Design review | Architectural photography
Completing the construction phase of a project is the most compelling part our design process. The finished photographs are not just important for our marketing campaigns (website, social media etc.) but also evidence of the concepts and ideas that we presented to our clients at the beginning of the project. It is our verification report. This section of our scrapbook discusses how we work with our photographers and trusted partners STMS Media and demonstrates the value of a photo shoot.
The step by step process…
Programming photo shoots…
Professional photographers are very busy and often booked months in advance. As we've developed a good relationship with STMS Media we tend to alert them of upcoming completion dates and try to book some time in advance. We send over plans and 3D illustrations so that they can get a feel for the site and bullet point a summary of the design story.
Determine which projects to photograph…
Not all projects have equal value to the practice's portfolio. For example in the past we have prioritized shooting a small domestic extension over a larger one where we feel the smaller project has providing more significant design challenges that we are proud of. Often the bigger projects benefit from larger budgets and in terms of design coordination can be forgiving. By contrast the smaller projects with smaller budgets tend to require a lot of spatial coordination over a small area, that if not properly reconciled, can have a negative impact on the project. The smaller budgets often also push us to be more creative, especially in those instances that we have designed bespoke elements.
What will the photos be used for?
Identifying marketing usage before scheduling a photo shoot goes a long way to capturing the shots you really need. Most of the time without any real direction from us, STMS tend to capture a hero shot that often becomes the focus of our website home page or social media campaigns. They then capture operation style shots where if there is a feature such as a large opening door or light. They will take various images from the same angle with the door open / closed or the light on/off.
Preparing spaces for a shoot…
Or lack of - there is little or no preparation of the space. We tend not to stage spaces for photoshoots. Especially in the context of housing, the home is most influenced by the people that live there, so a bit of untidiness is good. For some of our office spaces, we have insisted that the staff be present and continue to work, doing what they do every day.
What’s the Value of a Photo Shoot?
As architects we train to think in 3 dimensions and we see the building as a journey moving from space to space. Photographers however, train to understand how to capture a single space or a moment that will provide the viewer with a sample of that journey. STMS are specialists in branding and their photographs provide a visual narrative to help communicate the story behind our finished projects by capturing texture, important views, light/shadow, connection to nature, transparency and many other design features.
Lekia Lebari-Orleans / Architect