"If for the architect and like Le Corbusier said" Architecture is the game learned, correct and beautiful volumes assembled under the light, "from the point of view of the photographer architecture photography is the game scholar, correct and magnificent light on assembled volumes. "

Architecture Photography Rates

Price criteria
Prices can vary drastically from one offer to another. Here are some benchmarks to better understand the determining elements for the price calculation of an architectural report:

The time of preparation and organization:

Choosing the right moment for shooting is essential. The photographer will make the necessary markings to determine the time when the natural light will be optimal to enhance the architectural object (skylights, windows, etc …) or the time when artificial lighting will start on a facade and will balance with natural light (blue hour).

The additional lighting supply:

It is often necessary to enrich the ambient lighting with complementary lights to unclog poor areas, simulate natural light entering a room, create an atmosphere, rebalance the reciprocity of colors, eliminate glare or bring out textures .

The complexity of the places to photograph:

Some situations may make it difficult to shoot or post-produce. These are, for example, a room filled with mirrors or highly reflective materials, transparent elements, places where natural light mixes with artificial light making complex color management, backlights creating halos.

Types of architectural subjects
Definition of architecture types:

Each architectural object is different and requires a level of care specific to its standing. The local football club bar or hotel bar, commercial space or seasonal apartment for rent will have separate rendering requirements. We will therefore distinguish architecture, interior and decoration architecture, hotels and restaurants, real estate, commercial spaces and building sites.

To each his technique:

It is necessary to adapt the techniques of shooting and retouching. For a simple subject and evenly lit, only one shot can suffice. But in many cases, it is necessary to combine the final image by making several shots which will then be superimposed and assembled with an ad hoc software (automatically or manually). These processes allow precise management on all areas of the final image but considerably lengthen the shooting and post-production times.

Quality versus quantity:

The choice of quality or quantity is up to the customer. Often, it is the quantity giving a false impression to get value for money. The reputation and success of a company or project is reflected in the images that represent them. A small but well thought out choice (showing less but the best) will certainly give a more efficient result to your goals and will optimize your budget.

Quality criteria
Value for money:

The temptation to get the highest level of quality at the lowest price for each of our projects is a common reflex. However, thinking about the purpose and the impact of the desired images allows to define the good quality / price ratio for each object. It is therefore important to adapt the quality to the types of subjects and the uses that will be made of the images.

Good quality for the good project:

An image is important to value your company or your achievements, to sell an object or a service, and its quality is decisive for the success of your objectives.

Define your quality:

The quality of an image is certainly a matter of technique but especially care in the details. The artistic interpretation is subjective and a matter of taste.

Before each project, we must ask you the questions that will define your level of quality that you want: What are the essential elements that you want to put forward? What do you want to sell? Which clientele do you want to touch? What is the destination medium?

You will place the cursor according to your budget, the type of object to be photographed and the rendering it requires or any external services to be engaged (eg: styling or cleaning services, model agency).

Make your choice

Prepare your quote request

To produce a quotation as close as possible to your wishes, it is imperative to send me the right information:

The type of architectural object (commercial space, hotel, building site, etc …)

Projected uses (commercial / advertising, editorial / press, Internet)

The type of publication of the images (website, brochure, book, poster, etc …)

The dissemination area (regional, national, international)

The desired quality / price ratio (Standard, Looked, Premium)

“Standard” quality
Quality is partly subjective. But it still answers some rules. For example, a picture in “Standard” quality includes a neat framing without photocomposition, basic adjustments (general adjustment of exposure, contrast, overall color correction, distortion, and sharpness).

Quality “neat”
“Neat” quality also includes basic settings for image composition (manual), additional lighting, more precise adjustments, and post-production defect mitigation.

Quality “Prestige”
The “Prestige” quality values the object to the maximum as well as the work of the architect or the decorator with a composition and a careful framing, a reproduction of volumes, details, textures and colors as well as the elimination of elements .indésirés (cables, halos, reflections, etc …). Particular care is taken to all the details composing the image.

Before / After: Move the cursor over the image to see the differences

[before-after viewer_position="center" offset="1" is_wiggle="true" label_one="Eclairage ambiant" label_two="Eclairage ambiant et flash"]

The above example compares an ambient light image at blue time and the final image resulting from seven flash shots manually assembled using software.

Architecture and decoration photography

	Standard	Soigné	Prestige
LUMIERE
Naturelle	X	✓	✓
Eclairage ambiant existant (spots, bandeaux, lampes, etc...)	X	✓	✓
Eclairage d'appoint (flash, light painting)	X	✓	✓

COMPOSITION
Plan large	X	✓	✓
Plans serrés	X	✓	✓
Cadrage et perspectives standards	X	X	X
Cadrage soigné (perspectives corrigées)	X	✓	✓

PRISES DE VUES MULTIPLES
HDR	X	X	✓
Assemblage avec logiciel (automatique)	X	X	X
Assemblage manuel	X	✓	✓

DEVELOPPEMENT
Ajustements des paramètres de base (exposition, contraste, couleur, netteté)	X	✓	✓

RETOUCHE STANDARD
Atténuation des défauts	X	✓	✓
Perspective (redressement des lignes)	X	✓	✓

RETOUCHE SOIGNEE
Correction colorimétrique en détail	X	X	✓
Elimination précise des défauts	X	X	✓
Elimination d'éléments perturbateurs (saletés, câbles, etc...)	X	X	✓
Atténuation des plis de tissus chiffonés	X	X	✓*
* Services de stylisme et de nettoyage sur demande et à la charge du client

Decoration or interior architecture photography aims to enhance the work of designers who have thought of these places, furniture or objects design. It is therefore worthwhile to favor quality over quantity in order to translate the ideas of the decorator or the architect and to render the aesthetic or functional qualities of the materials and objects.

This implies for the photographer to achieve accurate and neat framing ranging from wide shots to tight shots. Particular attention will be paid to every detail such as superfluous elements to exclude, furniture layout, color balance, textures of materials or ambient lighting.

It is therefore necessary to consider the time for the preparation of the shots and their realization, since a final image is the result of the composition of several photos, then manually assembled using a software.

The post-production work can be important, the combination of different lighting (natural light, artificial lighting and flash) requiring additional work to balance the color rendering.

Architecture photography

Architecture shots require special care in preparation and tracking:

In order to define the time when natural light is best to value volumes

To ensure that the weather is adapted to the desired result

To determine the golden hour or the blue hour, when the natural light is balanced with the artificial light illuminating the facades or the alleys

To make sure that no unwanted items, such as a vehicle, interfere with the frame

	Standard	Soigné	Prestige
LUMIERE
Naturelle	X	✓	✓
Eclairage ambiant existant (spots, bandeaux, lampes, etc...)	X	✓	✓
Eclairage d'appoint (flash, light painting)	X	✓	✓

COMPOSITION
Plan large	X	✓	✓
Plans serrés	X	✓	✓
Cadrage et perspectives standards	X	X	X
Cadrage soigné (perspectives corrigées)	X	✓	✓

PRISES DE VUES MULTIPLES
HDR	X	✓	✓
Assemblage avec logiciel (automatique)	X	X	X
Assemblage manuel	X	✓	✓

DEVELOPPEMENT
Ajustements des paramètres de base (exposition, contraste, couleur, netteté)	X	✓	✓

RETOUCHE STANDARD
Atténuation des défauts	X	✓	✓
Perspective (redressement des lignes)	X	✓	✓

RETOUCHE SOIGNEE
Correction colorimétrique en détail	X	X	✓
Elimination précise des défauts	X	X	✓
Elimination d'éléments perturbateurs (saletés, câbles, etc...)	X	X	✓

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the prolonged shooting time during the golden or blue hours which require preparation and a time of realization between two and three hours. These photos are taken in the half hour after sunset or before sunrise. It is therefore difficult to take more than one picture in the blue hours by report.

Comparison of qualities in architectural photography

Architecture quality

Hotel photography and catering

	Standard	Soigné	Prestige
LUMIERE
Naturelle	X	✓	✓
Eclairage ambiant existant (spots, bandeaux, lampes, etc...)	X	✓	✓
Eclairage d'appoint (flash, light painting)	X	✓	✓

COMPOSITION
Plan large	X	✓	✓
Plans serrés	X	✓	✓
Cadrage et perspectives standards	X	X	X
Cadrage soigné (perspectives corrigées)	X	✓	✓

PRISES DE VUES MULTIPLES
HDR	X	X	✓
Assemblage avec logiciel (automatique)	X	X	X
Assemblage manuel	X	✓	✓

DEVELOPPEMENT
Ajustements des paramètres de base (exposition, contraste, couleur, netteté)	X	✓	✓

RETOUCHE STANDARD
Atténuation des défauts	X	✓	✓
Perspective (redressement des lignes)	X	✓	✓

RETOUCHE SOIGNEE
Correction colorimétrique en détail	X	X	✓
Elimination précise des défauts	X	X	✓
Elimination d'éléments perturbateurs (saletés, câbles, etc...)	X	X	✓
Atténuation des plis de tissus chiffonnés	X	X	✓*
* Services de stylisme,de nettoyage, de modèles ou figurants sur demande et à la charge du client

Real estate photography

	Standard	Soigné	Prestige*
LUMIERE
Naturelle	✓	✓	✓
Eclairage ambiant existant (spots, bandeaux, lampes, etc...)	X	X	✓
Eclairage d'appoint (flash, light painting)	X	✓	✓

COMPOSITION
Plan large	✓	✓	✓
Plans serrés	X	X	X
Cadrage et perspectives standards	✓	X	X
Cadrage soigné (perspectives corrigées)	X	✓	✓

PRISES DE VUES MULTIPLES
HDR	X	X	X
Assemblage avec logiciel (automatique)	X	X	✓
Assemblage manuel	X	✓	✓

DEVELOPPEMENT
Ajustements des paramètres de base (exposition, contraste, couleur, netteté)	✓	✓	✓

RETOUCHE STANDARD
Atténuation des défauts	✓	✓	✓
Perspective (redressement des lignes)	✓	✓	✓

RETOUCHE SOIGNEE
Correction colorimétrique en détail	X	X	✓
Elimination précise des défauts	X	X	✓
Elimination d'éléments perturbateurs (saletés, câbles, etc...)	X	X	✓
Atténuation des plis de tissus chiffonnés	X	X	X
*La qualité "Prestige" s'adresse surtout aux objets de standing et de luxe

Construction site photography

	Standard	Soigné	Prestige
LUMIERE
Naturelle	✓	✓	X
Eclairage ambiant existant (spots, bandeaux, lampes, etc...)	✓	✓	X
Eclairage d'appoint (flash, light painting)	✓	✓	X

COMPOSITION
Plan large	✓	✓	X
Plans serrés	✓	✓	X
Cadrage et perspectives standards	✓	X	X
Cadrage soigné (perspectives corrigées)	X	✓	X

PRISES DE VUES MULTIPLES
HDR	X	X	X
Assemblage avec logiciel (automatique)	X	X	X
Assemblage manuel	X	✓	X

DEVELOPPEMENT
Ajustements des paramètres de base (exposition, contraste, couleur, netteté)	✓	✓	X

RETOUCHE STANDARD
Atténuation des défauts	✓	✓	X
Perspective (redressement des lignes)	✓	✓	X

RETOUCHE SOIGNEE
Correction colorimétrique en détail	X	X	X
Elimination précise des défauts	X	X	X
Elimination d'éléments perturbateurs (saletés, câbles, etc...)	X	X	X
Atténuation des plis de tissus chiffonnés	X	X	X

Architecture Photography Rates

Make your choice

Architecture and decoration photography

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

X

X

X

✓

✓

X

X

✓

X

X

X

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

X

✓

X

X

✓

X

X

✓

X

X

✓*

Architecture photography

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X

X

X

X

✓

✓

X

✓

✓

X