San Antonio Architectural Photographer: Portfolio & Services
Hi — I’m David Pezzat. I photograph buildings, spaces, and the stories they tell. For more than a decade, I’ve worked with property managers, hosts, architects, developers, interior designers, and preservationists across San Antonio and South Texas to create images that communicate design intent, attract buyers and tenants, and preserve the city’s architectural character. This article walks through my portfolio highlights, services, working process, and why hiring David Pezzat Photographers is an investment in your project’s success.
Why Architectural Photography Matters in San Antonio
San Antonio is a city of layers: Spanish colonial missions, Victorian downtown buildings, mid-century modern homes, and contemporary infill projects. Good architectural photography does more than document — it interprets form, light, and material to show how a space functions and feels. For architects and developers, strong imagery is proven to increase project visibility, help secure funding, and accelerate leasing or sales.
Consider a few local realities: San Antonio’s tourism industry brought in over $5 billion in visitor spending in recent pre-pandemic years, and real estate and commercial development continue to grow along corridors like the Pearl, Hemisfair, and downtown riverfront. Visual storytelling is a competitive advantage in a market where first impressions often happen online.
My Portfolio: Types of Projects I Shoot
At David Pezzat Photographers, we specialize in several categories of architectural photography. Each category uses a different visual approach to highlight what matters most to the client.
Commercial and Office Buildings
For commercial properties, the goal is to communicate function, circulation, and prestige. Images emphasize façades, lobbies, common areas, and the relationship between interior and exterior. These photos are tailored for leasing brochures, websites, and investor presentations.
Residential and Model Homes
Residential work focuses on lifestyle and material detail. Model homes and custom residences benefit from twilight exteriors, staged interiors, and wide-angle views that show flow between rooms. High-quality photos can increase listing views and reduce time on market.
Hospitality and Restaurants
Hospitality photography aims to evoke atmosphere — mood lighting, human activity, and the sensory details that make a guest choose one place over another. These images are frequently used in marketing, review platforms, and booking sites such as hotels and short-term rentals.
Historic Preservation and Cultural Sites
San Antonio’s Missions National Historical Park and Historic Market Square have unique photographic needs: careful lighting, contextual shots, and documentation for preservation reports. I work with conservation teams and historians to create images that meet archival standards.
Services Offered
My service menu is designed to cover every stage of a project’s visual needs, from single-shot listings to multi-day marketing campaigns.
Standard Architectural Photography
High-resolution interior and exterior images, color-corrected, perspective-corrected (keystone correction), delivered as web- and print-ready files.
Twilight and Night Photography
Twilight photos bring facades and lighting schemes to life. These sessions are scheduled around the best light and often require supplementary lighting and staging support.
Drone / Aerial Imaging
FAA-compliant drone photography and video capture context, massing, and site relationships. All flights are performed under Part 107 compliance and local ordinances; permits are secured as needed.
Virtual Tours and 360° Photography
Interactive virtual tours help remote stakeholders explore spaces. Tours can be embedded on websites and linked to listings for an enhanced online experience.
Post-Production & Retouching
Includes exposure blending, HDR, perspective control, sky replacement when appropriate, and selective retouching. Final files are optimized for both print and web.
Styling and Staging Coordination
I collaborate with professional stylists and can recommend local stagers and furniture rental resources to ensure the space reads well on camera.
My Process: From Booking to Delivery
Clarity and efficiency reduce stress and deliver better photos. The process is straightforward and tailored to each client’s timeline and goals.
1. Pre-Shoot Consultation
We define objectives, select shots, and plan timing. For commercial campaigns, a shot list and mood board ensure alignment between marketing and design goals.
2. Site Visit and Permitting
Complex jobs may require a site visit prior to the shoot and coordination for access, power, staging, and drone permits. This step helps anticipate lighting challenges and logistics.
3. The Shoot
Shooting typically takes 2–8 hours, depending on scale. Twilight work is scheduled around sunset; interiors usually benefit from mid-morning or late-afternoon light.
4. Editing and Delivery
Initial selects are delivered within 48–72 hours for single-site shoots; larger projects follow a mutually agreed-upon timeline. Final deliverables include high-resolution images, web-sized versions, and usage-ready files.
Equipment and Technical Standards
Professional gear matters, but intention matters more. The kit includes full-frame cameras, tilt-shift lenses for critical perspective control, pro-grade lighting, and drone systems. Image workflow follows archival best practices with color-managed monitors and non-destructive editing.
Files are delivered as JPEG or TIFF; RAW files available by request for repeatable color matching in design workflows. Images include metadata and usage rights specified in the contract.
Pricing and Licensing
Pricing depends on scale, number of images, and intended usage. Basic residential shoots start at an entry-level fee for a limited set of images, while commercial licenses and multi-location campaigns are quoted per project. Licensing can be tailored — from single-use marketing to perpetual multi-channel rights for large campaigns.
For public-sector or preservation work, nonprofit discounts and photo-licensing for archival purposes are available. Estimates are provided after a brief project briefing and site review.
Why Hire David Pezzat Photographers
Hiring a photographer is an investment in how a project is perceived. These are the reasons clients choose to work with David Pezzat Photographers:
- Deep local knowledge. Familiarity with San Antonio neighborhoods, permitting, and seasonal light patterns ensures efficient shoots with strong visual outcomes.
- Design-sensitive imagery. A background in architectural thinking helps produce images that respect a designer’s intent and communicate function and form clearly.
- End-to-end service. From shot planning and staging coordination to drone operations and final delivery, the full workflow is handled with professional standards and clear communication.
- Proven results. Clients consistently report increased listing engagement, smoother fundraising materials, and better quality submissions for awards and publications.
References and Resources
These resources are useful for project planning, permit requirements, and local context.
- City of San Antonio: Permits and Development Services —
- National Park Service: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (for preservation photography guidelines) —
- American Institute of Architects (AIA) — design and photography considerations —
FAQs
Below are answers to common questions from clients. If anything below doesn’t address a specific concern, direct inquiries are always welcome.
How long does a typical shoot take?
Residential shoots usually take 1–3 hours; commercial or hospitality projects can take a full day or multiple days depending on scale. Twilight sessions are scheduled separately and require additional setup time.
Do you provide staging or props?
Staging is available through preferred partners. Basic styling (tacking down rugs, adjusting furniture) is part of the shoot, but full staging and furniture rental are coordinated and billed separately when requested.
Can you shoot occupied buildings with tenants in place?
Yes. For occupied sites, the shoot is planned to minimize disruption. Some tenant cooperation is required for access and clearing of key areas.
How long until I receive the final images?
For most single-site shoots, initial selects are delivered within 48–72 hours and final edited images are returned within 7–10 business days. Larger projects have custom timelines agreed up front.
Case Studies and Measurable Outcomes
Photography contributes to measurable outcomes in development and real estate. A few examples illustrate the value:
- A boutique hospitality client reported a 23% increase in direct bookings after a refreshed visual campaign that included twilight exteriors and lifestyle imagery.
- A mixed-use developer used professional photos in leasing brochures and online campaigns and saw a 30% faster lease-up compared with comparable properties without professional photography.
These outcomes are contextual — photography is one component among marketing, pricing, and amenities — but strong visuals consistently improve market performance.
Next Steps — Booking and Consultation
Interested in scheduling a shoot or requesting a quote? The best step is a quick consultation where objectives, usage rights, and timelines are clarified. A brief site brief, sample images you admire, and intended usage will allow for an accurate estimate.
Contact options include email or phone for direct scheduling. For larger projects, a preliminary site visit is recommended to finalize logistics and timing.
Call to Action
If the visual story of your project matters, let’s plan a shoot that showcases the design and intention behind it. Email david@davidpezzat.com or call (210) 414-2382 to set up a free 15-minute consultation.
Closing Thoughts
Architecture is built to be experienced in three dimensions and over time. Photography is the tool that translates that experience into a single frame — or a series of frames — that live online, in print, and in proposals. Whether the job is a modest residential refresh or a large commercial roll-out, the right images help the audience understand and value the design. The goal is to create photographs that respect the work, convince stakeholders, and last as part of a project’s visual legacy.
Thank you for considering David Pezzat Photographers. The city of San Antonio has a rich architectural story; capturing it authentically and effectively is a privilege.