Briefing

I like to begin with a briefing conversation to discuss your requirements as well as practicalities for the shoot. I can then produce a tailored quotation and plan ahead for the work. We can also think about what other preparation work may be involved.

Time

Is there a deadline for taking photographs or for delivering final images?
Will special events, decorations for festivals or planned maintenance restrict the shoot to certain times of the day, week or year?
Do planting or season-specific weather conditions make particular times of the year preferable for the shoot?
Would you prefer the shoot to take place at certain times of the day, or would you like certain times to be avoided?
When briefing, consider whether specific spaces should be captured at different times of day or in different conditions. For example, should we photograph the living room in the morning with natural light and the dining room photographed artificial light at night?

Meetings and Site Visits

A site visit can be a helpful way to explore photographic possibilities and practical issues. We can tour the site and the surrounding area to determine particular angles and when best to shoot them. We can also meet with staff and owners to agree access and discuss the shoot in detail.

Administration

My standard pricing does not include obtaining consents from building owners or users. I can add time at an hourly rate to my quotation if you would like me to make these arrangements.
During briefing we can consider whether users of the space need to be notified and how this can be done.

Weather

The weather will always remain an unpredictable factor. My normal approach is to agree a preferred week for the shoot during briefing, and finalise a specific day closer to the time based on your preferred weather conditions and the available forecasts.

Scope

Consider how much of a building or space needs to be photographed and whether you have a clear idea of what photographs you need.
Consider whether you would like photographs taken from distant viewpoints. This could be from nearby countryside, a public space or another building. We can discuss during briefing whether access or permissions need to be agreed with the land or building owners and occupiers.
Consider whether photographs with artificial light are desirable. During briefing we can discuss what arrangements may need to be made to illuminate certain areas of a building or its landscaping.

Content

Consider what else should – or should not – be in the photographs beyond the architecture. This falls into two categories: the movable (e.g. furniture, people, animals, vehicles) and the immovable (e.g. fixtures and fittings, planting, street signage, other buildings).
If you would like to include or exclude pieces of furniture or elements of scene setting we can discuss how this will be organised during the briefing.
If you would like to include or exclude people or animals we can also discuss how this will be arranged.
If there are immovable objects that you would prefer to exclude from images it may be possible to erase them during the editing process or it may be necessary to compose photographs to avoid them.

Editing

My standard editing process treats each image individually and allows for the removal of small aberrations using Adobe Photoshop.
It may be possible to remove larger elements such as overhead wires, large signs or street lights using Adobe Photoshop. During briefing we can talk about items that you would like removed from images. I will allow for time to undertake this editing when putting together my quotation.
Consider whether you require more than one edit of the images. This may in different colour spaces for digital and printed presentation, or monochrome alternatives for example.
Consider in what digital and/or physical formats you will need the images. My standard pricing includes one digital format by default, usually 300dpi jpeg files.

Licensing, Usage and Copyright

Generally my shoots come with a single-user license to use the images in perpetuity for your own publicity. This includes your own website, social media channels and other advertising material, e.g. brochures, competition submissions and printed and online journal submissions. I can expand this first-party license if required, or include third-party licensing in my quotation.
I generally retain copyright of the photographs that I take. This allows me to use them in my own publicity and to sell reproduction rights to third parties. If you would prefer to limit my use of the images please let me know during briefing and I can include for this in my quotation.