Building Arizona

Many of us struggle to get the technical professionals on our team to be enthusiastic about writing.  We beg, plead and bribe to encourage them to aid in the proposal process and often are met with considerable resistance, procrastination or outright contempt.  If this is your experience, take a moment to walk in their shoes.

Writing is often very challenging for a technical professional.  They most likely weren’t asked to write very much as a part of their education and training, and they have probably done very little writing since completing their education.  So what do you do when you have a deadline and you need technical know how?  You interview!

When preparing proposals, editorial content or marketing materials, do yourself a favor and conduct brief interviews with your technical staff to get the information you need.

1.    Plan carefully so that you know which questions you will need to ask.
2.    Schedule a set time and provide the questions well ahead of time so that your subject can prepare.
3.    Be on time to your appointment.  This shows you respect their time and they will appreciate you as a professional.
4.    Listen and take detailed notes so you get everything you need the first time.  Taking notes on your computer and recording the interview will help you capture every morsel of knowledge they have to offer.
5.    Write a draft and ask for your subjects’ feedback until you reach a final document that is both concise, engaging and technically accurate.

If you follow these five tips, you will become a valuable resource to your firm.  Few A/E/C marketers can conduct a technical interview, gain the needed information and write a high-quality proposal, article or white paper for publication.  When you become one of the few, you will gain respect and thanks from your colleagues for removing such a daunting and time consuming task from their to do list.

Allison Van Dyke is the CEO of JOLT! Marketing in Phoenix, AZ.  www.jolttoaction.com

I recently interviewed Tucson-based architectural photographer Liam Frederick, who frequently works in the Valley for A/E/C clients.  Here’s some interesting information to get to know him more!

Tell us a little about yourself – your background, what you do, etc.
I have a degree in architecture, and a family background in building/construction. I graduated 6 years ago from the University of Arizona, and have had varied work experience in the architecture world since then. Photography had been a hobby and a passion for years before I attended architecture school, and when there came an opportunity in Tucson to photograph a house, I took it, and did quite well. Combining photography and architectural training seems natural, the critical thinking and attention to detail that is taught in school certainly helps in all aspects of photography, not just architectural photography.

What is important to consider when a company is looking to hire a photographer?
That the photographer is skilled in producing the types of images you are looking for, that they can meet your needs in the budget that you have allocated for photography. It is important to be aware of the previous work of the photographer, to understand the kind of images that their style produces, and to be sure that that fits with your needs.

What new techniques are you using in your photography, and how have they been successful?
I’ve been using a technique that blends together multiple, bracketed exposures to produce a more ‘natural’ image. The human eye/brain can perceive a far greater range of light than today’s cameras, but by blending exposures that contain more information from highlights or shadows, a more complete image can begin to arise. A nice consequence is also the effect this blending has on people in the images. An architectural shot should primarily display the building, and a human figure is normally very dominant in such an image. The technique of exposure blending usually ‘fades’ people in the final shot, introducing a human scale and energy without distracting from the architecture.

What preparation do you need to do before a photo shoot?
For architectural shoots, it is important to visit the site in advance of the shoot. Scouting for angles, being aware of conditions that could hamper a shot, introducing oneself to various parties (tenants, authorities) can smooth the future work. This helps with visualizing the special shots that the architect/client requires. Also, taking the lens cap off can help.

What do you like to photograph in your free time?
Landscapes are a favorite, as well as details and textures that I can find in the landscape. I enjoy examining something small, taking a macro, then switching to a wide lens to capture the context of the small.

What is your favorite photograph – either that you have taken, or that you have seen?
I took a photograph of a young man leaning against a sign in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya (see posted above). The sign had caught my eye first. It was to the side of a store-front, and asked ‘Please do not spit over here’. Simple, bold lettering. I had to have the picture. The young man standing next to the sign simply shrugged as I raised my camera, and after framing a shot on the sign, I recomposed to include him. I nodded to him and moved on. It was 3 months before I developed that film, and was amazed to see what I hadn’t seen. The young man was wearing an Arizona Wildcats t-shirt, the school I was just applying to for my architecture degree. It’s amazing what we don’t see, even looking right at it.