I've spent over 20 years photographing architecture, from straw bale houses to major public buildings and infrastructure projects. One thing I've learnt is that everyone involved in a project sees it slightly differently.
An architect wants to show how a building sits in its surroundings, how spaces connect and how light works. A contractor might want to demonstrate the quality of the build, while a supplier is interested in how their materials or products have been used. An interior designer has another perspective again. The one thing you are all trying to say is “I worked on this project” as evidence of your ability to work on future similar projects.
Same building, different stories.
Why not work together?
I'm often commissioned by an architect to photograph a completed project, only to hear from the builder, supplier or another consultant months later asking to use the images.
It makes far more sense to have that conversation before the shoot.
By bringing interested parties together, we can plan photography that works for everyone, from the wider architectural views to the smaller details that matter to individual suppliers and contractors.
Sharing the cost also makes professional photography more affordable, with each party having their own licence to use the images for their marketing, awards, tenders and publications.
Good architectural photography should have a life long after the project is completed.
Images might end up in an awards submission, a construction tender, a supplier's case study or an architect's portfolio. They can be used for years across websites, publications and social media.
Drone photography and moving image can add another dimension, particularly when showing how a building sits in the landscape, the scale of an infrastructure project or the experience of moving through a space.
The more thought that goes into the photography at the beginning, the more useful those images become.
Plan ahead
My advice is simple. If you're involved in a project that's nearing completion, talk to the other people involved before organising photography.
Find out who might want images, what they're likely to use them for and whether you can commission the work together.
It's usually easier, more economical and produces a better record of the project.
After all, if it took a whole team to make the building, why shouldn't everyone benefit from the photography?
Andy Spain is a Wellington-based architectural photographer working throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. He photographs architecture, interiors, construction and infrastructure, including drone and moving image.
