Sharing the cost of photography with a MPL agreement

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.

To learn more about MPL's in the AIA ASMP Best Practices PDF booklet click here.

"In or Out"

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.

Scouting vs Final Views

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.

Emphasize the "green" aspects for more press

How green is your project? Any building project that has a green component continues to get good press coverage. When planing your photography shoot try to maximize your editorial potential of it's environmentally friendly features with in-depth coverage. A well photographed project has a much better chance to get published when the magazine editor has a choice of great images. Talk with your photographer about their policies regarding the editorial use of assignment images. I prefer to license the editorial use of my images directly to the magazine at their established rates. For those few magazines which do not budget for photography I ask my commissioning client to pay that fee if editorial use was not part of our original agreement.

Budget for Successful Photography in 2009

Now is the time to think about your budget and scheduling for 2009. Professional photography of your best projects is an asset to your upcoming business marketing. Structure your budget to allow for complete coverage of your most important projects while saving enough to record your other projects. Try to photograph when the project is fresh, access is more easily obtainable and the subject is looking new. Consider contacting other interested parties to contract with the photographer for shared use, the savings to each party can be significant.

Photographing in New England's winter

Winter in New England is typically a tough time to photograph exteriors. Snow banks, mud, leafless trees and brown grass challenge the views. Why not photograph the interiors and room details that are now ready as rooms can be filled with beautiful reflected sun light. Save those exteriors for Spring when the weather is better and fall plantings have taken hold. Or take the time to photograph those projects designed in warmer regions of the country.

Then again if your project is an igloo.....it's time to shoot!

People in Photographs

People often add scale and a sense of purpose to an architectural photograph. The proper mix of people in a photograph is subjective but should always be considered and discussed when planing photography. In this view of a glass wall in a newly constructed hospital lobby it was important to balance the time of day to properly illustrate the wall's light transmission properties with the day of week when some control over the people could be exerted. We ended up photographing on a Sunday as other days of the week would have been too busy for an efficient shoot. For this angle we determined that people were not necessary to show a sense of scale. For other views we included people in motion to show how the space is used.