Architectural & Interior vs CGI & Hybrid Imagery
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — architectural & interior compared with cgi & hybrid imagery.
Last revised
Both sit under Photography & Product Visuals, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
In one line each
- Architectural & Interior
- Photography of buildings and interiors for real estate, architects, hotels and designers, shot to show space, light and materials accurately.
- CGI & Hybrid Imagery
- Rendered product imagery matched to photographic plates — camera, lighting, grain and color pipeline aligned so the composite survives a close look.
Head to head
| Architectural & Interior | CGI & Hybrid Imagery | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $1,650.00 per day | From $120.00 per image |
| Typical turnaround | — | 5–15 working days |
Pick Architectural & Interior when
Architectural & Interior:
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $1,650.00 per day against $120.00 per image for CGI & hybrid imagery
- The job is specifically aerial & drone photography, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically exterior & facade photography, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically interior photography, which sits under this one
Pick CGI & Hybrid Imagery when
CGI & Hybrid Imagery:
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $120.00 per image against $1,650.00 per day for architectural & interior
- The job is specifically camera matching & plate integration, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically CGI lifestyle compositing, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically CGI product visualization, which sits under this one
When you need both
Verdict More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Photography & Product Visuals sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
Architectural & Interior starts at $1,650.00 per day and CGI & hybrid imagery at $120.00 per image. Complexity and volume move both, and the cheaper unit is not always the cheaper job.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Architectural & Interior — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- CGI & Hybrid Imagery — the same for the alternative
- Photography & Product Visuals pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — two of your existing shots, edited and color-matched, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
