Becoming a great Architectural Photographer!?

[Kirk Gittings]

HDR has become a real problem solver for me, in particular when artificial lighting will create unwanted reflections (ie there is no place to hide the light sources as they reflect in a glass wall). In the old days this would mean perhaps compromising the ideal camera position to get rid of the reflections. Now we have this great alternative tool. For those of you first trying HDR, don't expect to get everything just right in Photomatix. It won't be perfect at that stage. Some curve adjustments etc. will always IME be necessary to complete the exposure blend.

[CBarrett]

I just stumbled upon this thread and read it from top to bottom.  Lots of interesting takes on the business!  Having been in the field since the day I signed on assisting at Hedrich Blessing 18 years ago, I, of course, have my own take...

Natural light is one of the more significant aspects of LEED based design and has become so important in Interior Architecture that my lighting esthetic has evolved to support that feeling... much more open, airy but still very directional and with a certain mood to it.  Last year I picked up a couple 12 x 12 silks and I friggin love those things!  Now that I have twice the tonal range I used to have with EPN, life is much.... much better.  That said, I still carry 5 monoblocks, 9 inkies, 8 Lowel Omnis and 4 basic 600 watt halogen floods.  I use it all less frequently, but I use some of it on every shot.  Retouching and HDR can render adequate tonalities but they cannot define texture, reflectivity and spatial relationships within the architecture.    I believe, or HB taught me to believe that outstanding images require work... and you know what?  I really enjoy that work!  And I'm sorry, but great lighting is just not designed into most spaces, in fact architects and lighting designers have to install lighting that is pleasing from every conceivable angle which puts them at an extreme disadvantage.  I only have to light for camera, and now I have greater flexibility with post production.  Kirk, when the perfect angle for my lights happens to leave them reflecting all too obviously in an opposing glass wall, I simply do another exposure with those lights turned off and "paint them out" later.

Secondly, Architecture and Design have become much more focused on the human element, insuring that spaces and buildings promote collaboration and enhance movement and circulation.  This is all way more conceptual than knowing what time of day makes the building pretty, but is just as relevant nowadays and so working with people in the shots has become instrumental to my current mode of work.  Funny because I think a lot of photographers go into architecture because they're not so good with people.  Interacting with your clients and their clients is huge... so much of this is about interpersonal relations.

As for dayrates?  Are you guys saying that the desire is to move towards shot based fees?  I don't know a shooter in Chicago that doesn't have a dayrate.  My clients know that while I can easily get a dozen exteriors in a day, they shouldn't expect more than 5 interiors... should I charge them the same rate for shots that take twice the work to achieve?  Incidentally, I have a per shot charge as well, that covers capture, color mgmt, retouching and deliverables.  What a funny business we're in... I don't know how you can nail down standards of practice when shooters and their clients vary so dramatically.

BTW.... one assistant for every shoot.

-CB

[stevesanacore]

I just stumbled upon this thread and read it from top to bottom.  Lots of interesting takes on the business!  Having been in the field since the day I signed on assisting at Hedrich Blessing 18 years ago, I, of course, have my own take...

Natural light is one of the more significant aspects of LEED based design and has become so important in Interior Architecture that my lighting esthetic has evolved to support that feeling... much more open, airy but still very directional and with a certain mood to it.  Last year I picked up a couple 12 x 12 silks and I friggin love those things!  Now that I have twice the tonal range I used to have with EPN, life is much.... much better.  That said, I still carry 5 monoblocks, 9 inkies, 8 Lowel Omnis and 4 basic 600 watt halogen floods.  I use it all less frequently, but I use some of it on every shot.  Retouching and HDR can render adequate tonalities but they cannot define texture, reflectivity and spatial relationships within the architecture.    I believe, or HB taught me to believe that outstanding images require work... and you know what?  I really enjoy that work!  And I'm sorry, but great lighting is just not designed into most spaces, in fact architects and lighting designers have to install lighting that is pleasing from every conceivable angle which puts them at an extreme disadvantage.  I only have to light for camera, and now I have greater flexibility with post production.  Kirk, when the perfect angle for my lights happens to leave them reflecting all too obviously in an opposing glass wall, I simply do another exposure with those lights turned off and "paint them out" later.

Secondly, Architecture and Design have become much more focused on the human element, insuring that spaces and buildings promote collaboration and enhance movement and circulation.  This is all way more conceptual than knowing what time of day makes the building pretty, but is just as relevant nowadays and so working with people in the shots has become instrumental to my current mode of work.  Funny because I think a lot of photographers go into architecture because they're not so good with people.  Interacting with your clients and their clients is huge... so much of this is about interpersonal relations.

As for dayrates?  Are you guys saying that the desire is to move towards shot based fees?  I don't know a shooter in Chicago that doesn't have a dayrate.  My clients know that while I can easily get a dozen exteriors in a day, they shouldn't expect more than 5 interiors... should I charge them the same rate for shots that take twice the work to achieve?  Incidentally, I have a per shot charge as well, that covers capture, color mgmt, retouching and deliverables.  What a funny business we're in... I don't know how you can nail down standards of practice when shooters and their clients vary so dramatically.

BTW.... one assistant for every shoot.

-CB

Well said. Great advice for any architectural photographer.

[Kirk Gittings]

As for dayrates?  Are you guys saying that the desire is to move towards shot based fees?  I don't know a shooter in Chicago that doesn't have a dayrate.  My clients know that while I can easily get a dozen exteriors in a day, they shouldn't expect more than 5 interiors... should I charge them the same rate for shots that take twice the work to achieve?  Incidentally, I have a per shot charge as well, that covers capture, color mgmt, retouching and deliverables.  What a funny business we're in... I don't know how you can nail down standards of practice when shooters and their clients vary so dramatically.
-CB

Pretty much the same here. Ultimately it doesn't matter though how you charge but what what you actually make and the bottom line to the client. Also I don't like to be locked into specific shots-sure there are the obvious ones that the client and I agree on, but I want the the freedom in the budget to explore some with the camera. Some of my best work comes from the interaction of light and space at some time during the day that I did not predict by doing a walk through with the client prior to giving them a rough estimate.

[ericstaud]

As for dayrates?  Are you guys saying that the desire is to move towards shot based fees?  I don't know a shooter in Chicago that doesn't have a dayrate.  My clients know that while I can easily get a dozen exteriors in a day, they shouldn't expect more than 5 interiors... should I charge them the same rate for shots that take twice the work to achieve?  Incidentally, I have a per shot charge as well, that covers capture, color mgmt, retouching and deliverables.  What a funny business we're in... I don't know how you can nail down standards of practice when shooters and their clients vary so dramatically.


-CB

Hi Chris, these are questions that float around in my head...

Do the exteriors have half the commercial value to the client that the interiors have?  Months after the shoot when the contractor calls and asks to license pictures, the rate to license the shot would be the same regardless of how long it took to shoot.  It's based on their use.  It's a funny thing with day rates though that the client pays a lot less per shot as the shots per day goes up.

There are certainly upsides and downsides to day rates and per shot rates.  I have been experimenting with both methods.  With the per shot rate I find the client/s might better understand that they are licensing images for use rather than paying for my time.  For an interiors shoot there might be a higher per shot rate because the production of the job will have similar costs and time involvement despite producing fewer images compared to just shooting exteriors.  In either case it's still necessary to estimate each job individually.

Anyway, always trying to refine the goal and the method of getting there.  Ashley's practice of per shot licensing offers not only a new way to estimate and invoice, but also a new way to communicate with a client about the value of the images.

[CBarrett]

Hi Chris, these are questions that float around in my head...

Do the exteriors have half the commercial value to the client that the interiors have?  Months after the shoot when the contractor calls and asks to license pictures, the rate to license the shot would be the same regardless of how long it took to shoot.  It's based on their use.  It's a funny thing with day rates though that the client pays a lot less per shot as the shots per day goes up.

There are certainly upsides and downsides to day rates and per shot rates.  I have been experimenting with both methods.  With the per shot rate I find the client/s might better understand that they are licensing images for use rather than paying for my time.  For an interiors shoot there might be a higher per shot rate because the production of the job will have similar costs and time involvement despite producing fewer images compared to just shooting exteriors.  In either case it's still necessary to estimate each job individually.

Anyway, always trying to refine the goal and the method of getting there.  Ashley's practice of per shot licensing offers not only a new way to estimate and invoice, but also a new way to communicate with a client about the value of the images.

Yeah, pretty tricky territory.  To take the example to an extreme... I have always shot a fair amount of furniture.  Now... I have done 5 week long shoots with big sets where we did 1 shot a day and I have shot chairs where I'd put it out on a sweep, shoot it in 5 rotations in an hour.  My time IS money, and it would be ridiculous to charge the client the same for 5 pictures that took me 5 weeks as 5 pictures that took an hour.  Fortunately my clients are bright enough to get the value of my time AND the images.  I'll say it again... weird business we're in.

[marc gerritsen]

I always charge per fully retouched image, unless I shoot food or anything people related.

the client loves it as they know exactly what they pay for

that's why i shoot a lot in one day

at least 200 set ups for interiors (mind you all interiors are set up before I shoot)
 
at least 100 set ups for architecture (never quite understand why some people can
only do 15 set ups for architecture a day, you set up the camera you frame, you shoot and you move on
to the next location and do the same, of course not just nilly willy at random but with a particular
time of day and location in mind)

some clients are very vain and order up big time, I normally have a deal for a minimum
per particular job.

there are hardly any clients who i charge the same rate, each new client I engage will get a particular rate
older client who continuously keep supporting me, get better rates.

everyone always gets some discount, they all loooove discount

I tell the client before hand that money comes second, so no deposit required
money really comes at the end of a succesfull project and I tell them that if they do not like what i do they just do not have to pay
so far no one went for that option, i make sure they will be happy!
But in the mean time you prove to the client where your priority lays
 
I hardly ever work with assistants on the job, they just cost money for standing around doing nothing
I have three assistants in the office though, to do retouching, scheduling, file management, taking care of stock and accounts.

for simple interiors i blend differently exposed photos (no extra light), for more upmarket interiors
i might use one flash light (soft box or grid depending) which i might put in six or so different loacations, take an exposure
for each location and then blend those exposures, a lot more storage is needed but I save on weight to carry to the job.
storage is cheap my back not.

for exteriors I hardly ever use extra lighting, I mean how do you light up a 20 story building with some studio strobes!?
better to wait for the magic moment early in the morning or later in the day.

if i can credit my small successes in my photography to one thing only, I would have to say that
my previous profession as interior, architectural and product designer help me the most.
I have had so many purely design conversation regarding projects with my clients
that they get a sense that i understand their work and can that I can tell their story through the lens.
Catching up on new building techniques or new materials is essential.

I use digital medium format (which one is really not important) I could have achieved many of those small successes with a simple slr
and actually did in the beginning, of course I see a big difference in both systems,  it is often that the client doesn't.
they usually focus on the angle, the crop, color and lighting

anyway my 2 cents
 




   
 

[rainer_v]

at least 100 set ups for architecture (never quite understand why some people can
only do 15 set ups for architecture a day, you set up the camera you frame, you shoot and you move on
to the next location and do the same, of course not just nilly willy at random but with a particular
time of day and location in mind)

i rarely shoot more than 15 images a day, and i am not sad if i make one or two if these are great shots.
average motif/day rate might be  between 4 and 8,- in this timing is editing included  !
there is no rule how much motifs i take on site, depends too much what i do.
details can grow fast, although i take a lot of time for electing which details , which angle, which motif and crop.
exterior needs the right weather.
interior the right moment ( people or no people,- i prefer mostly without, at least i dont put them in ) and often some "cleaning up", kicking out furniture, flowers and other stuff which hinders to show the space in a clear vision. might sound funny for americans, but thats what i do, even in US ( where i worked a lot the last 2 years ).

yes i can shoot 200 shots too a day ( at least with the canon ) but 5 become better and more concentrated, and so it should be cause expectation are high ( from client and from myself ) if motif numbers are lo. in general one good shot is way more worth than 30 average ones. i use 85% of my taken shots , which means too that i dont take a shot from 5 slightly different angles and choose later which i take, i think about this before setting up the camera.


i ask always 30% in advantage, with very big assignments 25%.
i hate the idea to make a expensive production and not to get paid for whatever reason ( didnt happane till now but i dont like to meet the first time ).  some of my productions are really huge and could cause real problems if i wouldnt get paid for my expenses.  so this 30% cover some costs and i am quiet.

money is important, but i am not a cent counter nor a pixel peeper.
so i give usually a bit more than expected or contracted without charging this extra.

[rsmphoto]

i rarely shoot more than 15 images a day, and i am not sad if i make one or two if these are great shots.
average motif/day rate might be  between 4 and 8,- in this timing is editing included  !
there is no rule how much motifs i take on site, depends too much what i do.
details can grow fast, although i take a lot of time for electing which details , which angle, which motif and crop.
exterior needs the right weather.
interior the right moment ( people or no people,- i prefer mostly without at least i dont put them in ) and often some "cleaning up", kicking out furniture, flowers, and other stuff which hinder to show the space in a clear vision. might sound funny for americans, but thats what i do, even in US ( where i worked a lot the last 2 years ).

yes i can shoot 200 shots too a day ( at leas with the canon ) but i do 5 better and more concentrated and so they should be cause expectation are high ( from client and from myself ) if motif numbers are lo. in general 1 really good shot is way more worth than 30 average ones. i use 85% of my shots , means i dont take a shot from 5 slightly different angles and choose later which i take, i think about this before photographing.


i ask always 30% in advantage, with very big assignments 25%.
i hate the idea to make a expensive production and not to get paid for whatever reason ( didnt happane till now but i dont like to meet the first time ).  some of my productions are really huge and could cause real problems if i wouldnt get paid for my expenses.  so this 30% cover some costs and i am quiet.

money is important, but i am not a cent counter nor a pixel peeper.
so i give usually a bit more than expected or contracted without charging this extra.

I'm just about identical in method and philosophy, but I require 50% deposit.

Richard

[gwhitf]

so i give usually a bit more than expected or contracted without charging this extra.

There's your Money Shot, right there. Follow that advice, and you'll have a long and successful career.

[marc gerritsen]

i have a few reasons for shooting a lot in one day

- i would get bored standing too long on one spot as I want to explore the building or interior
from every possible angle and can see so many possible great shots

- if i shoot towards the twilight, virtually every 5 minutes is a different lighting set up, which i want to catch from different angles  

- i can sell particular angles to other clients such as the manufacturers of the different building materials or components
and can also sell all the different angles through my stock libraries, sometimes all this can add up quite a bit for one project

- the client loves being empowered by having plenty to choose from and i don't want to dictate the client into a few ways
how the building has to be seen.

I guess coming to photography from a design background as opposed to having studied photography, I keep my the basic design credo
close to heart, which is "design is problem solving"  so I go to every shoot with that in mind. not only from the point of view of the project
to be photographed but also the way i set out to shoot it.    

[Lust4Life]

Marc,

Again, I find the non-USA style more in line to my eye and shooting style, but Yelhsa/Ashley has a good point in his scene.

Marc, I looked at your web site, enjoyed your work and came away with two questions:
You state you're shooting with MFDB - in your work the freedom from parallax and good DOF struck me - without tilt and shift in MFDB, other than Hassies HTS.
How was this accomplished so successfully?  I'm assuming a lot of post work.......?

Thanks,
Jack

PS:  I particularly enjoyed #6 in Personal Encounters - torching the Jaguar - used to have XKE V-12 and it brought back intense memories!

I hardly ever work with assistants on the job, they just cost money for standing around doing nothing
I have three assistants in the office though, to do retouching, scheduling, file management, taking care of stock and accounts.

for simple interiors i blend differently exposed photos (no extra light), for more upmarket interiors
i might use one flash light (soft box or grid depending) which i might put in six or so different loacations, take an exposure
for each location and then blend those exposures, a lot more storage is needed but I save on weight to carry to the job.
storage is cheap my back not.

for exteriors I hardly ever use extra lighting, I mean how do you light up a 20 story building with some studio strobes!?
better to wait for the magic moment early in the morning or later in the day.

if i can credit my small successes in my photography to one thing only, I would have to say that
my previous profession as interior, architectural and product designer help me the most.
I have had so many purely design conversation regarding projects with my clients
that they get a sense that i understand their work and can that I can tell their story through the lens.
Catching up on new building techniques or new materials is essential.

I use digital medium format (which one is really not important) I could have achieved many of those small successes with a simple slr
and actually did in the beginning, of course I see a big difference in both systems,  it is often that the client doesn't.
they usually focus on the angle, the crop, color and lighting

anyway my 2 cents

[marc gerritsen]

of course if i wanted that effect i would need strobes or continous lights
hardly ever been confronted with that situation,
only once did a client want to light up a facade of about 23 mt long
i still brought only one light and just walked around and threw light over particular areas on different exposures that i blended later,
especially taking myself and the light source out of the frame.
if the client is standing next to you and wants to see a preview it becomes more difficult.

to get rid of parallax in ps is a 30 second job, blending exposures, cleaning dust, color balance etc takes a lot of work
way back i asked around, even on this forum, if anybody could show me the exact difference
between tilt and/or shift  and doing it in ps, i did not get a conclusive response at the time
i wanted to know if should go the route of tilt and shift.
now i think that only if you print your photo really big will you see seriously stretched photos disintegtrate.
if you use 39 mil pixels you can spare a few

i tried the HTS, it is very cumbersome and my 35mm lens suddenly becomes a 45-50 mm
probably for the true tilt/shift afficionado it would be too mickey mouse!
 
i use f-stop 13   99% of the time and focus on 2/3 of the distance from camera to the furthest point for interiors
unless the fore ground is really important.

did this shot for a client of mine in london,
they wanted to have a top to bottom view just after sunset

 



 

Marc,

Again, I find the non-USA style more in line to my eye and shooting style, but Yelhsa/Ashley has a good point in his scene.

Marc, I looked at your web site, enjoyed your work and came away with two questions:
You state you're shooting with MFDB - in your work the freedom from parallax and good DOF struck me - without tilt and shift in MFDB, other than Hassies HTS.
How was this accomplished so successfully?  I'm assuming a lot of post work.......?

Thanks,
Jack

PS:  I particularly enjoyed #6 in Personal Encounters - torching the Jaguar - used to have XKE V-12 and it brought back intense memories!

[marc gerritsen]

o yeah
thanks for your kind comments Jack!!

Marc,

Again, I find the non-USA style more in line to my eye and shooting style, but Yelhsa/Ashley has a good point in his scene.

Marc, I looked at your web site, enjoyed your work and came away with two questions:
You state you're shooting with MFDB - in your work the freedom from parallax and good DOF struck me - without tilt and shift in MFDB, other than Hassies HTS.
How was this accomplished so successfully?  I'm assuming a lot of post work.......?

Thanks,
Jack

PS:  I particularly enjoyed #6 in Personal Encounters - torching the Jaguar - used to have XKE V-12 and it brought back intense memories!

[Weldon Brewster]

that's why i shoot a lot in one day

at least 200 set ups for interiors (mind you all interiors are set up before I shoot)
 
at least 100 set ups for architecture (never quite understand why some people can
only do 15 set ups for architecture a day, you set up the camera you frame, you shoot and you move on
to the next location and do the same, of course not just nilly willy at random but with a particular
time of day and location in mind)

Marc, you do beautiful work.  I love some of the images on your web site but I have to call BS on 300 architecture shots in a day.  First, even at 5 min per shot the math doesn't work.  Second, there is no way every interior shot can be 'pre-styled' to preset camera angles.  The retail clothing store on your web site can not shot in five minutes per shot.  Asking anybody that has styled clothes.

Take a long hard look at Rainer's work before you diss him for doing 15 shots in a day.  His work is the perfect synergy of architecture and photography.  Every shot is hand-sculpted to his vision of the architect's work.  If I hired him and he said I could only have 1 or 2 beautiful shots a day, I would say great.  This is the permanent record of my architecture and I want it to be perfect.

We do not work on an assembly line.  Whether it be an American or European photography style we all translate a physical space into a 2d image.  We have responsibility to not be disingenuous about this.

[CBarrett]

More fuel for the fire...

I shot this project both before and after it was occupied.  The images from the first shoot are completely lit and we spent 2-3 hours on each.  The shots with people in them were approached for a different effect and use little or no lighting.  The compositions are still thought out and I spent at least a half hour on most of them, but they don't generally feel as refined or have the same depth.

I think my work continues to evolve and I learn something new every time I look at my pictures.

-CB

[bdkphoto]

I will second the advice of joining ASMP and using the programs, paperwork share and the business benefits of our organization.  Jeff Totaro and Chun Lai have done a great job putting together a fantastic program, and the discussion groups are great as well.  Learning the business aspects of dealing with architects is as important as the technical side.  

This economic climate makes it very difficult to establish a new business, so resources like these are even more critical.

I know there are some great technical workshops - I believe Jeff is teaching, -Kirk too and probably several others here.  I teach a summer workshop in NY at ICP.  

Best of Luck,

Bruce Katz
ASMP, Board of Directors

[marc gerritsen]

you probably got me wrong on that one.... 100 architectural shots a day

i am very familiar with rainer's work and certainly do not diss him or anyone else here

just don't understand it and want to have a frank discussion about it
hence all my explanations of how i work
a while back i might have skirted around this issue, but now feel with this thread that i would like to go deeper into it.  

when i come to a building that needs to be documented, i explore it by shooting it, so yes i set up every 5 mins or so and take some
exposures, i am not the kind of guy who will walk around the building without a camera to find that one or two perfect angles
and then only concentrates on that, just don't understand how the numbers stack up on that.

my clients look mostly for a full documentation on their project as opposed to the one or two photos they can hang on the wall
they use these photos to get their work out, to convey their message and none of my clients can do it with a few shots.
let alone pay a full day rate for it, even the more succesfull architects who have plenty of budget for it

as for as the shop you mentioned on my website i tell you how i worked on it, a very normal way for me to work
i ask my client to set the store up, they had to remove 70% of clothing and arrange by color and take any clutter away.
i show up at 10 am, rearrange and finalise some things for 15 mins, then take 27 set ups in 40 mins.
come back at night for a couple of shots from the street side, 3 set ups 5 mins (just looked at my metadata to check it)
between coming and going getting my gear out and shooting i must have spend 1.5 hrs
the client choose 17 photos, retouch time 2 hours, so all by all including file management i spent half a day
still by common standards get paid 1.5x day rate plus on-sell the photos through my libraries.
I am not disingenuous about this at all. and will gladly send you my previews so you can check the metadata yourself.

i have come to many places where people make shooting schedules for me especially interiors
and usually allow way too much time for each area. without a doubt they are always amazed at my speed compared to previous
photographers. i don't know why but i always have tried to work fast and efficient and with this particular profession
it is now paying off incredibly well, without straining the quality of the photographic material.

assembly line? well maybe yes, but a very succesfull one, in the last 4 -5 years i have shot over 900 projects
hotels, residences schools offices, you name it.

i might be extreme but also think that some of you are extreme on the opposite side
talking about it frankly will only benefit us all


 



 
 

Marc, you do beautiful work.  I love some of the images on your web site but I have to call BS on 300 architecture shots in a day.  First, even at 5 min per shot the math doesn't work.  Second, there is no way every interior shot can be 'pre-styled' to preset camera angles.  The retail clothing store on your web site can not shot in five minutes per shot.  Asking anybody that has styled clothes.

Take a long hard look at Rainer's work before you diss him for doing 15 shots in a day.  His work is the perfect synergy of architecture and photography.  Every shot is hand-sculpted to his vision of the architect's work.  If I hired him and he said I could only have 1 or 2 beautiful shots a day, I would say great.  This is the permanent record of my architecture and I want it to be perfect.

We do not work on an assembly line.  Whether it be an American or European photography style we all translate a physical space into a 2d image.  We have responsibility to not be disingenuous about this.

[rethmeier]

Well done Marc!

N.B Nice to have 900 projects to shoot as well.

I think here in Australia there is not that scope of work available and I think you made a good choice of setting up shop in Taiwan.

[CBarrett]

I think it comes down to the argument of making photographs versus taking photographs.  Obviously there is more than one way to skin a cat and Marc's approach works well for him.  Most of my clients have worked with me for 5 - 10 years and trust in my judgement.  I don't need to approach a room from every possible angle because by the time I've set the tripod down I've already made 50 decisions.  I ask my clients, "What is the purpose of this room or what do you need to say here?" and they trust me to distill the essence of that design solution into a two dimensional image.  I'm hired because the clients trust my vision, appreciate my comprehension of how the architecture works and know that the shoot will always be a collaborative process.

I think it's a little safer to makes dozens of photographs... there will be several acceptable ones.  For me, though, those will always be snapshots.  I think in the multi-shot process you edit later to try and tell the story.  I edit on the scene and then when the client and and I agree upon the composition, I light it to bring out the depth of the space and the richness of the materials.

My problem is my own ego.  If I can't resolve my client's needs while staying true to my own personal vision then the work is just not rewarding.  I have to craft the photographs.  I have to own them.  If you're just moving the camera around the room and pressing the button... how can you really own those images?

I feel very fortunate that in a time when photography and the singular image have been dramatically devalued, I can still work in a fashion that lets me take pride in every shoot.

This whole debate can become really personal and in the end it's just about what makes you happy and successful.  I wish that to all of you and hope I haven't stepped on too many toes.

-CB