In addition to using the photographs on Web sites and in portfolios to show clients, remodelers can use the images in local and regional magazine advertisements, home show displays, postcards and brochures, for entering competitions, and as client gifts. “It’s a competitive market, and publicity is key,” Purcell says.
Photographer Steve Whittaker of Whittaker Photography, in Foster City, Calif., says that remodelers should send photographs to national and regional publications because “getting published adds credibility.”
Strawbridge is often contacted by local newspaper editors, and frequently acts as an advocate for his clients. “And the more an image is seen, the more valuable it is — both to the builder and the photographer,” he says.
Ownership, Rights, and Usage
Good-quality architectural photographs require an investment. Remodelers should view hiring a photographer in the same way homeowners view hiring a remodeler: “Be up-front with me about the budget, and I’ll tell you what I can do for that money or if we need to modify your requirements,” Strawbridge says.
Remodelers should also understand the concept of copyright. Federal copyright law says that a photograph is intellectual property and that the photographer owns the copyright and controls use of the image.
“Perhaps it’s easier for builders to grasp by comparing this to architectural blueprints,” Strawbridge says. “A builder may buy the plans to build a house, but he technically buys usage rights. He has no right to reproduce those plans without specific permission.”