Checklist: How To Hire An Architectural Photographer

I deal with clients and help them get the architectural photos that they need. And I am talking here not only by me taking the photos for them but also by publishing help and guidance on my website.

Checklist: How To Hire An Architectural Photographer. In this post I will tell you as a client what you need to know to help you the right architectural photographer for you and get the photos you need. I will tell what I have learned from over 30 years of experience in both construction and photography, and well over 10 years as a working architectural photographer.

This checklist is written in plain English and tells you what you need to know and no more. I am on a mission to eliminate unnecessary details and tell only what people need to know.

And in this post you are getting my knowledge as a Chartered Builder (MCIOB) and also as a professionally qualified photographer (ABIPP).

Who am I?

I am Rick Mcevoy MCIOB, ABIPP. I am an architectural photographer and construction photographer based in the South of England.

I photograph buildings for clients and buildings in nice places for me. This is what I do.

I photograph buildings. And this is pretty much all that I do!

I work mainly for architects, developers and contractors as well material and product manufacturers, suppliers and installers.

Let’s get straight into this.

1 – Prepare a brief

You need a brief to give to a photographer. This is the starting point in commissioning architectural photography. Just like any other professional appointment.

There are of course specific things when appointing a photographer which I will cover next.

2 – Content of the brief – Scope

This is simply what you want the photographer to take photos of. The more thorough the brief to the photographer the better the entire process will be for both parties.

3 – Content of the brief – Shot List

Shot list. This is important. Write down a list of the specific rooms, elevations, products, materials, details – anything that you specifically want photographing. Any competent photographer will capture everything on your shot list, and also other things that they think could be of interest.

4 – Content of the brief – Information for photographers

You will need to provide some or all of the following

Site address

Overall site plan
Building floor plans
Building elevations

Important features of the building/ project
North/ South/ East/ West orientations
Restrictions relating to the site

5 – Content of the brief – Timing

When can the photos physically be taken, and when do you need the edited photos? Another critical thing that needs getting right to ensure the success of the commission.

6 – Content of the brief – Inclusions

What are you priority areas to be photographed? What are the headlines, the highlights?

Think how many photos you will really need. For a private residence or small construction project I typically produce 30 images, not often more than that. Obviously, the size of the project and reason for the photos will dictate this. When I photographed an entire new build fire station there were well over a hundred images edited and issued, but much less would have been better with hindsight.

No-one wants to have to go through hundreds of photos. Start with the 30 photos that you really want and take it from there.

7 – Content of the brief – Exclusions

What you do not want to be photographed. Things like

Utility spaces such as cleaning cupboards come into this category.

Similar rooms
Back of house areas
Security/ confidential areas that are to remain that way

Anything you do not want others to know about
Contentious things
Or things you just don’t like!

8 – Content of the brief – Licensing

The photographer normally retains the copyright, but in the formal quote the basis on which the photos are to be used by you as the client should be clear.

Decide all the potential uses for the photos and tell the photographer?

9 – Content of the brief – Exclusivity

Can the photographer sell the photos to others? Or do you want/ need exclusive use of the photos.

Can the photographer use the photos for their own promotional uses? Are you happy that photos of your building might appear on social media?

It is usual for the photographer to use the photos for his/ her own marketing purposes, but I have quoted for and done shoots where I could not release the photos into the public domain.

10 – Content of the brief – Pricing basis

I advise a fixed fee inclusive of expenses and processing time. I tend to base my prices on a half day or full day rate on site taking photos. I include the time taken for processing and all that other good stuff within this fixed fee.

11 – Finding a Photographer – Google

The starting point for most of us these days is Google. Obviously the first listings on Google are paid ads, so I always scroll down to the first two or three organic listings that are not ads and go from there.

A word of warning – number 1 organic search result on Google is not guaranteed to be the photographer for you though!

12 – Finding a Photographer – Professional Photographers

Photography is just like any other profession, so you should choose a professionally qualified photographer.

After all would you engage an unqualified architect or electrician?

And you would not hire an electrician to do your plumbing?

13 – Finding a Photographer – Professional Photography bodies

Here are professional photography bodies in the UK that I know. I am a member of the BIPP by the way.

British Institute of Professional Photography

The Royal Photographic Society

The Guild of Photographers

Master Photographers Association

14 – Finding a Photographer – Photographers Websites

Check out a photographers work. Are they architectural photographers, or are they general photographers who photograph anything and everything?

Would you use a plumber to re-wire your house?

Would you choose a wedding photographer to photograph your building? Nothing against wedding photographers, but I photograph buildings so you won’t find me capturing someone’s special day!

15 – Finding a Photographer – Photographers Style

Check out my Architectural Photography page. Do you like my photos? You might not. And if you do not that is a shame but fine.

Do not engage a photographer whose style you do not like. I do what I do and am happy to do the same for you, but if you do not like my look and style things will be difficult.

It is important to appoint the right photographer for you.

16 – Getting quotes

Get more than one quote, just as you would with any other contractor or service provided. And make sure that quote includes everything that you need. Make sure that the quote from the photographer is clear and complete and answers every point of discussions and the brief.

Cheapest is not always best which I am sure you already know!

17 – Appointing a photographer – speak to him/ her

If you can meet the photographer before you appoint them then I recommend that you do so. There is nothing better than meeting face to face to really get to know someone. You can’t do that by email.

And you might want to interview a couple of quoting photographers.

And in these difficult times we find ourselves in this is being done more and more online which is not as good as face to face but better than by email.

Even speaking on the phone is better.

18 – Appointing a local photographer

If you get a local photographer this will help you in many ways.

You can get a better service, more flexibility and easier access should things need to be addressed if the photographer is local to you rather than the other end of the country.

And you are supporting your local economy which I think is important and something that I try to do.

This is not self-interest – far from it. I am excluding myself from most of the UK saying this!

19 – Timing – Construction works

When will the works be complete enough for photos to be taken? The works need to be complete, snagging done, and the site vacated to show the project as is intended.

And this is always a challenge!

20 – Timing – Client Fit-out

Do you want the photos taken before or after client fit-out? Before and you have a nice, empty shiny building. After and you have the space as it is intended to be used.

21 – Timing – Planting

if a building is not completed to correspond to the planting season, which is often the case, there may be large unplanted areas which can make the building look unfinished.

22 – Timing – Time of Year

Obviously, the sun is lower, and days are shorter, but these are normally just things we photographers have to deal with.

23 – Timing – Bare trees

I love bare trees but who wants a spectacular new building photographing with bare foliage? If there is a substantial amount of evergreen foliage then this is not a problem.

24 – Timing – Orientation of the sun

Where is the sun shining? Is there a primary façade? Do you want sunlight streaming in through the windows, or warming up the significant front elevation?

25 – Timing – Sunrise/ sunset

Are either of these important to the content of a photo? If so are you prepared to pay extra for the photographer getting up in the middle of the night to capture that headline shot for you?

26 – Timing – traffic

Is there a peak time for traffic/ visitors/ building occupants arriving/ departing?

27 – Timing – outdoors areas

I had a problem on a shoot as the client had just put the cover on the swimming pool. A big, bright blue cover which made the shoot of the lovely grounds a challenge! And I had to hide the swimming pool.

28 – Weather – Rain

No-one wants their building photographing when it is raining. Well no-one that I have met anyway! So the changing weather causes mayhem with schedules and external shoots. And a dull grey rainy day can impact on an internal shoot, looking from the inside out.

29 – Weather – Cloudy Days

I am fine with cloudy days as I can change the sky. But if it has rained things become more of a challenge. So cloudy but dry I can live with.

30 – Weather – Contingency days

In the UK we need to plan reserve days in case the weather changes. Sometimes though this is just not possible.

If your photographer is local this is easier to manage. Trust me I have had problems with this on shoots a long way away.

31 – Weather – ideal conditions

The ideal conditions for me are cool, dry, calm with blue skies with some nice white fluffy clouds.

I know. But I had to say!

32 – Preparing the building

This is a big thing, which can have a significant impact on the success of a shoot. I will go into detail about this.

33 – Preparing the building – the photographers perspective

From a photographers’ perspective, a building that has been prepared for a shoot is easier to photograph.

And the easier a building is to photograph the better the photos and the quicker a shoot can be successfully completed.

And preparing a building, and it’s grounds, means less editing time which potentially means less cost for you as the client, and the quicker issue of better photos.

34 – Preparing the building – the clients perspective

Think of this as though you are preparing the building for a viewing by a potential vendor – I don’t need the smell of fresh coffee and freshly baked bread (as nice as that would be).

When I say prepare a building, here is a list of things that I ask to be done before I arrive on site

35 – Preparing the building – my checklist

Snagging works complete
Make sure no works going on
All materials, plant and equipment removed/ hidden

Check all the lights work
Make sure the light bulbs are all the same
Turn all the lights on inside

Disable PIRs/ absence detection (if photos are required with all lights on which is normally the case)
Unlock all doors that need to be accessed
Move vehicles/ skips/ scaffold/ piles of debris

Get rid of hose-pipes (which can be really hard to remove in Photoshop)
Hide the bins
Close doors to areas not to be photographed

Cut the grass
Remove any temporary barriers/ fencing
Check for gravel spillage – another real time consumer

Sweep paths/ roads/ driveways
Get rid of vehicles
Chewing gum on paths/ playgrounds?

Clear work surfaces

And for residential shoots

Light fires so they have that lovely glow

Check light bulbs are the same in a room
Straighten curtains/ blinds
Straighten soft furnishings/ cushions

Remove dog beds/ food bowls
Tidy up toys etc (tidy not necessarily remove)
Provide freshly laundered towels and bedding

Tidy up stuff on bathroom/ kitchen surface
Remove all personal/ confidential documents from show
Put things in the garden away

But make the house homely at the same time!

And workplaces need to look welcoming and professional.

A good old general tidy up always helps – this applies to every building of course!

36 – Preparing the building – additions

Once everything is looking all shiny and sparkly a few additions that will finish things off nicely are these

Imagine the building how you want others to view it.
Publications on desks/ tables

Flowers
Colourful features
Branding items

37 – Preparing the building – one more thing

Sorry I forgot the one intangible in all of this. In my experience clients who have gone through the process of preparing their buildings have found that this has helped crystallise their shot list. It sort of started the thought process.

38 – Construction issues – access

Are there specific access requirements/ permissions/ inductions that need to take place?

39 – Construction issues – site activities

Is there anything happening on site that might get in the way?

40 – Construction issues – permits

Are there any permits that are required to be issued before photography can take place?

41 – Construction issues – PPE

Does the photographer need to wear PPE? I of course have full PPE which is suitable for most construction sites, and my camera gear is also set up so I can get around live construction sites quickly and efficiently causing minimum disruption.

42 – Construction issues – CSCS

Does the photographer need a CSCS card, or are alternative arrangements going to have to be made? I am a current CSCS card holder by the way.

43 – Construction issues – incomplete works

This is a common problem when I turn up to photograph completed construction projects. Practical completion has been achieved but there are still works ongoing to sometimes surprisingly significant extents!

Of course, completion of a major construction project is a remarkably busy and stressful time – me turning up right in the thick of things with my camera is rarely appreciated by contractors, and I can’t blame them!

44 – Construction issues – when is the best time to photograph a completed project?

The best time to photograph a completed construction project is once everyone has packed up and left site, all the furniture, fixtures and fittings are in and but immediately before people start to use the building and make it their own.

45 – Construction issues – furniture

A building without furniture can look like a cold empty space. Furniture gives a space meaning and purpose, it helps to represent the original design intent and future use.

46 – Construction issues – client installations

And the addition of client installations sort of completes the building, making it not just an empty space but a living working environment. I am repeating myself here for a reason – this is particularly important.

Photos of a completed but empty building can be disappointing.

47 – The day of the shoot – client attendance

Do you want to attend on the day of the shoot? Some clients do, some do not. It depends on many things. If it is a house then of course there will be someone there, be it the house owner or their agent.

And for commercial buildings it just depends.

48 – The day of the shoot – me

There is one thing that I do need to warn you about in advance. If you commission me to photograph your building, please remember that I am a man and I only do one thing at once. So, when I am in the zone and taking photographs there is little point talking to me – I am not listening!

49 – The day of the shoot – access

Is there clean and unimpeded access to all areas on the day of the shoot? I have often had to struggle through virtual mud baths to get to the inside of a shiny new building which has made things difficult!

50 – The day of the shoot – people in the photos?

Do you want people in the photos? Normally not, unless it is a public space or public facility such as a sports centre, where people are preferable.

And that leads to a problem I encountered once – I went to photograph a leisure centre that had just been built but there were no people there at all – it was like a ghost town.

I ended up including myself in some shots!

No people means no complications, releases or consents unless the building is a public space.

51 – The day of the shoot – contingency planning

There are many things that can go wrong that can only be dealt with by both parties agreeing on a plan B. I have written about many of these things in this article, and have a little checklist list of the most frequent problems that I have to address.

Adverse weather
Works not complete
Access to areas not possible

Furniture not in place
Deliveries/ works on the day of the shoot
Utility companies on site/ digging up the road outside

Decant operations
Ongoing site works
Non-attendance of participants

At the very least a conversation needs to take place about these potential problems, and the impact of any such issues documented and the consequences costed.

52 – Image Issue

I issue a set of fully edited images that in my opinion fulfil the brief issued to me. Sometimes I need to do further edits but normally the image set I issue is fine.

53 – Image files

You should get photos in the universal JPEG format. No photographer should issue RAW files as you need specialist software to open such files.

54 – GDPR

Use a GDPR compliant photographer. The photographer will have information that needs to be safely managed.

55 – Data Integrity

Ensure that the photos are backed up by the photographer in case you need them again in the future. And I suggest you have backups of the edited images issued to you.

I have cloud backups of my images, which I store for period of time yet to be defined. This has been added to my standard terms and conditions – I will guarantee to hold copies of data for three years from the time of image capture.

56 – Supply chain sharing

An interesting one. Are the photos to be shared with the supply chain? As the commissioner of the images it is important that any shared uses are agreed with the photographer as part of the appointment process.

The photographer retains the copyright so is well within their rights to sell the photos to other contactors or interested parties.

57 – Confidentiality – add to the brief

If there are matters of confidentiality these need to be raised right at the beginning as most photographers are pretty active on social media, and might share things during the shoot.

I do if I am allowed to.

58 – Confidentiality – famous people

I have photographed buildings for famous people. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to say who these people are.

Client confidentiality is especially important to me, and I take this very seriously.

Again this needs to be discussed and managed by agreement in advance.

59 – Confidentiality – people’s homes

This is particularly important when I am photographing peoples’ homes. I always agree with the client how I may use the images myself.

Whilst I might be the copyright holder as the photographer who has taken the images I have a professional responsibility to respect the confidentiality of my clients.

At the very least I do not reveal the location of photos of people’s houses when I publish my work on my website and social media.

60 – Insurances

Like any other contractor check that your photographer has public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

My standard terms and conditions

If you would like to receive a copy of my standard terms and conditions please get in touch by email, commenting on this post or by using the contact form – entirely up to you how you do this. Get in touch and I will send you them in a Pdf.

And the Pdf version of this post will be added to my subscribe process. If you want this in Pdf again just let me know and I will send it to you.

And finally, and I am so looking forward to removing this section.

Coronavirus

I have written extensively about photographers and safe working during the Coronavirus Pandemic on my blog.

Check out these posts

Can Photographers Work during Coronavirus – 30th May 2020

Coronavirus Guidance for Photographers – How to work Safely – 15^th June 2020

I base my working practices on the Construction Leadership Council Site Operating Procedures, which have been broadened out to cover anyone working outdoors.

At the time of writing this, June 2020, we are on version 4.