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O P I N I O N
A well-planned method for conducting architectural photography sessions will, in the end, yield infinitely better results with all parties coming away feeling satisfied, and with images having greater possibilities of getting published. Before and after Architectural photography, if properly planned and executed, can result in your project being featured in important publications, and winning awards.
Thinking in advance turns out to be the most important first step. Like the road divided, the decisions made with the project’s future in mind will have great repercussions years later. If it’s worthy of publication, then the rest of this article could help enhance the project’s chance of fame. Bear in mind this method should be applied to the award submissions for a project and for speaking engagements where this project could be used as a case study example. Begin by collecting all good sketches and placing them in a special marketing folder labeled "photo shoots" with the project’s name. If the project is based on a restoration or rehab of an older space, before demolition be sure to take a professional photo of the space in the exact place that you envision to be when you stand for the final shot. So many people just snap haphazard images of cracked concrete, broken pillars, or collapsing fixtures in buildings about to go into a major rehab. Advance photography has to be done with deliberate thought and by someone from a principal level with a marketing eye who
understands the end goal for the project. Why? Because, when the project’s completed it will be a powerful before-and-after testament to the design’s final success. "Always send the best. Be extremely selective with images and text – a firm’s future depends on these considerations." Next, develop a graphic chart listing on one side a publication wish list with the most difficult publication challenge at top, and the feeder-fish, low-hanging fruit publications at the bottom. And on the left side do the same thing for awards and speaking engagements. Look up award parameters ahead of time. Some say a project can’t be published if it has already been published elsewhere, or if it’s older than two years. Perhaps
Marilynn Mendell
PROCESS & PLANNING
See MARILYNN MENDELL, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER May 16, 2016, ISSUE 1152
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