Successful photo shoots have three main ingredients:
- Great communication before and during the shoot
- It’s hard for me to create effective photos if I don’t know what you want. Collaboration thrives within good communication.
- A clear plan
- Knowing which angles, design elements and ideas we need to articulate will help make sure we get everything done on time and on budget.
- Flexibility
- The ability to adapt and overcome allows us to quickly pivot when our perfect plan falls apart. An open mind allows us to see new ideas during the shoot that we didn’t think of during pre-production.
We had all three ingredients during our recent photo shoot for RIM Architects of the new Swinerton offices in Concord, CA.
Collaboration creates better work. These two staircase images tell a more complete story together than either would alone. I thought of the image on the left. Shelah Shanks, the Senior Interior Designer from RIM, who was on location with us during the shoot, suggested the image on the right. Creating a work environment that encourages collaboration leads to better images!
For me, managing reflections is almost as satisfying as straightening the lines in architectural photography. Reflections often fight the design story by creating distractions that reduce the effectiveness of our message. Because of all the floor to ceiling glass in this space, we had our work cut out for us!
I am honored to be the featured photographer for SMPS Marketer Magazine’s April issue! Congratulations to MBH Architects, and especially Marlene Hurtado for designing that incredible staircase on the cover.
Tyler Chartier Photography