How To Make Serious Money as an Architectural Photographer (Best Advice)

If you want to learn more about licensing your photos to earn more money this is a really good resource bit.ly/How2Lic... (not mine, but very thorough and practical). This is the most valuable bit of advice I can give you to help you make more money and thrive as an architectural photographer. Please note this is specifically aimed at the architectural photographers out there not real estate. While there are similarities in our subject matter the business set up is very different.
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[@archiphoto]

Okay, still getting a lot of questions about this, which is great, but there's only so much I can cover in a short youtube vid. If you're wanting to learn more and know EXACTLY what to do to start earning more through licensing check out this course bit.ly/How2LicensePhotos It's not my course, but the guy who does it really knows his stuff. It's thorough and extremely practical. All the extra questions I keep getting... this will clear those up 😀👍

[@meditationstorytime]

Thanks Anthony. You should definitely up your base fee. I get a $650 base fee and am also charging a fee for edit time as well as licensing. I started charging for edit days because the time spent is so intense in post that it only made sense. So my proposals usually include the shoot day fee, post processing fee and licensing. Cheers brother, always amazing content!

[@archiphoto]

Thanks man. Appreciated. Yeah, I've been a bit slack with increasing my prices and held them static for too long now. Where are you based btw? Do you mind if I ask what you're charging for your edit time and also your license? Thanks. email me at [e-mail] if you'd prefer.

[@BillyLaMug]

I’ve been doing real estate photos for a few years and switching to architecture photography. May I ask you what you charge for your editing days and license fee. Are you in the US? Much appreciated.

[@cabbagepatch8947]

And another good reason for them to get and pay for the photo from you is that it is not sent as an email attachment from your main client to them. Then they send it at screen resolution to a magazine and you get the blow back!

[@xpost92]

This is actually very clever. The job I designed and will photograph I could draw from so many supplier from glazing, fixtures, facade etc etc list goes on. As the designer myself I know all the details. This is some of the best advice I’ve ever heard from anyone on this topic of arch photography. I could probably license 4 or 5 photos just from window supplier

[@AlexHaitz]

More great content, Anthony! For me personally, I’d love a video on some of the on-site logistics. Things like: what time/weather to aim for on certain shoots, when to choose between f8 and f11, when to include additional lighting etc etc. Might be an awkward video to structure but it’s info that I and possibly others could get a lot out of. Cheers!

[@archiphoto]

Hi Alex. Yes, I'd love to do that. I've been trying to fit it in to a real shoot but I always find I'm to focussed (no pun intended) on the job at hand than multi tasking to shoot for my client and cover video content. I'll try to get around this at some point though and get an onsite video walkthrough.

[@AlexHaitz]

@@archiphoto No pressure! Even a simple commentary over previously shot photos, like you do a lot on here, would be highly valuable. I totally understand the need to focus while on site to nail the work.

[@GPadugan]

higher end architectural shoots will have the designer directing you on site. So every shot is a shot they want and they will stage it exactly how it should look. It's not really a "here a few shots pick what you like" kind of thing. that is all figured out pre-shoot. and day rates are more like $3-$5K plus usage.

[@archiphoto]

Thanks man. I really appreciate the feedback. The way the system works here mans that once all parties have selected images and licensed them the income can equal or exceed the quoted day-rate you mentioned. While a designer may be present I haven't found that a rule. Perhaps it's a different set up in different countries.

[@InducingMusic]

Awesome content, please do more content around the business side. Getting clients etc.

[@iKhaloood]

Amazing Channel, Subscribed Thank you so much for the time and effort You deserve more recognition!

[@archiphoto]

Thanks!

[@drpepper998]

I have talked with a client about splitting the creative fee with other companies involved with the shoot. So I still get my creative fee but now there are four companies that will buy images from the same shoot.

[@archiphoto]

Nice. Yes, I've done this on a couple of bigger commercial spaces and it worked pretty well for one and not so great with the other.

[@YahyaAyob]

Thanks for the detail! How do you send the photos to your client for them to select? Watermark or something or an online gallery? Can you do a video about this? :)

[@hiresmedianzold]

Awesome video! Answered so many of my questions. 👍🏽

[@archiphoto]

Good stuff!

[@alanabley525]

Thanks for this, always look forward to your architectural videos. Are your licenses for a set period of time or in perpetuity? Would love to see a video on best way to find new clients. Regards.

[@archiphoto]

Hi Alan. Although I have licenced for time periods before nowadays it's done in perpetuity. Super simple that way and I've found having a time restriction tends to put potential clients off from the outset.

[@paulfischer9722]

thank you, it's interesting stuff as these kind of information aren't really shared elsewhere. I'm starting in the business but I have no idea how the paying system works (how much should I charge, how, etc)

[@AnthonyTurnham]

Yeah, the pricing and valuing of our work is one of the hardest things to get right as pro photographers. I started shooting weddings around 15 years ago and totally undervalued my work for a very long time and when I had a mental shift my income more than doubled over night.

[@archiphoto]

Hi Paul, I recently came across this excellent course on pricing and licensing your architectural photos (not my course but it's full of practical advice to help you make more $$$ and it's really thorough) bit.ly/How2LicensePhotos

[@jeremyeade7827]

Thank you.

[@stevebridge3558]

Am I right in saying you don’t edit any photos then when sending them to clients? Then only edit the images they choose? How do you explain to them that they aren’t finished images?

[@martintolley9234]

Interesting. As always with your videos I always learn something new. My question, and sorry if you've addressed this issue before. When you "supply a photo" - what does that actually mean - I'm guessing not a raw image, so do you supply jpgs, tiffs at particular sizes, particular resolutions etc as a "general" photo, or do you supply images for a specific purpose that the client has specified - for print/web etc? Is there any traction in having different pricing for different formats/purposes.

[@archiphoto]

Good question. I only supplied finished, ie fully edited work. The licence fee includes standard processing of the photos which are then delivered digitally as full res jpegs.

[@rizkiramadana9663]

Thanks for this great topic anthony! Theres still a lot of questions but do you charge your base too if the third person willing to pay for the license?

[@AnthonyTurnham]

No not in that case. The base fee is only paid once. 3rd parties usually pay a little more per license than the company commissioning the shoot.

[@ranphopro]

Please clarify which currency you are referring to. Are you speaking about New Zealand dollars or the US?

[@archiphoto]

NZ dollars my friend. TBH the amounts and figures are all relative to the individual markets you're operating in. It's more about the concept of licensing and not giving away the farm every time you do a shoot.

[@soitalwaysgoes]

Do you get a cut sheet from the designer so you know the different brands and companies they use?

[@archiphoto]

Wherever possible yes.

[@laynetravis]

Anthony great video btw how much for the base cost for using a photo after licensing ofcourse

[@BillyLaMug]

4:12 How much would you charge the 3rd parties for licensing? The same price as the client?

[@ellienavarro3238]

I've wondered about that too since the client is paying the day fee.

[@raymondmeaguirre]

do clients ever request exclusivity on the photo licenses they buy from you?

[@fernanddurler4709]

Hi …i am curious to know why you have moved over o Fuji XT4 ..can it deliver well for your genre? I am amaized if that is the case as everyone I have approached sais that one has to have a full frame- Canon being the best tilt shift lenses? I live in the UK and your work has inspired me to get a camera and follow my architectural and design passion after 30 years of touching my old Pentax! ( I love the k1 mark 2 by the way but its limited with lenses I FEEL although dynamic range is still top 10 all time…any starter advice would be most appreciated thanks

[@archiphoto]

Hi mate. I bought the xt4 for vlog and video work. I use the Nikon d850 for my architectural work.

[@fernanddurler4709]

@@archiphoto ahh, hanks mate that’s what I thought. Would you say that 850 is better than several canon options on a lower or similar budget ? Keep up the great videos !

[@terrarence]

Hi. I just found your channel and I'm really enjoying the content. Could I just ask, with regards to the initial fee, is that based on one property or one day/half day for instance? I sometimes get requests for multiple properties (usually apartments or flats) and, as I'm just dipping my toe in this area, don't know how to price it so that it doesn't put clients off. I like the idea of the initial shoot fee but wondered if there would be a limit to how much you would do within that fee? Hope this makes sense ;) Also, when the clients are picking the shots, what is it that you're sending them to view? Many thanks, and look forward to learning more from your channel :)

[@archiphoto]

Hi. Yeah that initial fee just needs to cover your costs of getting out on site and producing a set of proofs. Set it at that sweet spot where you get the gig and don't put the client the off. You make the real money from licensing the images.

[@my7thlyf]

Some great advice there! Unfortunately I have found that a simple share on facebook does the job for most third parties. This way they eventually get away promoting their work without paying the photographer...

[@AnthonyTurnham]

Yeah, that's a good point. Are you referring to a share by the main client who then tags the other companies involved?

[@my7thlyf]

@@AnthonyTurnham Either this, or the other companies involved sharing the original client's post to their feed, sometimes not even bothering to give credits to the photographer.

[@ellienavarro3238]

@@my7thlyf yes, I run into this often. In this case, I don't think chasing this down for licensing is a good look but I do comment and thank them for sharing my image and DM asking for photo credit. That's always well received and sometimes builds a relationship for future work. I'm definitely taking the Adam Taylor course.

[@petermathew1259]

Thanks Anthony, It seems that here in Australia these days many if not most magazines and trade related publications or websites expect architects and builders to be able to supply their own images .... more like advertorial than editorial. I'm generally ok with that as it is for my clients benefit but it does complicate the distinction of what constitutes 3rd party usage. I wonder how you approach that?

[@archiphoto]

AH I see. Yeah, if a client wants to promote their work in a mag, I see that as client usage for marketing. All good. If a magazine is benefitting from our pretty pictures, usually I just use that as relationship building kudos with that publication. It's when you do a home shoot for a builder say and then the outdoor louvre company is then using the photo to advertise their product, that's a no-no.

[@aboveboard4914]

Great system and I have implented it on my latest quotes thanks to you! Only question is, do you think it may be slighlty unfair that the original client pays more as they have to pay the standard fee as well as the images fees?

[@AnthonyTurnham]

Hi mate. Well done on picking up on that. In fact the fee I charge to third parties is higher than the client who footed the bill for the work. In these cases I may be flexible on the licence fee based on usage but it's often $135 per image + gst (that's nz good service tax) rather than the initial client's $85 +gst.

[@archiphoto]

Hi mate, if you'd like to dive deeper into licensing and the best business practices around it, might be worth checking out this course (not mine but really great info and very thorough!) adamtaylorphotos.podia.com/learn-to-license-your-photos-full-course/mc2ks

[@LuckyAlix]

That would have been amazing... if I could do it. Unfortunately, in my country, I will be lucky if the client agrees to pay me 150 euros for an airbnb shooting fee let alone tell him that he has to pay extra for licensing. From time to time I ask photographers here and they answer that the concept of licensing seems alien to them.

[@archiphoto]

Hi mate. Where are you based? Could you adapt the figures to suit your market but still run a similar system?

[@LuckyAlix]

@@archiphoto I'm in Greece. Unfortunately, even if I tried to integrate this system into my work, nobody is going to agree to work with me. The clients will simply never accept that they have to "rent" the images of their own house/office/hotel/etc. I heard stories from some colleagues that even big shot hotels, that have more than enough budget to cover the expenses of such a licensing agreement, just refuse and strive to find a photographer that does not license his images. Heck, they even ask for unlimited pictures. 😅 Hopefully, one day we will be able to have a market such as yours.

[@pixelsold]

How much time are you usually spending on location?

[@archiphoto]

It really depends on the job. It could be anywhere from 1.5hrs up to a full day. Sometimes I'll spend more time knowing that the client an others will likely want more images than they initially think.

[@Hackbarthja]

Hi Anthony, do you offer consulting services?

[@archiphoto]

Hi. Sorry to say that's not something I do. I've been asked a few times but I prefer making videos that can be shared further than one on one style coaching.

[@archiphoto]

What do you charge for your shoots? Do you license, have a flat fee, or run a package system? Let me know! If you've got any questions please leave them in the comments and I may do a follow up to go over them.

[@hanajurakova1285]

Do you have some general contract template for licesing photos + base fee? Where we can tweak the prices and some other conditions? The link would be really heplful

[@archiphoto]

Hi Hana, I don't currently but I recently came across someone who does! Check out: bit.ly/ArchiResources I found all of that material when reached out to me about his photo licensing course. (which is also really worth taking a look at: bit.ly/How2LicensePhotos )