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[Welcome To The Kansas City Real Estate Photography Blog!]
Traditionally photographers have chosen to display their work online in the form of portfolio websites that typically involve a slide show of their best work. Indeed, if you click on the portfolio link above, you'll be taken to my version of just such a site. Beyond the slide show you'll find some testimonials, my contact details and...not much more. These sites are nice to look at, and it can be argued that because photography is a visual medium, the fewer words, the better. At least that was my theory when I designed my portfolio site. Many images. Few words.
I've discovered that I want to do something more though. If you know me you know I am passionate about the need for better real estate photography. If you've attended one of my Photography For REALTORS classes you've heard me talk about the media and what they have to say about the photos we use to market our listings. You've heard the comments of consumers surveyed about the impact of photography on the sale of their home. And you've probably agreed with me that because most real estate consumers start their search for a home on the web, good photography should be the single most important element in a marketing plan for any new listing.
That said, I wanted an opportunity to do more than show you my latest work. I wanted to be able to pass along tips for improving your own real estate photography, information about creative new marketing ideas and maybe even an occasional contest to see the photographs you're taking.
Ultimately, my goal is to raise awareness of the need for better real estate photography, and I'm hoping the more dynamic nature of a blog will help me get my message out. One of the real benefits of a blog over a static website is that it provides for two-way communication, so please don't hesitate to leave a comment after any of my posts. We'll all learn from your insights and the dialog that develops!
Oh, and if you'd rather just hire me to take the photographs...well, that's OK, too!
Over the past few months I’ve transitioned to the use of specialized lenses optimized for photographing architecture called tilt/shift or perspective control lenses. As the name implies, these lenses have the ability to shift or tilt, upward, downward or sideways relative to the image sensor. This makes for some interesting possibilities, but I use them primarily to keep vertical lines vertical and to allow me to show more floor and less ceiling while doing so. Here are a few examples:
This is the living room of a front-to-back split level home just listed by John Petrehn of Keller Williams. It was taken from the top of the stairs, but I was able to avoid tilting the camera downward by shifting only the lens about 6mm down and keeping the camera and it’s image sensor parallel to the walls.
Same concept here, only I shifted the lens upward a bit to capture the repeating Gothic arches. This shot was taken at a beautiful Brookside home just listed by Heidi Youngs of Prudential Kansas City.
This shot taken in a classic Airplane Bungalow for Group O’Dell of Realty Executives illustrates downward shift again – this time to minimize the ceiling and maximize the view of the hardwood floors.
And finally, one more up-shift, this time to show the grand scale of the entry to this newly-constructed ranch listed by Sara Armer of Keller Williams.
As useful as these lenses are for interior photography, it’s outside that I appreciate them most. By raising the lens (rather than the photographer) I’m able to shoot homes that sit high on a grade without the need for a ladder to get parallel to the structure. This allows me to avoid the “converging vertical” syndrome we’ve all seen that causes homes that sit high to look like they’re falling over backward because the camera had to be tilted upward. I’ll try to post some examples of exteriors taken with tilt/shift lenses soon!
Occasionally I have the good fortune to photograph a home that offers unique visual opportunities. This was one such time. I’m very grateful to the homeowner who asked me to capture this beautiful interior and wish them the best as they transition to their new neighborhood!
This was my first opportunity to shoot for Margy Regan of Prudential Kansas City, and wow…what a home! One of my favorite shots was this view of the formal dining room from the front entry.
5800 W 148th Place, marketed by Margy Regan of Prudential kansas City
Thanks for allowing me to shoot for you, Margy. It was a pleasure!
Harry - Thanks for taking the tine to visit my site and leave a comment. I used a 24 tilt/shift on this shot, which is my favorite lens ever!February 21, 2010 - 8:33 pm
Actually, it seems like a month since we’ve seen the sun. This image was taken yesterday at a very beautiful and unique home just listed by Blake Nelson in the Lakewood area of Lee’s Summit. Overcast skies and mist resulted in very low ambient light levels when I arrived, so I fired up a metric ton of flash and things brightened right up!
An interior photographed during inclement weather.
Thanks Blake, for the opportunity to shoot for you and your client!
Today’s issue of the Kansas City Star featured a short Q & A style article about my real estate photography in the House & Home section. I’m grateful for the paper’s interest in my business and the time their writer, Stacy Downs, spent with me to gather information. I’m sure it’s difficult to uncover the essence of a business and write an entertaining article after one short conversation, but Stacy did a fine job.
There are, however, a couple of statement’s I’d like to clarify out of respect to those who know me and have supported my decision to follow this passion to photograph residential real estate:
During the late 1980’s I was self-employed as a photographer and worked out of three different studios at various times. I did mostly “people” photography – portraiture and some advertising for very small businesses. In the early 90’s I was given the opportunity to apprentice in a large commercial studio, learning to shoot people, products and places under a real master. I wasn’t there long, but I’m extremely grateful for the experience – and for the introduction to architectural photography (and large-format photography in general).
I came to the real estate industry 10 years ago, first as a REALTOR, and then as a broker/manager four years ago – another opportunity for which I am extremely grateful. It was a mash-up of these two very different career paths that led me to the work I do now.
Regarding the exterior photograph used in the article: this is not my home – although that would be nice! I believe the article was supposed to say “He took a photo of this Fairway house…”, not “his Fairway house.” I’m sure the current owners will be pleased to know they have clear title
With regard to virtual tours and the companies that produce them, I will say this: The line is blurring between 360 degree panoramic tours, slide shows (that often use the “Ken Burns” effect to simulate movement through a space) and true video. There is excellent work being done locally on all fronts, but there are also companies whose business model and fee structure dictate a “run-and-gun” approach that makes it difficult to provide the highest quality images possible. Some consumers like the 360’s – others don’t – but nearly all want “big”. I’m not advocating against virtual tours (a term which has become a generic description for many things). I’m advocating for large (preferably full-screen), high-resolution, high quality photographs that truly showcase a home.
I could go on and on about HDR, but I’ll only say this: HDR photography is easy to do, but hard to do well. It’s a fickle process in which the available light controls the photographer, rather than the photographer controlling the light. I’ve seen a lot of HDR lately – some of it good, some of it not. My own experiments with the process left me feeling that I wasn’t producing the quality of images I wanted, so I developed a hybrid technique that combines numerous flash units with the process of blending multiple exposures to get photographs that (hopefully) exhibit the best qualities of both techniques – flash and ambient light HDR.
I make these points, not to correct anything Stacy wrote in her article, but to correct my inability to articulate well when interviewed about a subject I am very passionate about. Perhaps these things didn’t need to be clarified here, but it felt like the right thing to do.
Thanks again to Stacy Downs and the Kansas City Star for giving me a little space to ramble about what I do!
Patrick Hake - I was directed to your site via Bloodhoundblog.
I am amazed by your photography.
It is clear to me now how underwhelming the average photo in the MLS is, including my own.
I echo Greg's sentiment from an earlier post, when he wished you were in Phoenix. I wish you were in Placer County.
Keep up the good work. Your passion for your work shows.January 19, 2010 - 10:04 am
Harry - A belated thank you, Patrick, both for taking the time to visit my blog and for your extremely gracious comment. I'm very excited about the opportunity Greg has given me to contribute to Bloodhound Blog, and plan to use it to share tips and techniques that I hope you and other readers will enjoy. I hope you'll let me know how I'm doing!January 23, 2010 - 10:49 pm
This image is from my first shoot for Lynn Matile of Prudential Kansas City – a beautiful Craftsman-inspired home on 20 acres just south of the city. I think it appeals to me because of the contrast between the snowy landscape and the warm sun playing across the wood floors and cabinetry.
If you enjoy architecture, photography and music, I think you’ll find watching this video to be twelve minutes well-spent. The word sublime comes to mind.
During the Photography For REALTORS class I did recently I mentioned that I have a rule I call the “four-corners” rule. It is basically a mental reminder to walk to all four corners of a room or space and look in the opposite direction. So often I think I know the obvious shot that I should take, but when I follow this exercise I find an alternative that does a much better job of showing a potential buyer the flow of a home.
The dining room in this beautiful Don Julian home I photographed recently for Erin Peel provides a good example:
This is the shot that we tend to gravitate toward. It shows the window and the bump-out for a hutch or buffet. Save for those two things, it’s a bit dull, though.
Walking to another corner and looking back shows the very open nature of the space. It includes the main entry and hints at the dramatic use of arches in the design of the home.
Finally, the view from the entry itself – the view guests will see first when they come to visit. I’ve always felt the entry to a home is a point of pride for many, and I try to shoot both at – and from – that spot.
Big, open floor plans provide some of the most challenging shots from a technical standpoint. While the first image was done with two flash units, the bottom two required eight each – some through umbrellas and others bounced off walls that were out of view.
Thank you, Erin, for the opportunity to photograph this property. It was a great pleasure!
Here are a few more images from the shoot that take the prospective buyer a little further into the home…
Gary Summerskill - Thanks Harry for your helpful hints on photographing the four corners of a room. As usual, your pictures are outstanding.January 2, 2010 - 7:38 am
Greg Swann - Your photographs are breathtaking. Please come to Phoenix. We need you!January 5, 2010 - 10:00 pm
Harry - Greg, thank you very much for your kind words. In light of the fact that you and your commentary at BloodhoundBlog shaped much of my thought as a former broker, I am especially honored!January 6, 2010 - 5:49 am
Gary Ashton - This a great example of how not just anyone can take a good picture.
To be able to capture some of the finer points and design elements of the home you really do need some one with a good eye as well as the technical ability to use the camera to its full potential.
Great pictures!
Gary :)January 18, 2010 - 5:04 pm
Harry - Thank you, Gary, for your wonderful comment. Time is such a precious commodity and I am truly grateful that you spent some of your's on my blog!January 18, 2010 - 6:15 pm
by Harry
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