by Mike Butler of Mike Butler Architectural Photography

If you are in the interior design or architecture industry, photographing finished projects is a must. It not only documents your concept as a finished product, but will also allow you to promote yourself through the visual medium of advertising. This being the case, choosing the right photographer can be a boon to your business, while at the same time it can be somewhat daunting. Through this article we offer a few easy steps for selecting the a photographer. These steps have been broken into four basic parts: requesting portfolios, requesting estimates, walkthrough and contracts.

Requesting Portfolios

The first step is to request portfolios of those photographers who best match you expertise. For example, don't hire a fashion photographer for an interior shoot. The more specific his or her specialty, the better (remember, jack of all trades, master of none). Once you have a portfolio, you need to justly evaluate the images.

You want to look for a good presentation, variety of work and consistency in style. Compare the photographer’s style with yours and ask yourself if they jive? If you are an interior designer or architect who specializes in a modern/contemporary style, look for a shooter who interprets the medium well. Also, look for images that are well-balanced compositionally and capture a feeling of the space, not just a literal representation. When the photographer is dropping off his/her portfolio use this opportunity to ask questions about experience, connections with any local or national magazines and work ethic, while getting a feel for personality (conflicts of personality have ruined many a shoot).

Requesting Estimates

The second step in choosing the right photographer is to request estimates. After reviewing portfolios, request estimates from those whose work you most like. When asking for estimates have an idea of how many shots you would like and or how may locations there will be. As a general rule of thumb photographers estimates break down into several sections. The first is the day-rate of the photographer. Most photographers work by the day or half-day rather than by the hour. Other expenses to expect are assistants, food, film and Polaroid's.

Another factor that arises in estimates will be the format selection. The “format” refers to the size of the film, which includes 4x5 (large format), 2 1/4(medium format) and 35mm (small format). Without getting too technical 4x5 is most desired, yet most expensive and slowest format, while 35mm is the least desirable yet least expensive and fastest, with medium format fitting neatly in between the two. With estimates and portfolios in hand you are in a position to make a very concise judgment based on both esthetic and financial concerns.

Walk-Through

Once a photographer has been chosen, do a walk-through on the property with the photographer. During a walk-through both you and the photographer visit the shoot location in person to lay out a rough shoot schedule and spot any unique challenges to be tackled in advance. Use this time to choose any props or other materials such as specific flower arrangements or art that may be needed. If the budget allows a stylist can be brought in to accessorize, above and beyond, what is already in the space. This allows you to do other things on the day of shoot other than styling, such as run your business!

Contracts

The final step is to sign the contract. This is an often-overlooked aspect by both clients and photographers. Ideally, the photographer should send a contract detailing the estimated final price outlining any stipulations, usage rights and a final shot list. This allows you time to review the contract to make sure everything is to your liking. Hopefully, and in most cases, any potential problems can be ironed out prior to the shoot.

Note: When you hire a photographer part of what you are paying for is the right to use the image for a set period of time, in a pre-selected group of mediums i.e.. editorial, brochure, portfolio and the like.

As the subject of hiring a photographer is extensive, this article provides an overview of major points, which often arise. If you have additional questions please feel free to contact us via e-mail. We wish you the best of luck in growing your business through great photography!

Courtesy of Mike Butler, Mike Butler Architectural Photography

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