Thank you to all my regular and new clients in 2009 for providing me with great projects to photograph for you this year. It has been a pleasure working with you all and I appreciate you choosing me to help you document and market your projects.
At this year's Build Boston 2009 I will be part of a panel presentation on "Architectural Photography in the New Economy" workshop # A49 on Wednesday November 18th at 1PM. I will speak about utilizing the AIA & ASMP's booklet "Commissioning Architectural Photography" in preparing for your next photography shoot. With tips on getting the job photographed the way you want within your (reasonable) budget. I'll also talk about digital postproduction and when to best utilize this powerful image enhancing tool. Please attend and ask questions about how to improve your firm's marketing images. I will also have images in the show floor gallery by SAIA-Sterling Architects and McManus Architects both of Cambridge, MA.
I photographed this dusk exterior of an existing office building for a property management firm. One of the views I was asked to make was that of the building at dusk. The companion request was that the estuary river be at high tide. As dusk and high tide did not occur at the same time I was able to photograph the building at high tide and then an hour or so later begin my exposure sequence for the building's dusk lighting. With digital postproduction I was able to combine the two views into one for a believable view. When water is a factor in your photograph you should build your shoot schedule around the tide charts as well as the light.
During a recent assignment in New York I paid a visit to the Chelsea district's "High Line". This is a repurposing of the old elevated train right of way into a pedestrian park two stories above the city streets. It is a breathtaking view of this part of the city and a great place to watch the sunset. If you have the opportunity visit the High Line which travels right under the new Standard hotel, for a leisurely walk above the city.
I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Boston to photograph some of their projects in the Boston area. This year I have begun to photograph a new single family home site in Needham for Habitat's use on their web site and for fundraising. Mostly I have been photographing the progress of the construction and details of the site and volunteers. One of my best images is of the future home owners during a work break in what will be the first floor of their new home. They are very proud of what they have achieved. Sometimes the best image of a building is when you can put a face on it.
As part of my recent photography of the Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium I needed to photograph views that focused on the landscape architecture. As a project that borders Boston Harbor the best view of this landscape design was from the water. The NE Aquarium provided a boat and skilled captain who was able to position the craft in many places for great views. This design by Halvorson Design Partnership was also a view that would have been compromised by the installation of a semi-permanent event tent. But I was able to make this compelling view even though this extension of the Boston Harbor walk was not yet open to the public.
When your subject is monochromatic and color would only provide a distraction, consider converting the view to a Black and White image. It is one of the great pluses in working digitally that you can photograph in full color then covert to gray scale when completing the final post production. It's the best of both worlds. I think this office view has more impact when presented in black and white.
Even with the best plans sometimes you have to adapt to a fluid situation. This is the new Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium designed by McManus Architects, Cambridge, MA. They were faced with scheduling a photography shoot day that fell in between the contractor's final wrap up, the installation of a semi-permanent event tent that would obscure most preferred views and the grand opening of this fantastic new facility. With the cooperation of the NE Aquarium, its staff and the various contractors, many exciting views were able to be photographed. Digital post production resolved what was not possible or practical on the actual shoot day. When time permits always try to schedule your photography after the work has been done.
Sometimes the access to a temporary installation is limited due to constraints imposed by the venue or show management. In this case you need to adapt to the limitations. What is most helpful is a walk through of the site to design a plan to achieve your final photography objectives. What may be the right solution is to add more photo assistants and equipment so that you can progress from one view to the next as efficiently as possible. Preplanning can smooth out all the access limitations.
Certificates of Insurance are usually required when photographing on or from other people's property. In the case of photographing skyscrapers the best views are often from other private buildings. Most building management offices are agreeable to provide access to their property as a vantage point only requiring the photographer to provide a "certificate of insurance" issued by the photographer's insurance company to show proof of liability insurance. It is best for the client to initiate the call to the building management office as they are often interested in a reciprocal arrangement when their building needs to be photographed. After the client contact has been made the photographer can provide the needed insurance paperwork. Allow a few days to make all of these arrangements and to fit into the building owner's and photographer's schedules for the best weather.
Though your need for new photography continues your budgets may be tighter. Why not plan for smaller well targeted shoots that cover your most important needs. Or if you feel you'll only have one opportunity to photograph the location then work with your photographer to focus time on the prime views and get coverage of the others. Depending on your arrangements with your photographer you may be able to photograph a set number of views but defer the file preparation of the less urgent views to later in the year. Work with your photographer in advance of your shoot day to plan within your budget. A solution to fit your budget is out there, no reason to wait.
A MPL "Multiple-Party License" is an agreement between the photographer and multiple users of the finished photography prior to the shoot. Simply stated the cost of production of the photography is shared equally by all parties, then each party is billed a separate rights-license fee for their intended use. Agreements like this are most successful when the final image choices and use of the images is the same. It can represent a substantial savings to each participant vs separate photo shoots. The only time a MPL is not practical is when the needs of the parties differ significantly. If one party needs a full coverage record of a project and the other party is looking for more styled images for marketing it becomes too difficult to please both and separate shoots should be planned.
This classic phrase used by all parents is also applicable to discussions about what the client wants in the final photograph. What to include in the frame is often a very personal decision that only the client can answer. Take the time to communicate your preferences with the photographer. Is there a particular way you'd like your photographs to look? The inclusion of plants, furniture, props and other image details should be reviewed in advance. In post production retouching do you prefer to have small distractions, like exit signs and sprinkler heads removed? Having these discussions prior to the shoot will insure that the images you receive are the images you envisioned.
There is always value in scouting a location by the photographer, even better a walk through with the architect or designer. Views can be determined, choices can be made, questions and concerns can be voiced. Shoot day preparations can be made and budgets can be confirmed. The one thing that scouting is not good for is as a substitution for an actual photo shoot. For one thing the quality is always limited due to the nature of the process of taking quick reference photos. That said, if plans change and future access is limited, there is sometimes the possibility of pulling an acceptable view from the scout. A lot a factors will determine if that will actually work and you should be prepared to budget for post production retouching to smooth out the rough spots.
