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...

Business is Good

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

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

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

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!