This article outlines simple guidelines on when it’s acceptable to crop or alter project images and when it’s not.
1. Image modification
Project images uploaded into the Projects section of an ArchiPro profile should never be modified without the photographer’s prior agreement.
In the licensing agreement between photographers and their clients, it is commonly stipulated that images cannot be modified without the prior consent of the photographer.
The exception is when the image is modified but retains the intent and emphasis of the original composition.
Below is an example of acceptable and unacceptable modifications:
✅ The cropping honours the intent and emphasis of the original composition.
Photography Credit: Dennis Radermacher / www.lightforge.co.nz
❌ The cropping shifts the focus of the image to a minor aspect of the image or removes the vast majority of the original image.
Photography Credit: Dennis Radermacher / www.lightforge.co.nz
2. Banner Images
The banner image at the top of each project page is modified for layout and site consistency purposes only, and remains in line with the original intent of the image.
The banner image is automatically cropped to fit the narrow, full width of the page. To ensure this image represents the initial intent of the image, it can be moved up or down to showcase the project to advantage.
The banner image has a filter automatically applied to it across both projects and products, as the filter ensures that all articles have a visual consistency on the website.
If a photographer is unhappy with the tonal change to the banner image, we’re happy to speak with them and revert to the original tone.
3. Cropping images for social media
Social media sites commonly have automatic cropping applied to uploaded images. For example, when we share a project on Instagram we are restricted by the platform’s image dimensions.
If there is a project that we are promoting and a photographer is unhappy with how their image has been cropped, we're happy to work with them to crop the image in a way that they feel best showcases the image.