Architectural Photography in Santa Barbara, CA: Private Residence by VFS Architecture

One of my favorite parts of California is Santa Barbara County, so it is always exciting to get sent on an assignment to shoot a project there. VFS Architects of New York contacted me to shoot a recently completed project for them in Santa Barbara, and I jumped at the chance. Santa Barbara is the definition of 'easy livin' - and it's not hard to see why. This gorgeous home was situated on top of a hill with views over the Pacific and Channel Islands, tucked away above the marine layer. 

The assignment was relatively simple, in the grand scheme of things, but required a bit of restraint due to client requests. A natural light look was desired, to make the home appear as relaxed and open as possible. While natural light sounds simple enough, there's often a large amount of shaping and refining that light to get it looking as good as it can for the camera. With the twilight shot (above) there was still a considerable amount of exterior lighting at play, from both hot light and strobe, in order to retain detail throughout. Even when applied very lightly, some supplemental lighting can go a long, long way to retain a natural feel and add depth and dimension to architecture.

So, even with the requested 'natural light' look, it still took us a full day to produce 8 images. We played quite a bit of a waiting game with the sun, waiting for it to get to just the right spot, and there was (as you can see) some whack-a-mole with the scrims going on to control and soften some of the highlights.

As a side note, while I do love putting together my twilight exterior images, I have to say that I've got quite a soft spot for showing architecture in late afternoon golden light, as seen below. There is just so much depth and texture that can be brought out when the sun is low on the horizon, bathing everything in a warm light. So much can be done to make an image warm, inviting, and dimensional just by waiting for the right light.

I think that this image (below) is my favorite from the shoot. It shows all of the home's significant architecture, the location, the feel, and the expanse of the property, something which is usually at a premium around Los Angeles and Southern California in general.

Lastly, a rear elevation shot at about 12' showing the architectural details of the back of the home:

Which is quite a semi-symmetrical feast for the eyes!

Upcoming Architectural Photography Tutorial DVD And Workshops With Fstoppers.com

Over the past few months, I've been scheming with Lee Morris and Patrick Hall of fstoppers.com to bring our combined talents together and produce a DVD/tutorial series on the subject of architectural photography. So in May and June of this year, I once again left Los Angeles and headed to Charleston, SC to begin production on the largest project I've been involved in to date. Working with local advertising agencies, we set up a series of shoots for varying clients all over the Charleston area and we were lucky enough to get them to allow us to film everything that went on. 

This is, for the most part, an entirely comprehensive tutorial. While it would be pretty impossible to teach EVERY single method of architectural photography, we did our best to cover the basics all the way through the more advanced techniques. We've got a chapter on shooting real estate and getting things right in the camera, for those who are just starting out with minimal gear. We've got a chapter shooting a home for one of Charleston's most well-known architects, where we dive into topics such as using natural light, staging a room, using scrims and subtractive lighting, light painting, and photoshop techniques to bring it all together. We've got a chapter dealing with commercial photography for restaurant interiors, as well as creating moody light painted scenes and controlling light from multiple sources to ensure that you can create a repeatable result in pretty much any situation that could ever arise. We got to shoot at some of Charleston's (and the country's) best restaurants - such as Husk, which has been voted the best new restaurant in America and has featured on many TV segments in the past few years. Very, very exciting stuff! 

Each image in the tutorial was designed to teach a technique, so keep that in mind while viewing. We wanted to show you a myriad of options for creating your own awesome architectural images, so we really pulled out all the stops and went to down wherever possible. Even if we didn't need to do it for a certain image, we included the technique anyway, just to give you as many options as possible for soliving problems that you'll face on any given architectural or interior shoot.

And here's the most exciting part of all of this. We've decided to release one of the shots - a dusk light painted exterior - with the DVD. That means you'll get the PSD files and you'll be able to follow right along as I edit the file in the tutorial. You'll be able to create an image exactly as I am, folllowing my every move - learning my techniques exactly in the method that I use them. No stone will be left unturned, as I wanted this to be an entirely comprehensive tutorial. 

Above, I've included a few of the images that we're going to walk you through step-by-step. All told, we shot over 20 images and it looks like at least fifteen of them are going to make it into the final cut. Each of them teaches a different technique - from light painting, to dealing with tricky color casts, to adding artificial light through windows, fixing pesky window views and ensuring that you can see whatever you want to see out a window, balancing light at different times of day, and so on and so forth. I'm really, really excited about this project, and I can't wait to see it released. 

As of right now, we're planning for a fall 2013 release; definitely before the new year. Keep your eyes peeled for more details, which I'll release as we get closer to completion. We've also got a number of promotional videos in the works that I'll post and share, as well!

More to come...looking forward to it all! 

Architectural Photography in Phoenix, AZ: Desert Landscapes And Pastel Colors

One of the best things about being an architectural photographer is definitely the amount that I get to travel. I recently packed up the car, blew Los Angeles a kiss, and headed to Phoenix, Arizona for a week to photograph five custom homes by a builder based in Scottsdale. The client, C5 Builders, was looking to improve their advertising presence by upping the quality of their photographs.

While these homes were finished between 2005 and 2011, they didn't look dated to my eyes at all. They were such a breath of fresh air to photograph:  low, flat roofs and plenty of clean lines make for an architectural photographers' paradise. My favorite thing about these homes were definitely the exteriors. While here in LA we're blessed with plenty of interesting exteriors, it's great to shoot a totally different style, and Phoenix has plenty of unique exteriors due to its climate and the desire of many architects to integrate the home into the desert landscape in such a way to not disturb it at all. Many of the homes are planned to precisely follow the existing landscape - in many areas, it is forbidden to dig more than a foot or two into the ground, and you are encouraged to build around the beautiful Saguaro cacti that populate the area. If you need to remove one, you must replant it locally, and in many cases homes are designed entirely around old growth Saguaros because of the delicate arms. It's much, much easier to relocate the young Saguaros, or spears as they are known, due to their lack of arms. If you must move one of the big guys, it takes tons of special equipment and is often done at great cost. 

Photographing out here definitely requires a number of alterations to workflow, as well. Because we were shooting in the spring, which is apparently the season when Rattlesnakes are the most active - we were always on the lookout (and the listenout, if you will) for that signature rattling sound. In many cases my tripod was set up in untamed desert - not many people buy into the whole concept of a manicured lawn in Phoenix - and plenty of small wildlife darted in and out of my tripod legs. It was definitely something that sat in my mind the entire time, which isn't helped by the fact that I have miserable hearing to begin with. 

Another challenge, not only to building these homes, but to shooting them as well - is, of course, the cacti that are everywhere. I'd been to Scottsdale before, but I didn't venture too far out into the desert, so I wasn't really worried about running into a cactus. However, on this trip, there were plenty of occasion where I was setting up right in the middle of a grove of cacti. It was on my second shoot of the week where I learned pretty quickly that I needed to be super, super careful where I was walking. I was taking some daylight exteriors of one home and inadvertantly brushed my left hand against a Jumping Cholla (click here for more info). Anyone familiar with these will tell you what an absolute pain in the butt they are. The thorns are covered in microscopic barbs which run in an opposite direction, so once they're in your skin, it takes one hell of a yank to get them out, which just tears up your skin even more. Since the needles are very thin and grow in clumps, once you get one stuck on your hand, you're pretty much screwed. It took about a half an hour to remove 30-some Cholla needles from my hand, and by the time the ordeal was over, my hand was shaking uncontrollably and there was enough blood on it to make an impromptu trip to donate it at the nearest Red Cross. In the heat of the moment, I totally forgot to get a picture - next time, I'll be sure to, though I'm secretly hoping there never is a next time. Ouch.

Despite the blood, sweat, and tears (first time I've ever used that expression literally), I was extremely happy with the images created on the trip. Once again, I had to adhere to a grueling shooting schedule - five homes in five days, and when all was said and done I'd shot over 60 gigabytes of material. 

Before, after, and plenty of Saguaros...

My definite favorites are the exteriors, since like I said, these are all so unique and I don't get to see anything like it in Los Angeles. A few of them underwent rather drastic changing in post-processing, as it seemed that clouds threatened the shoot every night. There were a couple nights where the gathering clouds made for some dramatic pastel sunsets which were great (as in the first couple images) but for a few nights the cloud cover was completely blocking any color from the sky, which something I definitely wasn't prepared for as Phoenix is one of the hottest and driest places I've ever shot. Just goes to show you that you can never depend on anything, even when you're shooting in the desert and blue skies are the norm. 

Before and after, with some Phoenician clouds...

That's why I always preach that good skills with post processing and lighting can get you out of a bind - together those skills will ensure that you can deliver the results you want EVERY. TIME. Especially when clients are counting on it and you've traveled a good six hours from home to do it...

In addition to all of my rambling, I'm happy to announce that I've partnered with Fstoppers.com to release a ton of behind-the-scenes footage from my trip to Phoenix. It's in post production right now - and as I type this, we're putting the finishing touches on it. I had no idea how long it would take to cut together a fifteen minute long behind the scenes video, but we're getting there! So apologies for the wait - as it's been about two months in the making. Til next time...when I fly across the country and experience some Southern Hospitality!

Newport Beach: Architectural Landscape Photography Assignment

I just spent a full week working with Christopher Taylor, a Newport Beach, California based landscape architect, photographing multiple spaces that he designed for his clients. Christopher is a long-time player in the Orange County landscape architecture scene, and his work ranges from sprawling villas to tiny courtyards, so it was fun to shoot so many varied projects in such a short time. We worked to shoot eight projects over the full week - which was tough, with a full schedule, but luckily the weather cooperated and we were able to pull it off. 

 

It's always nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and head to Orange County to shoot for a bit. Due to the nice weather, I even got a chance to sneak in a quick beach day before heading back to process the images, which was much needed, considering the work that is shooting eight locations over a full week.

It was also great to work on some new and interesting subjects. While most of my work on a day-to-day basis consists of architecture and interiors, shooting landscape architecture presents it's own set of challenges to deal with. When photographing interiors, you usually have plenty of control over the light (either by waiting for the right time or lighting interiors through windows, supplemental lights, etc), and the same can be said about exteriors (twilights, at least) but with landscape architecture, you are really at the mercy of the weather except in a few scenarios where you might be shooting details or an enclosed space where a flash can be placed appropriately enough to mimic sunlight. This really requires planning the day out in advance - I often woke up early to get some softly lit shots under that famous Southern California June gloom - which provides a nice soft light - and then shooting until the light burned off. It's in the transition period between fog and sun that will really give some awesome results. From there, I waited for the sun to align itself just perfectly for the full daylight shots, and then usually went and grabbed a bite and recharged before heading back for the golden hour and twilight shots (which, thankfully, I was able to control a bit better!).

Despite the frantic pace of shooting, I was more than pleased with the results - as was the client. I got one of my favorite testimonials out of the job, too! After delivering the images, I was surprised to see a quick reply in my inbox (this is a direct quote, mind you!): "OMG!! You're Perfect. I love you! (In the most professional of ways, of course!) Damn me for not calling you sooner!" And that was all I needed to hear to put a big smile on my face.

Below, I've included a few images (some paired with behind the scenes photographs from my iPhone to back them up). I'm looking forward to working with Chris again in the future, and hopefully these images will serve him for a very long time to come.

Me with my favorite tripod!

During....

And the finished image, after post processing.

Shot in total darkness...

During...

And after post processing....

And some architectural details...
 

And lastly, the setup that makes photographing all this stuff possible! 

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!

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.

Photographing A Pasadena Remodel: A Modern Update In A Classic Town

One of my long time clients, Future Home Builders, recently finished this gorgeous remodel of a 1950s home in Pasadena. I absolutely adored the kitchen: the perfect size and just modern enough without being over the top. Clean lines and nice mood lighting made for a great environment. The lighting setup here was relatively simple, just two speedlites out of frame, and a few additional frames of painted light which were then composited together to get the wood grain and lines to pop a bit.