But, it just so happens to be the day that we established our business 23 years ago. And if it wasn’t for our loyal and faithful clients, we would have been gone long before now.

We want to say “Thank You” by offering you an unbelievable deal on our Optimized Digital Files. From now until March 31, 2012, we are offering our medium resolution ODF’s for just $23 each with no quantity requirements! That’s a 65% discount!

These prices are good for both new and previously shot projects. So if you have new projects to shoot, now is the time. If we’ve shot a project in the past for you and you could use additional images from that shoot, this is the time!

Again, thank you for your business! We look forward to serving you again soon!

Joel Eden

After many weeks of thought, negotiations and design we have officially launched our new service, centered around our website at www.isitephotos.com.

iSitePhotos was created to meet the growing demand for third party, indexed photo documentation. After being approached no less than four times in 2011 by general contractors requesting the service, we are excited to say we are ready!

Already we are seeing the fruit our service with a recent contract with Mass Services & Supply, a Pueblo based general contractor, to document the 138,000 sf Regional Training Institute at Ft. Carson, CO.

Other contracts are in negotiations, including two apartment complexes in Denver and Boulder.

There are so many reasons to document your project. From risk management to client collaboration, from reduced travel expenses to improved communications, the benefits outweigh the cost on every project. Consider the cost of a single delay due to a dispute with the city or municipality. The cost could go into the tens of thousands of dollars. Now consider having photographic documentation of your case instantly, online, for all parties to see. Multiply this by the size and scope of your project and it becomes obvious that the return on investment is significant.

Our Internet based system allows us to display your plans online with index points for each photograph. Shooting weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, we will upload the images to your project and index them to the points on the plans. We shoot thousands of photographs from the pre-construction stage all the way through to completion. Using our system as designed will greatly reduce dispute issues and vastly improve communications.

When you take into consideration all that can go wrong on a typical construction project, it just makes sense to have a photographic record of what’s being built. Now you can, and have a permanent record of your project.

For more information, please contact us at 888.644.6829 or visit our website at www.isitephotos.com.

For the next two months, until July 31st, you can receive a minimum of 10% but up to 20% discount on your next shoot. Discount is calculated by how many shoots you have uses us for in the past ten months.

Call us at 303-660-6002 or email us  at joel@joeledenphoto.com to speak with us about your next project and get your discount!

Thanks!

Joel

-Discount does not apply to the Production Expenses but to the Production Fee only.

-Cannot be used with Cost-Sharing Contracts.

Are you waiting until summer to get started on your architectural photo shoots because of dormant grass and foliage?

We just finished photographing two medical office buildings in our less than “Colorful Colorado” winter drab.

(Before) Mainstreet Dental Building, Parker, CO

The two projects, located in Aurora and Parker, were designed and built by two brothers John and Dan Horvat who own Archer Development and Horvat Architects.

As part of a re-branding and marketing effort, the Horvat brothers asked me to photograph a series of interior and exterior images. Both projects are used for

(After) Mainstreet Dental Building, Parker, CO

various dental professions including orthodontics, oral surgeons, children’s dental, and tooth whitening.

We got some great shots of the interiors including waiting rooms, offices, procedure rooms and atriums. The exteriors were a bit more challenging however. With the shots being produced in mid-March and well before anything blooms, the images were a bit drab and lifeless.

When Dan asked me to “advance the season” a bit, we got to work. Using some of Photoshop’s advanced imaging functions, we added leaves

(Before) Wheatlands Dental, Aurora, CO

to the dormant trees, replaced the brown grass with fresh green sod, and added shrubs. We even removed a telephone utility box that was front and center.

While none of this information is new to photographers, I did want to write about it to remind our clients that they don’t have to wait until summer to get great results now. It’s true that there is a cost for doing the manipulation work, but if you need the images now, waiting until summer could cost you several months of marketing effort. That marketing time can’t be replaced and could cost you many thousands of dollars of future sales and revenue.

(After) Wheatlands Dental, Aurora, CO

If you need the images now and have been waiting for “things to green up”, consider the cost of waiting. You may find it too expensive.

Joel

A number of years ago, a construction firm entered an award program with the perfect project to win the grand prize. (This is a true story, so I’ll leave out the names). It was a very large project and very well known. The construction process went flawlessly and the media buzz was intense. Its competition, while worthy, wasn’t in league. Truly, this was a perfect project to win the grand prize…but it didn’t. It came in second. Why? That was everyone’s question.

Come to find out, the judges felt that the presentation of the entry and the story was half-hearted. It was almost like they expected to win, and therefore didn’t bother with a top-notch submission. The competition on the other hand had a great project and a great submission, which was weighed into their score and tipped the scales in their favor.

What a shame. Everyone was truly disappointed as I’m sure the judges were too. After all, I’m sure they took a lot of heat for their decision.

Since then, many have wondered what makes a winning submission. While I don’t claim to have all the answers, I can tell you what I’ve learned in my 22 years of experience working on submissions with various creative teams.

But first, let me make it clear that what I am talking about here is a “perfect submission” not a perfect architectural design or construction project. That was the mistake in my example. They had a perfect project, but they lost because of a lack-luster submission.

Vail's Front Door by Hyder Construction, 2008 ACE Winner

Here is what I’ve learned through the years:

1: Pick The Right Project:

Yes, you still have to have a great project to submit. One of the tricks I’ve learned is when not to submit a project. You need to know your competition and what they are building and likely to submit. If you are going head-to-head with a better project, you might be better off waiting until the following year. Check your submission rules and see if the project completion date will qualify for the following year. Or, if possible, enter it into a different category. The idea is to win the ACE, not second place.

2: Know The Rules

Paramount in winning first place is understanding the rules of the contest and how the judges weigh the elements of the submission. Check the websites of American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors and Association of Builders and Contractors for updates and entry rules. For example, the Association of Builders and Contractors submission rules weigh the narrative at 30 percent, the photography at 8 percent, and overall presentation at 5 percent. That is 43 percent of the contest that is directly related to your submission!

3: Compose A Great Story

You might think that since I’m a photographer, I’m going to tell you that it’s all about

Chieftain Building by Drahota Construction, 2000 ACE Winner

having great photography. I’ll get to that in a minute, but the truth is that the key to winning is having a great story to tell.

We have all been to movies that had wiz-bang special effects and almost no story to tell. You probably left the movie feeling you wasted $10. Don’t make the mistake of letting the judges get that feeling from your narrative. This is where you really need to invest your time and energy. If you’re not a great storyteller, hire someone who is. Then, visit the project site. Interview the Project Manager, as well as sub-contractors. Get the inside scoop on the difficulties that must be overcome. If the project has historical importance, make sure you include that too.

4: Supply Dramatic Photography

While it’s not typically scored as high as the narrative, you don’t want to lose because your photography was sub-standard. Judges are influenced by dramatic photography that tell a story visually. If your narrative includes drama (and it should), your photography should be equally dramatic. The old adage is true: a picture is worth a thousand words. Make every image count a thousand words in your favor. You will want these images to compliment the narrative as much as possible.

Fitzimmons Plant by Natkin Contracting, 2002 ACE Winner

These contests are often won by very slim margins. If you and your competition have similar projects and a great narrative, it could come down to the presentation of the photography. A one-point advantage is all it takes to win.

Here are some guidelines for receiving the best photography for your submission:

1. Make sure your photographer is experienced at shooting architecture, especially if they are shooting on an active construction site. This is not the time to hire your friend or a wedding photographer.

2. The photography should compliment the narrative. If possible, give a rough draft of the narrative to the photographer. Ideally, the photographs will visually display the narrated story. This is especially important when the narrative is speaking about challenging events in the construction process.

3. Use a mix of in-progress construction images, and final completed construction images in your submission. If you don’t have the budget to hire all of it done professionally, at least hire the completed construction portion out. Typically, these images are used to showcase your project in a variety of ways such as framed prints at the award banquet, sent to the media or used on competition websites. You will want these to be exceptional quality and professionally produced.

Final Tips:

Begin the process early in the season. Start by asking your management team now about possible projects to submit. This gives you a head start on you competition and allows you time to put together your creative team. This is particularly important when trying to capture important progress photos.

Having an on-site planning meeting with your writer, photographer and Project Manager is a great way to get your creative team on the same page. It allows them the opportunity to:

1. Ask questions and understand the challenges of the project.

2. Develop a time-line for photo shoots with the intent of capturing construction challenges. Remember, you can’t photograph what is already covered up.

3. See in advance what they are writing about or photographing.

In conclusion, no one can guarantee a win on your next entry, and this isn’t intended to be a complete thesis on the perfect submission. But I have seen these steps used in many winning submissions.

Here’s to a great award season!

Joel

If you haven’t used it before or are a new client, here is how it works:

On any given building project, there are typically four to six firms that are interested in final photography. In the past, these firms would often hire their own photographer, making it more challenging for the building management to handle five or six photographers coming in at various times. Since there are typically a common set of images that the architects, general contractor and sub-contractors are interested in capturing, it made sense to me to create a way for my clients to share resources and shoot the project once. By doing this, we are able to offer our clients deep discounts compared to the cost of shooting it individually.

Discounts for the production fee begin at 35% and go up depending on how many firms are participating, maxing out at 70%. In addition, discounts for assistant fees, travel expenses or other production expenses are split evenly among the participating firms.

But is Cost Sharing right for your photography needs? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you decide:

Do you have the budget to commission a photographer solely on your own?

Will broad scope images (images shot of the structure to show it’s size and shape) be of little value in your marketing?

Do you need an Exclusive Use License, limiting the use of the images only to your firm?

If you answered no to two or more questions, you will probably benefit from our Cost Sharing Program.

But what if you need specific images of your product? We can usually accommodate you within the Cost Sharing Program if your scope is not too extensive. If it is too extensive, we can also give you a separate quote on your specific needs. Just let us know.

With budgets what they are these days, the benefits of our Cost Sharing Program are becoming more important than ever.

Joel

Think about it. How often on a given day, are you interrupted by advertisers vying for your attention? Whether it be radio, tv, newspaper ads, phone calls or junk mail, you probably receive hundreds of interruptions daily.  With this much volume, most of us have found ways to avoid it. We get our phone number put on a no call list. We set up our TiVo, record our shows, and watch them without the advertising. We can even subscribe to XM Radio and listen to our favorite programs without hearing any advertising. If you think about it, you’re probably doing some of these things yourself.

The next obvious question is, what are we to do if we want to get our message out?

In my business, I haven’t advertised in the Yellow Pages for years. It’s just not where my clients go to find me. I have done some post card marketing. But it’s expensive to do and not very effective.

The key to Mr. Scott’s book is this: Where do I go when I want to find a product or service? Honestly, I have to say I go to my computer and punch it in the search engine, usually Google. My thinking is that if they are on the internet and they can “sell” me on their product, service and price, I’ll usually give them a shot.

My bet is that you do the same.

Thus, you will be seeing lots of changes on our website in the months to come. I’m looking at adding lots more content, history of projects we’ve shot, and news of the industry. We’re excited about the change and the opportunity to be more connected with clients.

My advice, for what it’s worth, is to look at your marketing in light of the new rules. Your customers are hungry for information, but they want it when they are ready to buy. Any other time is just an interruption.

Joel

I was familiar with the product, having used some of their insulation product on my own home. We used their 2” thick high-density foam to insulate the exterior walls of our foundation. This process keeps the dew

Polar Fold Insulation

point on the exterior surface of the concrete, meaning that the growth of mold and mildew is greatly reduced in basements. I love it. My office/studio is warm and mildew free.

But how was I going to make blocks of foam look good? Well, it started with getting a great tour of their plant and getting educated about the product and it’s many uses.

Turns out, they produce a plethora of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam products for hundreds of uses ranging from construction, geotechnical, packaging and industrial applications. They even use it for theatrical and motion picture sets! ACH Foam Technologies’ EPS products are environmentally friendly, contain recyclable material and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPS insulation is used nationwide in LEED certified projects.

Since the product is, well, pure white, I decided that it would photograph best using bright colored backgrounds. I photographed each product using primary color backgrounds, red, green, and blue as well as no color at all (producing a white to gray gradient). I also positioned the main lights to show as much shape and texture as possible.

My favorite shot is one of a foam cast used to create automotive engine

Lost Foam Foundry Patterns

castings. I just think the shape and color is interesting together.

Recently, Mary asked me to produce images of their Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) used to form the walls of commercial and residential structures. This is an outstanding

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

product. Just look at how it compares to a stick built wall:

-       50 to 70% more energy efficient

-       30 to 40% saving in labor costs

-       Reduced waste at jobsite

-       Contains no CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs or formaldehyde

-       LEED certified

And they go together like Lego’s! The average size house could have all the walls and roof on in a day.

With budgets as tight as they are, SIPs make great sense for energy and labor savings.

So what’s next for ACH Foam Technologies? Whatever it is, I know it will be a time and money saving product that will revolutionize its industry.

Joel

About my client, Mary Burk:

She’s not into titles much, but if she had it her way her business cards would probably just read “Marketing” since she wears so many hats under this title. She is officially the Corporate Marketing Manger for ACH Foam Technologies  (AKA a one-woman marketing department for a 500 person company).

Thanks Mary!