Over the Top

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

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

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

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...

Outdoor Living in Steiner Ranch

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

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!