There are many guidelines to follow and regulations to know before transmitting your first Historic American Buildings Survey to the Library of Congress. From how long to wash archival negatives, to what printing paper to use. All the twiddly bits like negative marking pens and where to get the 5×7 envelopes (for the 4×5 negatives) are all explained on my HABS/HAER/HALS FAQ page here: HABS FAQ Link
There’s also a really good (ongoing) discussion on the Large Format Forum about doing 4×5 photography for a living as a HABS, HAER, or HALS Photographer. Not working for the National Park Service or Heritage Documentation Programs, as an in-house photographer, but rather doing freelance HABS/HAER photographs of historic places for cultural resource management firms, cities, and government contracts. Follow the discussion here: https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?147221-Tips-and-advice-for-a-young(ish)-Photographer-on-getting-into-HAL-HAER-HALS
If you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography take a look at our website.
Stephen Schafer
Architectural Photography
Ventura, California
Ph: 415-857-HAER