Understanding the Estimate

Understanding the Estimate for a Photographic Assignment

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ESTIMATE

As a creative professional, you undoubtedly understand the importance of accurately

defining the scope of work in order to determine your firm’s design fees. Similarly,

to prepare an estimate, a photographer must have a detailed description of the

assignment.

Before you request an estimate, list the aspects of your project that you think might

best represent your designs. The list should identify:

n Assignment description with any specific concepts, architectural elements, or

design features you’d like to highlight.

n How the images might be used: documentation, portfolio, editorial features,

advertising, design competition submissions, websites and so on.

n Other parties, such as contractors or consultants on the project, who may want to

use the photos.

n Deliverables needed, such as digital files, prints or transparencies.

These are the major factors that a photographer needs to know in order to frame

an accurate, detailed estimate. Based on all these factors, the photographer submits

a formal estimate for the assignment. A photography estimate includes the assignment

description plus three other components:

n Licensing and rights granted

n Creative/production fees

n Expenses

Let us look at each of these in turn.

THE ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

A description of the project will include its name and location, the number of views,

a list of deliverables and a timeframe for completing the assignment, plus any

extraordinary circumstances, such as dawn shots, all-night sessions, views from

cherry pickers, or aerial photos.

In some cases, the photographer may propose alternatives to your initial specifications.

As a creative professional, he or she may be able to visualize some ideas

you hadn’t considered or to find ways to get the desired results at lower cost.

LICENSING AND RIGHTS GRANTED

A photograph, like an architectural design, is considered intellectual property. The

photographer owns the copyright to the images he or she creates and has the

exclusive right to license their use. Licensing agreements are specific with regard

to use and should answer three basic questions:

n Who will use the images?

n How and where will the images appear?

n How long will the images be used?

This information may be detailed in the licensing section of the estimate, or it

may be supplied in a separate licensing agreement that grants specific rights to

commissioning clients. If several parties agree to share in the cost of an assignment,

the photographer will develop a separate licensing agreement for each individual

client to cover the permissions and rights.

PRICING

A photographer’s fee typically has three components:

n Creative or production fee

n License fee

n Expenses

Unless there is reason to separate them, some photographers will quote an

umbrella “creative fee” that includes both the production fee and the license fee.

However, when several parties have agreed to share costs, they usually need to

license different rights, and the production and license fees will generally be stated

separately.

Creative or production fee. This component reflects the time and skill it takes to

complete the assignment. Variables include the total number of views, scheduling

and deadlines, site logistics and artistic considerations such as unique vantage points

or special times of day. Intangible variables include the experience, creativity and

vision that the photographer brings to the assignment.

In addition to the time spent behind the camera, a photographer’s preproduction

and postproduction time is included in the production fee. Preproduction tasks may

include client meetings, advance site visits, meetings with the facility’s management

to organize access, conversations with building engineers to arrange technical coordination

with lighting, landscape maintenance and other site-specific preparation.

Postproduction tasks commonly include image editing and selection (which may

involve more client meetings), digital processing (color correction, minor retouching,

compositing), and preparing master files for final delivery. It is not unusual for

the postproduction work to consume as much time as the photography.

License fee. This component (sometimes referred to as the usage fee) reflects the

value of the authorized uses for the images. The value is determined by a number

of considerations, including how widely and for how long the images will be viewed,

reproduced and distributed. Typically, the more extensive the use, the higher the

fee will be.

Licenses use specific language to describe the rights being conferred. A glossary of

licensing terms used in the photography and publishing industries has been compiled

by PLUS (Picture Licensing Universal System); visit www.useplus.com to browse the

definitions.

To obtain the best value, negotiate a license for the entire group of images

based on your current and planned needs. There’s no point in paying for a right

that you will never use. However, it is smart business to negotiate a commitment

regarding the cost of additional rights that you might need in the future.

Expenses. If the job will require travel, specialized equipment, prop rentals, specific

insurances, or fees for location access, these will all be indicated on the estimate.

Likewise, the anticipated cost of hiring photo assistants, stylists and models will be

part of the total. There may be some contingent costs, such as for weather delays.

Expenses for digital photography may include charges for image capture, digital

processing, master file prep and postproduction tasks such as color manipulation

and digital retouching, archiving and file delivery. For film photography, expenses

typically include material charges for film, processing and supplies.

A WORKING DOCUMENT

Just as a breakout of fees and responsibilities between architect and client allows

the client to make adjustments to the project, so breaking out the components of

the fee structure allows architects to work with the photographer in changing the

proposed scope of work with a minimum of disruptions.

For example, suppose you initially asked for an estimate based on creating

images to be used for brochures, office displays, exhibitions and a website. After

you see the images, you decide to also submit them to a magazine in conjunction

with an article on your project. This constitutes an extra use, for which there will

be an additional license fee (and perhaps additional expenses to deliver optimized

images), but the production fee would not be materially changed.

Likewise, you may find that the estimate for the work as originally proposed is

higher than you had budgeted. Find out where there is room to reduce costs without

sacrificing the objective of visually “telling the story” of the project through the

essential views. In addition, the photographer may have suggestions for capturing

more successful views without significantly increasing the costs. We offer some

practical recommendations on page 10.

DIGITAL PROCESSING COSTS

People outside the graphic arts are often surprised to learn that equipment and

processing costs for digital photography are actually greater than for traditional

film photography.

Digital technology saves time and money “downstream” when the images

are used in various printing and publishing applications, but it requires the

photographer to spend considerable postproduction time to get the best results.

In effect, the photographer has taken over the work of the film lab, print lab and

prepress house. The specialized tools for capturing and processing high-end image

files are expensive and (as with most computer systems) are quickly obsolete.

Both digital and film techniques can yield fine images. In specific circumstances,

the photographer may prefer one or the other for technical reasons.

Delivery considerations

If the image is to be delivered digitally, it may have to be processed in several

different ways. Each destination has its own particular requirements. UPDIG, a

coalition of imaging organizations, describes current best practices for a wide

range of applications on its website, www.updig.org.

It may seem as though there are endless variations for delivering high-quality

images, but your photographer will be able to simplify the options as you

decide on your needs.

THE FINE PRINT

The estimate will have a space for your signature. By signing and returning a copy

to the photographer, you indicate your acceptance of the assignment description,

license and total price. At that point, the estimate becomes a contract.

Attached or on the back of the estimate will be a set of Terms and Conditions. As

with any contract, one purpose is to agree on each party’s responsibilities if problems

arise and how any disputes will be resolved. Another purpose is to state the industry

norms. For photography, these include copyright, photo-credit requirements and

what alterations (such as compositing) you can make to the images.

SUMMARY

The photographer’s estimate is more than a financial document; it can serve your

creative and promotional planning needs as well. It is a tool that can help you meet

your business objectives, your documentation needs and your marketing goals.

Selecting a Professional Photographer

WHEN ONLY EXCELLENCE WILL DO

Image quality relates to persuasion. You aren’t merely documenting your work but are actively trying to convince other people that yours is the best of its class. Photography,

like any other custom service, is never a “one size fits all” proposition, but a matter

of finding the right person for the job. 

Just as architecture is more than construction materials, photography goes far

beyond the mechanics of focus, exposure, and composition. It requires an aesthetic

aptitude for creating a unique and compelling presentation of a physical structure.

It requires craft: knowing how to choose lenses and aim lights, caring for details of

cleanliness and arrangement, understanding what color adjustments create the most

impact on a printed page and making sure permissions and releases are secured.

It requires professionalism, ensuring that finished images will be delivered reliably,

on time, on budget and looking better than you expected. Photography requires a

visual style that presents your work to its best advantage.

Images play a major role in defining how we come to know architecture and interior

spaces. Because photography is pivotal in understanding the built environment, choosing

a professional to photograph your project is a most important consideration. Here

are suggestions to make the experience of photographing your project a good one.

IDENTIFY YOUR NEEDS

Which aspects of your project might best represent your design? Would you like to

highlight any specific concepts, architectural elements, or other features? Are some

areas best avoided? Which areas would illustrate creative problem solving?

Next, ask yourself how will you use the photography as an integrated part of your

marketing plan?

n Show the photos to clients via website, portfolio or presentation

n Use the photos for in-house reference/documentation

n Use the photos for internally produced publications

n Submit the photos for competitions

n Send to editors of trade magazines or books

n Use the photos in trade or consumer advertising

The answers to these questions will help you and the photographer define the

assignment parameters and develop cost estimates.

Share costs. Inquire whether other parties in your project (such as the owner,

contractors, consultants, product suppliers, financing sources, or even public agencies)

might be interested in participating in the assignment and sharing the expenses.

If so, all of the participants should likewise identify their needs and priorities.

It is important that the participants understand which costs are shared and which

are not. The total price has three components: creative/production fees, expenses

and rights licenses. Expenses (e.g., travel; consumables; equipment or prop rentals;

and fees paid to assistants, models and stylists) and production fees (the photographer’s

time, expertise and judgment) can be shared on any basis the participants choose.

Rights licenses, in contrast, are based on the use each participant makes of the

images and are not shared or transferable among the parties.

RESEARCH THE CANDIDATES

There are a number of possible strategies for finding the right photographer for the

job. One is to scan architecture magazines for images that impress you and find out

who made them. If the photo credits do not appear next to the pictures, they are

usually near the magazine’s table of contents or masthead. If an advertisement does

not show photo credits, a call to the advertiser or ad agency might produce a

name. Ask your professional colleagues for a recommendation.

To narrow the field of candidates, visit photographers’ websites, request samples

of their work or schedule meetings for portfolio presentations. Be aware that websites

and portfolios often represent only a limited selection of the photographer’s work.

When asking to see portfolios, request images from assignments of similar scope

and building type to the project you have in mind. 

Architectural photography is a specialty within the profession, requiring different

tools and skills than, say, weddings or wildlife. Within the specialty are further

specializations—interiors,exteriors, landscapes, aerials—that may be important toyour project. One criterionfor evaluating a website orportfolio is whether the imagesindicate that the photographer

has the skill and experience you want.

The photographer’s “vision” or stylistic approach is just as critical. You want a visual style

that complements both your architectural design and your marketing goals. Evaluating this factor is often the primary goal of a portfolio review. 

ASK FOR ESTIMATES

Once you have identified the few photographers who seem to have the experience,

skills and vision that match your goals, ask for estimates. You are not looking for

a “lowest bidder” but rather a confirmation that each candidate understands the

nature of the assignment. This understanding should encompass your budgetary

and marketing goals.

Although photography is a competitive industry, it is not a commodity business;

expect variations in the initial proposals you receive. The differences may reflect the

photographers’ experience, professional stature, different creative approaches and

interpretations of your needs.

An estimate is not set in stone. If it reveals a misunderstanding of your requirements,

call the photographer to discuss the matter. The photographer might make suggestions

that could yield better results or lower costs. For some concrete suggestions, see

“Controlling the Cost of a Photography Assignment” on page 10.

Don’t underestimate the value of a photographer’s enthusiasm and experience,

as he or she can become an important part of your creative team.

Try to match your needs with a photographer’s strengths, professionalism and

compatibility with your style. The right photographer for you is one who understands

your design ideas and can communicate them visually to the wider world.