A.B. Photo Lexington Real Estate Photography
Sunset Shoot in Summerfield
It’s all about the lighting. In real estate photography, or any photography this is very true. I’ve found that the lighting conditions in different homes are what make or break the entire shoot, and the better the light the better the photos. Even with the use of on and off-camera flash, a home’s lighting situation can completely alter my approach to different shots, and many times the entire house. Sometimes its a consistancy issue… different kinds of light conflicting in the same frame. Sometimes it’s a matter of not having enough light, or other times too much. Then there’s situations where there’s plenty of light, but its coming from the wrong direction (sun directly behind the house while trying to shoot a front exterior for example). For me, working around the lighting conditions is the most challenging part of taking real estate photos, and what keeps every shoot interesting.
These issues come up in just about every home I photograph, but then there are times when the conditions are close to perfect, and when this happens the camera work becomes a whole lot easier. Last week was a perfect example while shooting a new construction home for Realtor Jesse Kerr and the Kerr Team of Keller Williams Greater Lexington. A 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath model built by McCarty Builders in the Summerfield subdivision was the perfect subject for an evening shoot just before sunset. Natural light beaming through the windows lit up the rooms and spaces, but not so bright it altered my camera settings to soak up all the light bouncing off the walls. Plus, this late in the day with the sun at such a low angle, the light coming in shoots across the open floors painting lines of light that I think add to the appeal of the photos.
A late afternoon or cloudy day seems to provide the best conditions for photos in my opinion, and it shows in the quality of the pictures. It’s great when there’s enough light coming in to illuminate the interiors, but not so bright it blows out the windows white in single exposure shots. Having great interior lighting while still being able to see through the windows is a good thing. This place’s soft colors and open spaces certainly help too.
This shoot was fun for a couple of reasons. The lighting was great, the colors, lines and spaces were fun to work with, and having the freedom to shoot alone in an empty house can be relaxing compared to some of the more “pressured” photoshoots when I feel like someone’s standing over me watching. It’s a nice change of pace to really take my time and have the house all to myself sometimes. The opportunity to experiment with camera settings, angles and different kinds of shots isn’t a luxury I have in every photoshoot. The words “just lock the door when you’re finished” can be magical.
So, great conditions, a beautiful model home just completed and cleaned up, and the freedom to take my sweet time. All this, not to mention the beautiful lighting for the exterior shots. Nothing beats a great sunset off the back porch or patio for pictures. The more I shoot homes like this under these conditions, the more great photos I’ll take. Looking forward to the next opportunity to work with Jesse Kerr and the Kerr Team of Kentucky.
Some highlights from this beautiful model in Summerfield:
