C. L. Fry Photography

Over the Top

2010-04-20T10:24:00.001-07:00

Okay, maybe not "over the top", but approaching it, compared to the properties I shoot for real estate on a regular basis. The two homes featured this month are spec homes by the same builder; the first is a fairly high-end home in Barton Creek, measuring just shy of 9,000 square feet, and the other is a little more modest at under 6,000 square feet.

This is not a mirrored image, but two 3-car garages...

Yes, That is a fireplace you see to the left...

The smaller house in Steiner Ranch:

Dripping Springs

2010-03-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

A double feature this month! I recently had the pleasure of shooting two interesting homes back-to-back in Dripping Springs. Both were fairly large 1-story homes with some unusual features for homes in their price range, but had very different floorplan design philosophies. The first was private and formal, while the second was open and casual.

It's unusual to see barrel ceilings in this price point:
The first house is divided by the entry and formal living, with the entry open only to the formal living (above) and the formal dining (below); the rest of the home was kept fairly private, accessible only by halls on either side.

Of course, potential buyers tend to want to see what the whole front of a house looks like, but sometimes it just isn't practical, so sometimes a real estate photographer has to compromise... The second home is on about 5 acres, with the front elevation blocked by seemingly countless oaks; this made for a mess of a photo, especially for the small images used in listings, so I had to move in for a partial shot, using the walk to guide you to the entry.

A gallery hall passes from the foyer along side the kitchen, with small openings into the kitchen at counter and ceiling heights, on either side of a niche:
A large covered patio... a fire always helps the photo:

Mountain City Secret

2010-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Modest in size, but big in luxury, this 2700 square foot home is tucked away in a small community near Buda, Texas. Some of the features and details in this house are high-end, such as transom openings above interior doors, limestone trim throughout (yes, all the white trim is actually machined limestone, not cast faux stone), stained concrete floors and lighting galore.

As with most properties, this home presented some challenges for a real estate photographer. The house was rented and vacated about a day proir to the shoot, and while the carpet was new and the interior paint fresh, the windows were still dirty and a fresh coat of wax on the concrete floors was highly reflective. The views out the windows were of no significance, so I exposed them to bright to to hide the dirty film. The rooms with reflective floors were saved until the sun dropped low enough that it didn't shine directly into the windows.

Delightfully 70's

2010-02-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

I recently had fun shooting this small, well preserved 70's contemporary on Lake Austin. Stepping into the 2/2 vacation home took me back, with lots of glass, timber, large, open volumes and the original orange... yes, orange, countertops throughout. Among my favorite features were the open timber and tile staircase, which was separated from the true sunroom by glass. Being situated on the north end of Lake Austin shoreline commands a cool price in the mid $700,000's.

Updates? Why? Who needs'm? The original kitchen and baths are in outstanding condition and have loads of character...

Business is Good

2010-02-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

Real estate photography started with a bang for 2010 in Austin, so much so that I totally forgot about my monthly post! Since I missed January altogether, I thought I'd just post a few highlights from the month, and try to get around to picking a home my February post before the month is over, which is only a few days away. Lets hope that this is a sign of things to come, both for my business as a real estate photographer and for the real estate market itself!

I would like to use this last photo to point out that a cloudy, rainy day doesn't mean that it will result in a dreary twilight shot...

Hyde Park Character

2009-12-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

Nestled in the desirable neighborhood of Hyde Park in Austin, this remodel and addition oozes character. The original home was built in 1905 and retains the porch and front 3 rooms, as well as reclaimed Long Leaf Pine floors throughout. At a cozy 1937 sq ft, it listed for just shy of $600,000... I say "listed", as I was notified 4 days after I shot it that it was already under contract!

Lake View Lots

2009-11-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

I thought I could handle "blogging" once per month, but I guess I was wrong... so, since I nearly missed 2 months, this post will be a little different... I'll feature two properties, and to change things up a bit, they'll both be lots.

Until recently, I've never been asked to shoot a lot, and to be honest, wasn't really sure how to approach such a request, since it's not exactly easy to take a pleasing photo of a small piece of land. In many cases, and particularly in these, there's more to a property than a patch of dirt or a slope with shoulder-high brush; there's often neighborhood amenities, views, and other nearby features that would make a property appealing.

In this case, both lots were in Lakeway on lake Travis; one in "Rough Hollow", a newer, upscale neighborhood, while the other was in an older section of Lakeway on Star Street, with some homes built as early as the 70's. Both had fantastic amenities nearby, particularly the Star lot, which was right around the corner from the marina, restaurant, pools, etc.

The Rough Hollow lot and amenities:
View of the lake

Entrance to the "Club"
Marina and pool

Star Street Resort and amenities:

Marina
Main club facility
Restaurant and sitting area
Restaurant and three-tiered pool
Pool and waterslide
West-facing deck

I had fun shooting these properties, each time running around the neighborhoods an hour before sunset to decide where I needed to be at what times, then then running around again trying to hit those times for optimal light. Of course, these are less than half of the photos I took, so as you can imagine, I was busy... and can't wait to do it again.

Outdoor Living in Steiner Ranch

2009-09-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

When shooting real estate, a photographer doesn't have much control over weather conditions; you shoot when you are scheduled to shoot, and make the best of it. If you can't get a break from the rain, you return another day for the exterior shots. If you are lucky enough to catch a break, it can actually work in your favor since trees, plants, concrete, etc look better when it's wet.

I was lucky enough to get such a break for this house, and while the cloudy skies aren't particularly beautiful, they did solve a potentially big problem: the house faces due north and I was shooting mid-day, which would normally result in harsh shadows and a back-lit subject. In this case though, the clouds diffused the harsh light and eliminated shadows.

The owners of this 2 story home in Steiner Ranch were a very sweet older couple; the kind of home owners that this profession even more enjoyable. In addition to their pleasant, friendly personalities, they also had a wonderfully eclectic decorating style!

Subtle Class

2009-08-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in last month's post, I love it when a home surprises me, and this little 1295 square foot house in south Austin was no exception. Once again, I headed out to do what I expected to be a routine shoot, only to be treated to a modestly modern remodel.

Perhaps the highlight of this home is the front yard and landscaping; you are guided to the entry by a walk created with square slabs of concrete, which skirt along a gravel sitting area with a cylindrical concrete fountain as the focal point.

Update: This home went under contract within 2 days of posting!

Simple Style

2009-07-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'll come clean and admit that, when I first saw the old MLS photo of this simple little ranch style house in south Austin, I wasn't too excited about shooting it... as a real estate photographer you begin to live for the larger, higher-end homes, and the small, simple ones are... well, just something you have to do. However, I love it when a well designed little house like this turns it all around.

At a little over 1800 square feet, the smart floor plan makes the most of its limited space. I was also surprised to find out that the home was decorated by the owner herself, and she did a really nice job. I think it will show very well and make a prospective buyer very happy.

Georgetown Bargain

2009-06-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

One of the nice things about moving beyond the suburbs is power of the dollar. This 3940 square foot custom home is listed for $479,000... less than many production homes closer to the city. Someone who is willing to commute an extra 15 minutes will be rewarded with a large steam shower, commercial appliances, slate and hardwood floors, as well as countless other details found in homes that often cost twice as much.

Driftwood Luxury

2009-05-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

In small community just southwest of Austin, Texas, this tasteful home provides a great deal of luxury in a modest size. At just 3500 square feet, there is little wasted space, yet you'll find features such dome ceilings, timber beams and headers, and limestone interior walls.

This home proved to be something of a photographic challenge; the front of the house was bordered by a cliff, requiring a wide angle lens (which I don't like to use on exteriors) to capture the elevation, and preventing me from using my roof-rack rig to photograph from the top of my SUV. Other challenges were presented by dark wall and sloped ceiling colors upstairs, making some rooms difficult to light, and warm colors on the first floor that presented a tad of a white-balance challenge. These things resulted in a little extra time spent on the property, but the end results I think turned out pretty well.

Lajitas Adobe

2009-04-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

As an architectural photographer, occasionally you get a real treat and an opportunity to photograph a truly unique home. This 600 square foot adobe house is off the grid in Lajitas, Texas and is self-sustaining. All construction materials, including doors and windows, were either taken from the site or made in nearby Ojinaga, Mexico. Electricity is generated via solar and wind and water is provided by two 1800 gallon rain catchment tanks. Perched on a cliff, the owner affords beautiful views of mountains to the east.

Hidden Glen

2009-03-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Offered at just below $395,000, This Texas style home in Round Rock, Texas appears unassuming from the street, but packs a bit more luxury than expected once you enter it's full height foyer.

There often some challenges in real estate and architectural photography. The two biggest challenges on this home were a very large powerline tower behind the house and the whole family being home at the time of the shoot, which slowed things down considerably. Since my policy is to not modify or remove any permanent features or issues in post-processing, my approach is to minimize the problem; for most front exterior elevation shots I prefer to move back and use a "normal" lens, however in this case it resulted in the powerline tower looming over the top of the house, so this time I chose to photograph it using a wider angle lens, allowing me to get closer to the house which blocked the tower from view, with only the powerlines to the left telling the story.