disclosure…I got out of the real estate photography game a few years ago. But like myself, I would assume many architectural photographers used real estate as a launching pad for their professional careers. Via some other local photographers and “people watching” certain Facebook groups, I still keep my ear to the ground somewhat on this genre.

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. There are many different ways to make an impactful difference that allows you to stand out from your competition.

Coming off the heels of our recent article sharing Andrew Keithly’s excel macro to help speed up the process of filling out your copyright registration form, I thought it would be prudent to share another video with a more comprehensive breakdown detailing the process of copyright registration (in the US) – a start-to-finish explanation beginning with image prep all the way through the registration process. 

For U.S. based photographers, registering your images with the US Copyright Office will put you in the best possible position to claim any damages for any illegal use of your images. Submitting images in this way will register your claim to their copyright and then record your claim to its public database.

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.

One of the most common forms of Copyright Infringement we come across as photographers is our images being on certain social media accounts or pages without our permission. Oddly enough, when the issue is even politely brought to the attention of the infringing account, the photographer can sometimes receive indifferent or even rude pushback.

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. Martijn wanted to know if he could join me on a shoot day.

Here at AP Almanac, we talk a lot about copyright infringement — and not without reason. Most clients have no idea that the photos you send them are not actually their property, and that they (in most cases) can’t just do whatever they want with the images. It’s so important to explain what your clients can and cannot do with the photos you’ve licensed to them so you don’t get questions like:

“Well, wait a minute, I paid for the photos – how do I not own them?

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).

I am so proud to introduce The APAlmanac Contract Template. In over a decade of photographing architecture, I have talked to thousands of working photographers, whether it’s for a lunch, on an online forum, here on Apalmanac, or at workshops or conferences. Without fail, the conversation leads to our shared struggles of running a business in a largely independent field.