STEVE BURGER ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER

TOP TWENTY TAKEAWAYS FROM STEVE’S TALK ON ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

1. You do not need a lot of gear. Steve uses a Sony FF camera and a single 16-35mm zoom lens for all of his work. He also uses two Godox AD600 battery strobes but admits to using them less these days than previously.
2. You MUSt know Photoshop – or at least the tools within Photoshop that will allow you to work quickly and efficiently to produce finished images. In this field, finished images are delivered, not RAW files. See below for the list.
3. Construction and Architectural firms are his targetS. They provide consistent and ongoing work and allow him to develop a close relationship with them which means higher rates of engagement.
4. You MUST have a portfolio when approaching them. It does not have to be extensive, but it has to be at least a dozen or so images (minimum). In this field, printed portfolios can still be the best way to get attention. It is fairly easy to acquire samples. Ask for permission and it is usually given in exchange for a few images.
5. Always correct distortion and perspective from the wide-angle lens (keystone). Steve uses Photoshop for that, and he does it first so he is working on an image that looks correct. The images then look far more ‘professional’ than anything they can do on their own. NOTE: you can do it in LR and C1, and you must learn to leave as much room on the edge of the image as it takes so practice this when you can.
6. Get to know the secretary, or whoever it is who guards the gate. He does it by phone and in person. Asking the doorkeeper (secretary position usually) for information and developing a relationship with them is the best and fastest way to the boss.
7. Do a lookbook. A scouting trip to make lots of shots at angles and POVs for them to choose from is very powerful. Steve uses his iPhone or a P&S or even his pro rig set on ‘auto’ to get these initial images. This is instrumental in knowing what the client wants you to concentrate on.
8. KNOW the architect or builder’s desires and pride points by listening to them when you show the lookbook. They will have things they MUST have in their portfolio and you must be able to know how important they are. Listening is your best tool.
9. Software: Steve uses Aurora to blend his exposures. He either does a 5-stop exposure bracket or a 9-stop exposure bracket. 9 stops are usually because the client needs to see the outside through the windows. He uses Luminar to swap skies. All skies should have some sort of wispy or ‘happy’ clouds. Swapping skies is absolutely necessary.
10. Do not accept the blend from HDR to be perfect in color. You have to then go into Photoshop to make sure the colors are accurate and the whites are white.
11. Retouch out everything that could be seen as a blemish. Electric sockets, air return grills, cords, discolored areas, sofa seats that look worn or broken down… everything must look perfect. Steve spends about an hour per image in Photoshop.
12. Steve charges $300 per image and is usually shooting between 10 and 20 images per assignment. Yes, you can get a two-shot assignment once in a while, but that is just part of the gig. The fee includes Photoshop work. This allows him to shoot more images, process a few extras, and make a full-price sale of that image.
13. Steve usually works with an assistant to help catalog, as well as “stage” the shot. Staging is vital. Every chair must be in its place,
    curtains just right, plants and artwork perfectly aligned, no dust… and on and on. Staging can take far longer than the actual shooting.
14. Shoot several angles of the same room varying a bit between each so you can offer variations if needed.
15. Steve does not keep source files… all the exposures of a single shot. A 9-stop bracket equals a gig of space, and the time it takes to archive and retrieve is not worth the effort or expense. Once he has blended the image to a usable state, he gets rid of the source files.
16. Focus: Steve uses autofocus set at full auto. This is the setting where there are dozens of little focus squares in the camera. He swears by his Sony, so I would expect you to do your due diligence and check it yourself on your gear. Every exposure is checked in camera to make sure the focus is sharp. Shooting at f-16 is one of the things that he does to ensure focus. Also, a good tripod helps as well as a digital exposure button so he does not have to touch the camera during exposures.
17. Always have the client on-site for the final shoot, not necessarily on the scout or lookbook shoot. His contract states that if no one is with him, they have bought what he shoots. Any additional shots would be billed full price.
18. Look for any new construction and find the site sign. You will find out who is building it, who the architect was, and phone numbers… right there on the sign.
19. You must have a website. Many of these firms need multiple people to see your work before giving you the go-ahead. Steve’s web page is a single page with the images and contact info. www.prodigitalimage.com
20. Always ask for referrals.

1. Color balance. You must know how to work with color.
2. Sky replacement. Keep a set of sky photos for use, or get some from UnSplash or Adobe Stock.
3. Retouching (removing objects using clone stamp, healing brush, or content-aware fill)
4. Correct perspective: LR, C1, Photoshop
5. Selection and repair: pen tool, or the polygonal lasso to pick little parts out of the image to enhance.
6. Contrast and exposure modification: lighten and darken an image, controlling contrast.
7. Sky replacement.
8. Layer blending (using multiple layers at different exposures to blend into the stack if needed).
9. Overall sharpening: watch for what he calls the “de-fogger” towards the end of Part two.
10. Select and replace with gradient: best for computer, tv, and tablet screens that can be very distracting.