One of the most potent marketing tools business professionals have in their arsenal is networking. Networking is all about connecting people you have worked with and consequently know and trust. It is an excellent way for someone to secure a fully vetted vendor and, likewise, a great way to help business associates gain leads they otherwise would have never encountered.
Earlier this month, a client at Seigel Assoc. introduced me to an architect he had worked with on a previous project. He knew his client, Saltsman Brenzel Design Construction, needed a premier architectural photographer who could quickly jump into a project that needed to be photographed prior to the leaves dropping. I fit the bill, and a connection was made – I was highly experienced in this type of photography, and a trusted associate's referral quickly sealed the deal.
On October 8th, I met on-site with Tom Saltsman, and we did a walk-through to assess the project's scope. Time was of the essence, so we considered shoot dates, and I quickly produced a detailed shooting plan and quote. During our walk-through, key actions were identified, such as adding flowers, staging the interiors, blowing off leaves, opening the pool, and straightening the exterior. With the weather in our favor, we scheduled the shoot for two days away.
On the day of the shoot, we met at 9:00 am to capture the east-facing facades. On a property like this and at this time of year, the sun's angle is a significant factor, so planning each shot by time of day was critical to success. As an architectural photographer, I typically follow the sun around a building to capture each façade in sunlight. Between each shot, we removed anything that identified the owner, but took quick shots on our phones to return everything to its original state. We also removed all Halloween decorations to mitigate seasonality and decorations that might detract from the architecture. Again, photographing all decorations first, so we could return them to their original configuration once we finished.
As the sun moved across the main façade, we transitioned between shooting exteriors and interiors. As with the exteriors, the sun's position was crucial in capturing the ideal interior shots.
The time of year and position of the front of the home posed a problem. It faced north with the ocean behind it. This late in the year, we did not have direct sunlight on that façade, so decided to shoot it just before sunset to capture it in soft twilight. As the light dwindled, we shot all the other facades to obtain a set of "magic" hour photos. The result was a series of lovely shots of a magnificent residence.
I greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with Tom Saltsman and his team from Saltsman Brenzel Design Construction. It is important to remember that the project would not have happened without the referral from Steve Seigal of Seigal Associates. Good things happen with referrals, and I encourage all my readers never to stop networking. Ask for referrals, and you will get better results. Of course, always look for opportunities and ways you can help your business associates by referring them. Networking is a two-way street.