Photographing The Robb Report 2013 Ultimate Home

About a year ago, I was contacted by a few potential clients who wanted to get together and discuss the possibility of shooting a home still under construction. Of course - it sounded like any run of the mill project and the meeting would be a simple brainstorming session of ideas, finding out what angles and features to shoot, and figuring out the optimal time of day(s) to shoot the home. 

I was incredibly surprised when I drove up to the location and first laid my eyes on the home that we would be shooting. A 26,000 square foot, completely custom Italian/Tuscan villa that sat on top of its own private hill with gated access points and what could best be described as castle walls all around. Simply incredible! I've seent a lot of homes and it takes quite a bit to get a big reaction out of me, but this was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The detail and finish work were exquisite. For example, each of the coppi tiles on the roof were salvaged from Italy, and they were hand made hundreds of years ago by artisans who formed them by pressing them over their legs. 

No expense was spared inside, either. The kitchen featured a custom La Cornue range, and the home sported an 8,000 square foot subterranean garage to keep the homeowner's collection in order. Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Teslas, Bentleys, the list goes on, it was all here. There were even a few lifts so that the owner could work on his own cars if he desired. 

Many of the furnishings and finishings were imported from Europe by the owners when they went on shopping trips, and original old-world artwork adorned the walls. A custom movie theatre with a glass floor looking onto the garage below was a rather interesting touch, as was a spiral staircase spanning three floors with an absolutely incredible handcrafted candelebra at the top. I could sit here for days typing out the things about this house that blew me away, but I'll let you take a look for yourself (above and below).

Photoragraphing this place was a pretty daunting challenge. The dark ceilings and walls sucked up a lot of light, and in order to keep things looking natural, a lot of exposure blending and clever (to me, at least) lighting tricks were employed. I didn't want to overlight the place or give it a sort of casino vibe, so I scaled back some of my usual lighting and retouching processes. There were, however, a few rooms that called for that dramatic lit look, such as the theatre and bar at the end of the garage. 

I think knowing when to light and embellish a space and when to hold back and let it speak for itself is such an important part of architectural photography - there's gotta be a rhyme and reason for doing something, though. If a kitchen has a really great ambient feel with big windows and white surfaces, why kill that mood to make it look like a casino? On the other side of the coin, however, when we're shooting a dark room with lots of mood, why not add some light to bring out the sexiness and feel? It's all subjective, of course, but making the space look as good as it can is what I try to do in every situation. If it looks best light and airy, keep it light and airy, and if it needs some mood, light away! Of course, there are many interiors where there needs to be a happy medium between natural light and artificial light. I'm sure you can tell which photos employed almost all natural light, which employed lots of artificial light, and which were a mixture of both.

When all was said and done, I delivered roughly 50 images of the home shot over the course of three days. The planning aspect of a shoot of this scale can't really be underestimated - early mornings, late nights, and plenty of negotiating 'best times' with the homeowner, clients, and weather made sure that I had my work cut out for me.

If you are interested in reading further about the home or seeing more images of the home, be sure to pick up an April 2013 issue of Robb Report.

Historic Architectural Photography: Photographing a Beverly Hills Architectural Icon

Over the past few months, I've been working with the Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Society to photograph historical or otherwise significant pieces of architecture throughout Beverly Hills in an effort to raise awareness of the city's incredibly diverse architecture and the inherent beauty it contains. I've never been an enormous architectural buff or lover of obscure architecture, but I'd be kidding you if I said I haven't started to appreciate the incredible pieces of architecture that can be found throughout LA. While I don't really subscribe to the current 'Beverly Hills' lifestyle (nor do I think I ever will), to be able to work in and see these locations is really something special and I've often got to pinch myself to make sure that this is really happening.

Many years ago, before the influx of people and massive population growth in the Los Angeles area, these homes were crafted with incredible and often painstaking attention to detail and beauty. It unfortunately seems that the homes built in the area today are rather cookie cutter in comparison, and I must say that I really prefer the Beverly Hills of old, all of these homes so full of character and charm, and I very much enjoy being able to raise awareness and show people that there's a bit more to Beverly Hills than the polished and uppity Beverly Hills that we often hear about. Anyway, that's enough rambling for now.

This home in particular is the Locke House, and it lies at the intersection of Rodeo and Lomitas. To celebrate this home's recent inclusion on the list of protected Beverly Hills historic landmarks, a shoot was commissioned and I was so excited to be able to have the opportunity to photograph something so different to what I usually do. It was just a couple of months ago that I was photographing an incredible Greene & Greene home in Pasadena, also of enormous historical signifigance. I'm finding a real affinity for these old homes - there is just nothing like them being built today, and they present a unique series of challenges when it comes to photographing them due to their old layouts and architectural quirks.

Anyway, lets get on to the fun stuff. For this shoot, I used a Manfrotto 3258 for the first time - I think some markets call it a 161MK2B. Whatever it is, I digress, there are a bunch of arbitrary numbers and it's a tripod. It was my first time using this thing - and if you'll notice, it's ABSOLUTELY HUGE! I have been looking for awhile to pick up one of these tripods to get a little bit of elevation in my shots, which is an enormous hurdle to jump. First, I've got to ensure absolutely perfect stillness over the course of hours, which gets exponentially harder the larger the tripod is because the longer legs are susceptible to more torsion and twisting, and the same amount of weight on top of longer legs is easier to move around if they aren't reinforced, and on and on, and something about physics and motion arms that would bore the hell out of you. I wasn't too keen on paying for scissor lifts or Grad-Alls to get elevation, plus they incur a permitting nightmare when you're working in LA, so this tripod seemed to fit the bill perfectly. At maximum extension I can get up to a little over ten feet by my estimating skills. Here's a picture of me on a ladder trying not to hurt myself as I balance up there adjusting settings:

Nerd in the wild!

After I set up the composition and figured out just how to set up this enormity of a tripod, we kicked around and waited for the light to fall so we could add our light and get all of the elements we needed to make the image happen. We were treated to what must have been one of the most spectacular sunsets I've ever seen, which actually just looked TOO good for the final image. I don't want the skies to distract, but rather to add to the image, and while this was simply incredible to witness, it was far too much to use in the final image.

What I ended up using for the final image were some sunsets captured the same night, but in different directions - here you can see how I ended up compositing them and delivering them to the client to pick what she liked best. One of the best parts of creating images the way I do is the amount of control I have over every aspect of an image. Want a different sky? No problem. Different color balance? You got it.

I was perosnally absolutely in love with the top image - it just embodies my personal mantra of 'possible, but unlikely,' striking the perfect balance between an image that is over-edited to the point of being unbelievable, but yet edited enough to instantly grab your attention and let you believe that I captured something that can happen in real life. Here's the final image in all of its glory, which I proudly threw almost immediately into my portfolio.

This is quite a departure from our initial test shot, seen below, and a great example of why it takes so long to create one of my images. Three hours on location and eight hours in post were what went into this shot, and I feel it was worth every second. The client got an image that they won't forget, the homeowner was thrilled, and we presented a unique piece of Beverly Hills in an awesome light that will hopefully get people excited about architectural gems like this.

Interiors Photography: Using Artificial Light To Create Mood And Remove Color Casts

Here is an example of what artificial light can do for an interior photo. While there are many instances where natural light may be all you need, this is a relatively common scenario that I see interior shooters struggling with on a regular basis. 

If you look at the natural light photo, it may look okay at first glance. It's a beautifully appointed, well-staged room, and the composition is as good as it can get owing to obstacles out of the frame blocking any other compositions.

 

But then take a look at the image (below) where I used a healthy dose of artificial light. The true colors of the room immediately come out - the paint no longer has a sickly green cast from the grass outside, the furnishings are their intended colors, and the contrast of the room has improved ten fold. Not to mention the feel that artificial light is able to create - there would be no way to create this Sunday-morning feel using only natural light. HDR would yield a muddy mess, especially in such a high contrast situation, and attempting to use only a single exposure would be a disaster, as illustrated above.

 

So not only does artificial light create a room with correct colors and contrast, but it also lets us entirely change the mood of the photo - something that natural light alone would never allow us to do. And isn't that our job as photographers? To make a space look as good as possible? To want the viewer to say - 'I want that - to be there, soaking up that sun with my coffee and paper!' One of the best things an interior photographer can do for his or herself would be to master not only available light photography, but also to learn how to create emotion via the use of artificial light.

Photographing An Architecturally Significant Home: Pasadena Greene & Greene Built in 1911

I was recently awarded an incredible opportunity: photographing a Greene & Greene home in Pasadena that had been immaculately restored and maintained. I was contacted by designer Christine Kilian (who, notably, was a major force behind the architecture and design of the renowned Getty Museum), who wanted to document the home which contained her work. In addition, the owners were interested in having photos taken as keepsakes to remember their hard work and tireless devotion to restoration.

Built in 1911 by the famed brothers Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene for three sisters from Illinois (Cordelia, Kate and Margaret Culbertson), it had cost $100,000 at the time: the equivalent of more than $2.5 million today. The home is a stunning piece of work, yet markedly different than most of the Greene & Green homes that are scattered throughout Pasadena. Instead of large, bulky, shingle-clad and relatively symmetrical designs, The Culbertson house is covered in a light tan gunite. It has a low facade, somehow resembling a Chinese temple, and a roof of glistening green tile, dashed with red flecks that reflect a varied spectrum depending on the time of day. The home is quirky in its layout; a large, yet asymmetrical U when viewed from above that gently slopes down towards private gardens with views of the mountain ranges behind Pasadena.

This was certainly unlike most homes that I've photographed, as I have spent most of my time photographing new constructions and remodels. Homes dating to 1911 in the area are exceedingly rare (this is where I also mention how jealous I am of all you shooters on the east coast, where a 300 year old home is nothing out of the ordinary), and in many cases owners update them to reflect current trends and tastes.

In order to maintain the feel and mood of the home, I used a lighting approach that maintained a natural look, yet also allowed for the richness and depth of the colors and textures to show in the photographs. In a home such as this, I felt it was absolutely necessary to preserve the mood and ambience of the interior. Careful attention was paid to composition and staging, and in many cases we spent over an hour perfecting furniture layouts and lighting schemes.

Some of the lighting situations from a photography persepctive were somewhat nightmarish. A number of one-point perspective compositions meant some creative light placement was necessary. Cavernous areas covered in dark paints required careful attention when aiming and positioning lights not only to avoid color casts but also to avoid reflections and maintain the natural feel. It's very easy to overlight a big space where such a wide dynamic range is present.

Despite these challenges and the all-day shoot (nearly 12 hours for 12 staged and lit images), everyone involved was thrilled with the outcome. I hope the extra time we put into staging and preparing the space shows, and I know that these images will be used for years to come by everyone involved. Creating timeless images takes time, but I hope you'll agree that the results are worth it!

Traditional Mediterranean Orange County Home

Just wrapped up this shoot on an impeccably staged Orange County home - if only every shoot of mine was staged so well! We did a lot of lighting here to brighten up the interiors and really show off the design inside. Most shots had a 640ws light out the window shot through an umbrella, grid, or reflector to add some splotchy Sunday-morning light to give a bright and airy feel. Most of these shots are simply all done in-camera with slight camera ACR raw tweaks to contrast and saturation. Sometimes instead of crazy composites, everything can be done in camera with some carefully thought-out lighting and patience. While there are ups and downs to both approaches, there's definitely something special about getting everything perfect in the camera. On the other hand, though...sometimes seeing the finished product after a full day's effort in Photoshop is awesome, too!

Stone Canyon, Bel Air Home Overlooking Wilshire Blvd

It's been a really busy few months, and I am just now finding some time to catch back up on the blog. I've been shooting all over the LA area, from Thousand Oaks to Simi Valley, Bel Air and San Pedro. The diversity of architecture across this part of the country never ceases to amaze me - you could lose yourself photographing all of the great homes in the area. 

Check out this Bel Air classic located at the top of Stone Canyon. Situated on five acres with a private golf hole/driving range, indoor/outdoor pool with an infiniti edge, and views over Wilshire Blvd. Simply incredible that I get to wake up and spend time in homes like this.

Santa Monica Contemporary Interior

Shooting for the wonderful Natalie Younger Interiors, we spent a couple of days photographing this space in Santa Monica. While small compared to some of the homes I shoot, I absolutely loved the varying patterns and rhythms found throughout. I could move into that office starting tomorrow, it just drips personality and character. This just goes to show how dramatically a talented designer can transform a normal run of the mill space into something that suits the owner's style and personality. This was so fun to photograph, such a contrast from many of the things that I normally work with.

Photographing An Architecturally Significant Home In Beverly Hills Designed By Paul R. Williams

I was recently hired to photograph this architectural treasure in Beverly Hills, CA. Designed by the great Paul R. Williams, this was his last residential project before his death in 1980. Williams practiced largely in Southern California and designed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Lon Chaney, and Charles Correll. In addition to countless residential projects (over 2,000), he also designed and worked on many well-known public buildings in Los Angeles such as the Theme Building at LAX, The Beverly Hills Hotel, and numerous state and federal buildings in the LA area. For more reading, check out his Wikipedia page here.

Remodeled Ranch: Luxury Real Estate in Montecito, CA

I recently shot this beautiful ranch home in Montecito, CA. Situated on 80 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the property boasted avacado and lemons groves with over 20,000 plants. The view from the top over the fields was breathtaking, as was the recently remodeled interior. I spent an entire day there and wish I could have stayed longer, as it was an incredibly inviting home and the isolation and quiet, only about an hour from LA, was really lovely.

Shooting Architecture in Culver City: An Architectural Photographer's Playground

Culver City, CA, is a veritable goldmine of stunning architecture. Below are the offices of Media Temple, a web hosting and domain service. A very unique building that was a lot of fun to shoot! I channeled my inner Edward Hopper in an effort to create some interesting architecture images, and I'm especially fond of the image that includes the woman running with her dog. If you ever have an afternoon to kill in Los Angeles and you're interested in architecture, I'd definitely recommend parking your car over here (it's all free!) and taking a self-guided walking tour of the architecture in this area of Culver City, located near Jefferson Blvd near Baldwin Hills.