Dennis Radermacher — our 3D printing hero, and Project of the Week star — has constructed a bit of a different gift to the architectural photographer community today. Weighing the pros cons of working with an assistant, Dennis delves into the nitty-gritty of shooting solo and why it works best for his architectural photography workflow.
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.
After leaving the APAlmanac Architectural Photography Census open for almost six months in 2020, we are here to report the results. An incredible 1,259 professional architectural photographers from all over the world completed and contributed to the survey, which has provided an amazing cross section of how and why we’re working, where we struggle, where we succeed, and so much more.
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.
For those of us who came to photography after already working in another profession, we know how liberating a feeling it is to finally free yourself from your original job to pursue your passion. Why not take that a step further, and truly zero in and direct all your energy into what it is you enjoy most.
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.
While it maybe wasn’t as great for backing up photos as it was for compressing them, Google Photos was a perfect platform to use as an easy-to-access online portfolio that was always in your pocket. I was using it extensively, not just for sharing the photos from photography trips with my friends, but also to send images to my clients for fast reviews before the final delivery.
It seems like more than ever, architectural photographers are battling copyright infringement, ignorance towards licensing, and confusion over usage rights — not to mention the dreaded “but this will be great exposure” remark.
On Wednesday, April 28th 2021 at 7:00 pm BST (2:00 pm EST) Mass Collective in collaboration with VIEW Pictures will be hosting an online talk discussing the importance of licensing and contracts in the photography business.
When I was a baby architecture writer, a thousand years ago, I remember spending what felt like the majority of my work time asking my editors who’d commissioned stories, or publicists who were pitching me projects, or architects who’d decided to see if I might want to write about something, to send me pictures.
Given the plethora of available self-help books on sales, it should come as no surprise that becoming successful in sales starts from within.
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.
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.
So you’ve made the decision to pursue your passion for photographing architecture. Fantastic news! Your dreams of hopping from one beautiful building to another, capturing it as only you can, and getting paid for it are about to come true. But you’ve got one major problem – you don’t have any clients.
A few years ago, seasoned Amsterdam-based architectural photographer Rob Van Esch released a captivating eBook “Staying On Top of Current Architectural Photography Trends” which focused on the recent shifts in the way architecture is photographed.
As a photographer who consistently enforces my copyrights and encourages others to do the same, colleagues are often surprised to learn that I do not support the CASE Act in its current form. At first glance, it sounds amazing: a low-cost, fast, informal way to resolve infringement claims, presumably without even the need for an attorney. A more thorough review of the Act’s provisions, however, reveals numerous caveats that, in my opinion, will be very easy for a resourceful infringer to exploit.
A year after transitioning from architecture to architectural photography full-time, I wanted to share some initial thoughts comparing and contrasting the two professions. Hopefully, this will resonate with others who have, or are considering, making a similar sort of career transition.
Tom Harris is an incredibly talented and charmingly down-to-earth friend of mine who has worked for some of the most esteemed architectural firms in the United States documenting architecture across the country. He was kind enough to sit down with me for an hour and chat about his background and his process.
The topic of usage fees remains at the top of the list of questions I observe among architectural photographers. Many of us concur that a “standard” license for a commercial client would typically include rights for the client to use the images on their own website, social media, local advertising, and for other purposes of self-promotion (some refer to this as a “publicity and collateral” license). However, where exactly to draw the line varies dramatically across the industry.
Most of us love being photographers, but let’s face it: we don’t do this for fun. Don’t get me wrong—I’m grateful to have the opportunity to express myself creatively and earn a living doing something I enjoy. But that second part, the “earn a living” part, comes at the expense of my own sanity if the compensation for the work is not equitable.
