David Clapp: Architecture
A former water engineer and guitar teacher, Devon-based David made the transition to professional photography in 2009, specialising in landscapes and architecture. His diverse architectural work spans bespoke building projects to superyachts to industrial fridges. Visit www.davidclapp.co.uk
When David made the leap into professional photography, he was primarily interested in landscape photography. But over time, he realised that he had just as much interest in taking photos of buildings and began using them in his landscapes. Before long, he was shooting straight architecture and began working with an architectural agency called Arcaid, which has an extensive library.
‘There were a lot of people in there who did the sort of strict architectural discipline of interior and exterior shoots, usually for publicity for building projects. And I got quite inspired by looking at those sorts of images,’
David says. At the time, these types of images were heavily polarised, almost monochromatic, but over the years he’s seen more high-key images become popular.
David attributes this to cameras having more dynamic range than they used to. ‘In commercial architecture, everything is shifting towards a bright and airy style that’s very clean and decluttered.
‘The other big trend is that companies are very keen on video. They want a photographer who is versatile and can provide a combination of still shots and time-lapse footage of a construction, for example. Those photographers who are comfortable shooting both
stills and video will have a leg up over others who stick to one skillset.’
However, David warns that commissions in architecture aren’t as plentiful as they once were. ‘Most estate agents now do it themselves, and many architectural and construction firms try to do it in-house. Most commissions come from architectural firms that are doing bespoke builds, or from people who have done significant rebuilds or extensions on a property. It’s these clients who are willing to invest in professionally shot images.’
Most of David’s architectural work is priced on consultation. ‘I find out the shoot requirements, exactly what is needed, and agree a price for the day. I start at a theoretical price of £500 and adjust this up or down depending on the client’s budget or the commercial size of the shoot. That might include a half-day shooting and a half-day processing. I like to think that’s very reasonable. But other times it can be more expensive, depending on who I’m dealing with and what their requirements are.’
The biggest stumbling block that David sees new professionals make is not speaking the language of business. ‘I did a commission for Pepsi a few years back and I was the first person out of seven photographers they spoke to who had asked them what their budget was, what their timeframe was – all the normal stuff,’ he recalls. ‘Too many people get so caught up in saying their images are saving the planet that they lose perspective of what the project is and what the client wants.’
Also, don’t be afraid to use photo-editing software – though David would never replace skies in any of his images or fundamentally change the elements of the shot.
‘Dull, grey skies and winter trees don’t sell houses,’ he notes. ‘You’re being commissioned to create a postcard image, so you need to also be confident in your photoediting skills as well as being totally on top of your photographic technique.’