Springgate 
Architectural
Photography 

  

Choosing a photographer




Tips When Comparing Photography Services & Costs

 

When shopping for a photographer, making comparisons on just the daily rate or cost per shot is like comparing apples with bridges. After consideration of talent, creative and artistic ability, technical expertise, lighting expertise and years of experience, there are important pricing considerations to clearly understand up front.

 

Pay very close attention to a photographer's portfolio or web page.  A photographer should include a comprehensive variety of projects shot indoors, outdoors and at different times of the day, including daytime, dusk or evening. Consistency and the ability to produce creative work with expert technique in all kinds of light are extremely important if you want to showcase your project at its very best.  Has the photographer brought the romance or drama to the space?  Has he picked the best angle with the best light?

 

The following is a list of questions to ask when making comparisons:

 

1. Does the photographer charge by the day, half day, or per shot? 

 

2. If charging by the day, how many hours are included in a day or half day and does that time begin when he arrives at the shooting location or when he departs his business site for the location?

 

3. If charged by the shot is there a minimum number of shots required for local or out of area shooting? 

 

2. Approximately how many different images (setups) does he produce in a day?  Some photographers may take 3-4 hours per setup (2-3 shots for that daily rate) and others may shoot 20-40 shots in a day, taking little time to compose, set-up lighting or style their shots and ending up with very few usable shots. At Springgate Photography we believe that it is important to take the time to get the best angle, light the shot in the most dramatic way, create mood and style the shot to showcase your project at its very best. It takes us approximately one to one and a half hours per setup for the two of us (photographer and stylist) to set up, light and style each image.  Because we charge a fixed rate per shot the time needed is irrelevant.  Even If we have to return several times during the day to get the right lighting, the fixed rate per shot remains the same. This is of benefit to the client because he can determine what the project will cost to photograph based on the number of shots he needs. In fact, he doesn't even need to call us to know the finished cost of the shoot.

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3. When and what are the travel expenses charged? 

4. Does the photographer shoot film or digital, and are there extra charges for that film or for postproduction work?  We shoot everything in digital and have no additional charges for rentals of cameras or lights as many photographers do.  The exception is when the shot requires live models ("talent") a helicopter, aircraft or blimp. We always discuss those options with our client  prior to the shot being taken.

 

5. Of the shots taken how many are actually usable to the client? We go to great lengths to make every one of our images usable and appropriate for the project.  Communication is key in order for the photographer to know what shots meet your needs, such as "I would like a shot  of the great room but want to show how it relates to the kitchen", or, "please make sure you include the windows and the view of the ski hill".

 

6. Is a stylist always on the shoot and, if so, is that service included in the shooting cost or is it extra? We feel we produce the best photography possible when both of us are studying the shot and working with the composition, lighting, set up and styling. A good stylist is absolutely indispensable to producing what we call "Wow" shots.  Most photographers charge extra for a stylist. We at Springgate Photography do not and a stylist is included in each and every shot.

 

7. Does the photographer do post-production in Photoshop  to increase the impact of his images? What is the cost for this service?  We cannot emphasize enough the importance of high quality post-production work for architectural images.  A photographer who can do quality post production work in Photoshop has a huge advantage over one who delivers only raw digital or jpg files.  We do extensive Photoshop work to correct images for color, saturation, density and perspective.  We add fires into fireplaces, remove obvious electrical switch covers and cords when necessary, and fix minor landscaping problems (brown grass areas, cracked concrete, etc.) at no additional charge. More complicated corrections such as removing construction equipment, fixing more extensive landscaping problems,  adding framed artwork to walls,  inserting images onto blank home theater movie screens or televisions, adding spectacular cloud formations to empty blue skies or sunsets to twilight time is available but necessitates reasonable additional fees shown in the table below. We can add moons to dark skies and moonlight to snow or remove icicles from a house, snow from a roof or create waterfalls pouring over stone water projects even after they have been turned off for the winter. We can complete unfinished stone walls on the side of a building, stain the proper color to unstained or unpainted surfaces, add grass and flowers to non landscaped areas or bottles of wine to an empty cellar. We can also remove nearby houses from exterior shots or telephone poles and lines and stop signs plus junk cars from roads and driveways. We take an ordinary shot and turn it into an extraordinary one!  We attend additional week long training courses each year to further our Photoshop skills. 

 

 

8. Does the photographer allow the cost of images to be shared by more than one client and what are the costs to do this?  We encourage sharing the cost of the photography and this can be arranged if it is set up prior to the job being billed out.  The pricing structure is slightly different due to additional time and expense to bill each person separately, register each client’s images with our lab and keep records of who owns the rights to each shot. We also produce separate CDs and a contact sheet for each client. 

 

9. Does the photographer charge additional ‘rights fees’ for subsequent use of an image?  Some photographers charge you additional fees if you use the pictures in an ad or in printed material such as a book or magazine.  At Springgate Photography we do not charge rights fees.  You have full rights to use the photography in your marketing, handouts, advertising, prints for your walls and portfolios or web pages (requires verbal or written permission of the building or home owner). However, you cannot give away or resell the images to anyone. A "courtesy" print or jpg digital file may be given to the owner of the project if it will not be used for any commercial purposes.

 

10.  What do you receive (what are the deliverables) as a finished product? See below

 

11.  Can you see out the windows in daytime shots, or is it a white blur? Oftentimes the view through the windows is integral to the architecture and interior design of the inside spaces.  Having the rare skill to produce images exhibiting a balance of interior and exterior lighting during the day is important in architectural photography and can make a great difference in the impact of a photograph. Also, are the colors of the finished shot accurate and designed to enhance the mood or feeling of the room or building? Beware of an overly "amber" or any other heavy color cast which masks the correct colors in the name of "mood" but actually makes your project look worse rather than better. Overly amber images are a sure sign of images which haven't been corrected in Photoshop or other post-production programs.

 

12.    Are there additional costs for adding food or other props in the shot? When shooting in our local area we carry with us some imitation fruit which we can use in styling the shots. However, we typically prefer using fresh edibles and flowers when possible.  We might add drinks, wine or an hors d'oeuvre plate to the shot, salads in kitchens, flowers in a variety of areas and many other props. Otherwise we typically move furniture, larger plants, books and accessories from one part of the project to another. With the above exception we do not typically bring with us larger props or props not already on site.

 

13. How do I get prints for my walls or portfolio? We deliver digital files of your images to you on a CD or DVD. Duplicate copies  of your CD are kept in a professional photo lab in Salt Lake City. Should you want prints in addition to the digital files we provide, you may purchase them directly from the Lab. Each file at the lab has a list of those clients authorized to purchase services from the files. They will do any lab work you need and you will pay them directly for the work they do. The lab prices are the same prices we pay so you would receive the same pricing structure we have. This is a convenience provided to you should we be out of town. The lab is always available and they can also provide you with emergency or priority services  should you need them.

 

 

Springgate Photography Pricing and Service Summary

 

 

Local Photo Shoot:

Toole to Kamas, Provo to Ogden


Price is ‘per shot’, no minimums


Call for current pricing

 


Travel expenses


$0 unless parking fees apply

Out of area shoot (Beyond Toole to Kamas and Provo to Ogden )


Price is per day


Call for current pricing

 

Price per half day


Call for current pricing

 


Travel time charges out of local area


$1000 for each travel day

 


Travel expenses


$billed at actual cost of airfare, hotel, rental car or other transportation

Styling/stylist


Included on every shot


$0

Photoshop corrections


Standard corrections (up to 2 hours per shot typically spent)


$0

 


Complicated or difficult corrections


$30 per 15 minute segment

Props


No cost if using existing imitation props. Fresh food, unique items are extra as agreed to by all parties.


$50 per hour shopping time, plus actual cost of food

Talent/Models


Billed at agency fees


TBD based on need agreed upon by all parties.

Lab services


Duplicate copies of all digital files are stored at a local professional lab for your convenience.


Billed directly to you by the lab at Springgate wholesale prices.

Additional ‘rights’ fees


Unlimited usage, however photos cannot be sold or given away.


$0

Deliverables


Digital images (300+ dpi tif, and 250k jpg) on a CD or DVD


$0

 

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