Doing a twilight exterior of a home this size brings some unusual challenges. I tested the absolute limits of the Camranger and my strobe's radio triggers!
There’s one home in the Birmingham area that stands head and shoulders above the rest in size, grandeur, and fame. It’s guitar shaped front yard, massive size, and hefty price tag have made it famous throughout the land. Built 20 years ago, this home in the super exclusive Shoal Creek neighborhood, is the largest in Alabama. It’s one of the largest in the entire country.
There are fifteen bedrooms in the main house, plus more above the horse stables and the guest house. It features a gym, theatre, pool room, a gazebo on the roof, several kitchens, several living rooms, several laundry rooms, a bar, and so so much more. In total, it cost the homeowner $30 million to construct.
Unfortunately though, because of its enormous size and price tag, it has sat on the market for quite some time (the previous photos didn’t help it much either). Now, a luxury auction company from Texas is set to auction the home to the highest bidder. They knew that they would need much higher quality images that what had been done before to entice the right bidders. I was thrilled when they contacted me to do just that. I knew that this home would be a challenge. The sheer size and number of photographic opportunities made it daunting. Lighting and selecting the best angles were key to showing off this home’s potential.
My assistant (and aerial drone photographer) Alan and I started shooting at 9 am. Other than a short lunch break, we worked non stop. The last of the gear wasn’t loaded into the car until 8:30 that evening. It was a long day, (my fitness tracker said I waked 5.9 miles, took 15,000+ steps, and climbed 22 flights of stairs), but I feel the end result was worth it. Hopefully my images will help sell this magnificent home once and for all!
The driveway alone was very impressive. I wanted to include some of the trees to give a sense of the distance and scale.
Doesn't get much grander for a staircase!
Looking from the main living room towards the entrance. All of the oil paintings, tapestries, and hand done carvings made this one a unique challenge.
One of several offices.
Most impressive home theatre I've ever seen by far.
See more of my architectural and interiors photography portfolio.