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...

Lake View Lots

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.