We’re halfway through 2018 – how are those entries for ENR’s “Year in Construction Photography 2018” coming along? Are you shooting your projects before, during, and after construction?

I’ve been enamored with photography since I was in college (PD – that is, the “Pre-Digital” era), and began taking project photos within weeks of landing my first job in the A/E/C industry.  Little did I realize that my hobby of capturing buildings would open several new doors – photographing visitors and relocation guides, local interest books, and even two architecture books that I also researched and wrote. 

In 2001, I published one of the first photography-oriented e-books, Simplified Architectural Photography. Of course, it had very few readers because in 2001 none of us had Kindles, iPads, or smartphones! And it was published in the very early days of digital cameras (our company camera at the time used a 3.5” floppy disc for storage!).

I recently totally rewrote the book, added several hundred images of photographic do’s and don’ts, and republished the book, now titled Simplified Project Photography: A Guide for DIY Architectural Photographers.  

All of our companies have a steady need for photographs – websites, social media, proposals, presentations, brochures, press releases, and more. Many A/E/C marketing departments must practically beg their project team members to provide photographic updates for marketing use!

However, how many people have any photography training whatsoever? (I did take the New York Institute of Photography program early in my career.) And don’t must of us just use our smartphones as our cameras?

Simplified Project Photography is not going to make you a professional photographer – and will not replace your professional! (I promise you, no matter what they charge, they are underpaid for all the work that is required to get you the perfect image.) However, this ebook should instantly improve your technique, give you solutions to challenging problems you’ll most likely face, and provide a few post-processing tips for those who dare to improve their images once they’ve been loaded onto a computer!

Many of the techniques will work just as well with your smartphone as with a DSLR camera. However, some do require an element of creative control with the settings. Good thing that smartphone apps like Pro Camera and Manual allow DSLR-like control, and your images can even be edited on the phone using the resident photo app or the popular PS Express. 

The book covers photography principals, cameras, interiors, exteriors, common challenges, seasons and weather, composition, creativity, post-processing, and more.

Ready to learn more? Click on the graphic above to download the book for free. It is not behind a wall (no registration required), and feel free to share it with your co-workers.

One final thought: you always need to think before you post! Copyrights, usage rights, property releases … there’s a web of rights and even laws that you must navigate before using the images for any type of marketing! Here’s a post I wrote on the topic for my company website:

Now get out there and get those photos for ENR’s The Year in Construction contest! 

Connect with Scott

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