Real Estate
4958 Crystal Cir - Hoover AL Real Estate Photography /
I recently had the pleasure of photographing this amazing house in Hoover for agent Christina James of Realty south. I was amazed how much larger it was on the inside than it appeared on the outside! I especially loved the high ceilings and all the detail work in the fireplace and woodwork! Check out the photos below. If you want to learn more about the home check out the listing here. Or contact Christina James directly: Christina James Cell: 205-965-6483 Office: 205-822-2364 Fax: 205-877-6085 Email: cjames@realtysouth.com
click the thumbnail below to view the full size image
2250 Highland Ave - Birmingham AL Residential Real Estate Photography /
One of the things I enjoy most about real estate photography is that every job is different. Each home give me new challenges and opportunities to stretch myself technically and creatively. Different construction materials interact with light differently. The time of day and the direction the property faces can have an enormous impact on the final image quality. Understanding and accounting for that is what truly separates the professional photographer from the amateur and great photographers from good ones.
When I photograph a house I virtually scout the location to see where the sun will be in the sky given a specific time and day. I plan my shoots around this to maximize my light. For the interiors I bring my own lighting in. Each space is illuminated by up to three flashes. These are mixed with ambient artificial lighting (lamps, etc) and the natural sunlight. This helps me control the light to showcase the home in the best possible manner.
I look for details such as interesting light fixtures, plumbing, appliances, fireplaces, doors, etc to pay extra attention to. All of this means that I’m not the fastest at photographing a house. I will take time to make sure everything is just right.
You can see how this all comes together with this property I recently photographed for Jimbo Kidd and Lee Marks at Realty South. This condo on Highland Ave in the Highland Plaza is amazing. It has one of the best views and best kitchens I’ve ever seen. The style and feel is truly unique and I wanted to make sure I conveyed that in the photos. Click the thumbnails below to see the photos and you can see the full listing here.
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Interested in learning more about the home? Contact Jimbo Kidd jkidd@realtysouth.com
205-870-5420 and tell him I sent you!
Arial Real Estate Photography - Birmingham, Alabama /
One of the neat things about being a commercial photographer is the fact that from one shoot to the next you could be photographing really different things. I’ve photographed neon signs at night, industrial pipe fittings, craft jewelry made artisans from all over the world, to buildings, and corporate head shots. This was one of the more unusual shoots, and one of the most fun.
An auction company needed some arial photography of a plot of land near Alabaster (south of Birmingham, AL). While not something I do everyday, it is sort of in my bloodline. My grandfather, a commercial photographer in Louisiana, made his living by standing on helicopter landing skids to photograph oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately for me I would be able to use a plane and not a helicopter!
Since I don’t know how to fly, I contacted my good friend James Coats (owner of Coats Classic Cars), who does. He graciously agreed to take me up. Meeting at Shelby Co airport, he picked out a high winged, Cessna 2 seater. The high wing would give me a more unobstructed view. We circled around the plot of land in question starting out low, going up to about 3,000ft, and then back down to 500ft. I was able to capture the subject from multiple angles by sticking the camera out an open window!
We got done with the shoot pretty quickly and we were very close to my house (Helena borders Alabaster), so James decided to do a fly by. I texted Kelly, who hadn’t gone back to work yet, that we were on our way. It took us a few passes to find my house since we are nearly in a forest, but soon enough we did. Kelly was even able to get a shot of us with her iPhone!
So take a look at the final result and if you ever need some arial photography give me a call!
click on thumbnail below to view full size image
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1004 Highland Village Trail - Birmingham Alabama Professional Real Estate Photography /
A couple of weeks ago I photographed a beautiful home in Birmingham at The Village at Highland Lakes. The homeowner contacted me after seeing my work online. She and her husband had moved out of state and were highly motivated to sell their home back in Alabama. She knew that with homes, as with most things you’re trying to sell, presentation is a key to successful marketing. While the photos the agent took were fine by most standards, she knew that the home wasn’t being displayed in the best possible manner. She wanted high quality, professional photography of the home. So after discussing with the home owner what they were looking for, and coordinating with the agent (Sarah Eddy), we went out to create some amazing real estate photos of the home. I will say that I appreciate Sarah very much. While on the market the home is being rented and the tenant, while not messy, isn’t the owner. Sarah and I worked for several hours to get everything set and in perfect shape for presentation. This really is the most important aspect of real estate photography. It doesn’t matter how great my technical skills are if the home is a mess and things are out of place. Even though people live there it must be treated like a showroom. After all you are selling the home. You want to present it in the best possible light.
So one bit of advice if you are selling your home or looking to photograph a home for sale, take a few minutes to really look around and see everything that’s visible. Are there any stray items left out, power cords, or personal items? Go through and straighten pictures on the walls, clean the glass, and put everything away. Look at home magazines and compare those rooms to the ones in the home. Try to make them look as close as possible. Not only will this make the photos look better, potential buyers will come away with a more positive impression when viewing the home in person.
Take a look at the photos I created by clicking on the thumbnails below. If you’re interested in more information on this home you can see the listing online here. Of course if you are looking to sell your home, or are a real estate agent with a luxury home property, please contact me today to discuss your needs and schedule the session!
