Plan the story before selecting images
Start with a list of the spaces and decisions the reader needs to understand. A site overview establishes context, an approach view explains arrival, and a sequence of interior views can show circulation and use. Select photographs against that list rather than choosing only the most dramatic images.
An effective sequence moves from the whole project to specific details. If a detail is important enough to include, explain what it contributes: a material junction, a shaded threshold or a transition between public and private space. Several attractive photographs of the same angle can leave more important aspects undocumented.
Write captions that answer a question
Each caption should identify the space, explain what is being demonstrated and distinguish completed work from work in progress. Include the date where construction status matters. If the image illustrates a design response, name that response in plain language so a reader can connect the photograph to the written submission.
For before-and-after comparisons, use similar viewpoints and explain changes in scope. If the photographs were taken in different seasons or under different lighting conditions, avoid attributing every visible difference to the project. A comparison should make the intervention easier to understand.
Check permission and accuracy
Keep an image register containing the filename, photographer, credit wording, permission status and any restrictions on publication. Permission to commission or possess an image does not automatically explain how it may be used in publicity. Resolve the intended use with the relevant rights holder before submission.
Label renders and digitally altered illustrations clearly. Routine presentation adjustments should not turn an unfinished area into a completed one or conceal a feature that is central to a claim. If a photograph contains confidential information, arrange an appropriate approved alternative with the project team.
Review the exported submission
Review photographs at the size in which they will be seen. A detailed facade image can become unreadable when reduced to a small panel. Check that captions remain associated with the correct images and that compression has not obscured the detail being discussed.
Give files descriptive names and retain a record of the final selection. Confirm the organiser’s current file and image requirements before export. A colleague who has never visited the project should be able to understand its setting, principal spaces and key decisions from the selected sequence.
Next steps
Explore award categories · Read the entry guidance