It Never Fails...

I don’t know why. Maybe it is a quark of human nature. Maybe it has to do with some abstract statistical theory like “Reversion to the Mean.” But every time I am super happy with a shoot and I think the images I delivered came out great, I get a complaint from the seller. Typically the agent is happy, and the two of us are blindsided by the owner of the property. Case in point, I left the shoot below knowing I had some good images in the can. I actually could’t wait to edit them. When I saw the finished product below I patted myself on the back and prepared to bask in the praise of my clients.

When I heard back that the photos were “taken at the worst time of day” and not worthy of a professional photographer I didn’t know what to say. Am I happy with them? Yes. Did do my best? Yes. Am I going to go back and do a sunset shoot and some twilight exteriors? I sure am. It is not what I think. It is what the client thinks. I am sure every chef has learned you can’t please everybody and it is something I am adapting to. So I will go try again and see if I can’t make them a little happier. Merry Christmas :)

15 Minutes Can Make All The Difference

I often have trouble explaining to my clients that timing is everything. I understand the desire to get things done when they are convenient. Or even more so, to get them done fast. It is hard to wait an extra hour, or day, for the right conditions. But there is no substitute for the right time of day. The sun is the single best light source a photographer can use and there is no substitute. If you look at the photos below you can see what a difference just 15 minutes can make.

Believe it or not the sun was out in both of these shots. It was not a cloud but the building on the right that was creating the shade. I took the photo below just to cover my bases in case the weather turned. During the rest of the shoot the shadow of the building moved across and illuminated the entire balcony. It made a huge difference. The photo above is clearly the better of the two. This effect is even more profound, and predictable, when shooting ocean front listings with a view. We know that the sun is only going to light up the balconies for so long in the morning. Which is why, if you are one of my clients, I have pushed you to hurry up with that coffee so we can get started shooting.

AirBnB, all about the details...

One of the things that AirBnB does best are the vignettes, or detail, images that it adds to each listing. These give every space its own “personality” and make it feel more inviting. For this reason it is important to stage little areas that lend themselves to these types of photos. I was fortunate to photograph an AirBnB with a designer who was an expert at just this. Take a look at how these little touches can really bring the entire area together.

Serenbe Workshop

The past week in Serenbe, Georgia was spent learning from one of the best interior photographers in the U.S.. Barry Grossman has spent decades shooting for some of the nations biggest publications. I was super impressed with the Capture One answer to Lightroom and could definitely see my self making the leap. I was also able to use the new Phase one medium format systems and learn from the people who make them. It was a life changing experience that will impact the way I look at every location moving forward. I cannot wait to go back next year!