House photography experience

Shay Stephens

Here is a story of a photography job that some might find interesting. I was contacted by a family that had a house they grew up in. The parents were moving out of it at the first of the year, and they wanted a keep-sake to remember their house by, and it was to be a surprise to the parents. So it was arranged to show up just after a snow storm and towards sunset to get a warm glow form the house lights.

I showed up with a ladder and my camera bag. I scoped out the angles and chose one from across the street that had the best view with the fewest distractions. Jen went across the street to make contact with one of the sons who was there that day for us and Jen asked to have the lights turned on and shades pulled up. The parents were home but were none the wiser as to what was going on.

The ladder of course is a tool to give a subtle difference in the point of view. When you shoot something as big as a house, getting a taller perspective can help give the photo that unique look you don't get everyday. So I climbed the ladder and began taking some photos. The light levels were too low. I had to break out the tripod and use it as a monopod propped on a lower rung of the ladder to get any kind of stability. Lesson, take equipment you might need, you never know how you might combine equipment to solve a problem

As the light was getting right I began taking pictures. I took at least 50 photos in different light and bracketed settings until I could tell that the camera shake was just too much.

Back in the office, I looked at the photos and was worried, so many had camera shake. But the number of photos I took gave me the odds and I found one that was sharp enough to make a print. Lesson, take more photos than you think you need. Insurance is a good thing.

I began editing out power lines, cleaning up the snow where it was distractingly ugly, and working on brightness and color. I went through a few variations until I hit a combo that pleased me. My first draft was too warm (white balance) because I was treating the house like a people portrait. I had to embrace the coolness of the snow and allow that to act as a contrast to the warmth of the house. Lesson, be open to interpreting the photo in different ways.

Once I was done I sent the photo off to the lab. Just got word back that the family thought the photo was perfect for them which made me glad :-)

For those interested, this is what the 11x14 looked like:

David_S85

Wow! Looks like a fun job -- and it turned out real nice. The exterior shot turned out great!

The angle of the shoveled walk, the warm glow of the porch lights, and the low angle of the sun really helped out here. Now that's what I call a perfect set up!

Did you get to take any interior shots?

We did the same thing before Diana's parents moved out of their house a couple years ago. I learned a lot about mixed light white balance that day (in the bad way).

I have also learned about the ladder trick. I'm short, so it always helps my shots. ...and it sure makes a perspective difference. We shot about a hundred frames for Diana's book cover, and I brought along two ladders in case I needed them. It shows her walking around an outdoor labyrinth, which was olong an incline, which made perspective even more a challenge. It was the taller ladder that allowed the shoot to work. If I had not thought to bring it, we would have needed to make a second 150 mile trip on another and less perfect weather day.

Dee

Wow Shay...
You certainly get the strangest photo assignments!

That turned out lovely though, what a wonderful keepsake! I love the warm glow of the house lights against the cold snow ... while I was watching the photo come in I was thinking it was too light, but then the "lights" came on and the lighter background was the perfect stage for the lights.

I can see why they'd want a photo of the house -- it sure looks loved and as if it were someone's home...

Dee

P.S. Thanks for posting this thoroughly enjoyable post too!

USAIR

Very cool work that would have been a neat one to tackle
Nice warm color to windows,front light and sunset
Great job

Thanks
Fred

wxwax

Very nice walk through. I like the white-on-white, looks great.

ehughes

Excellent Shay, sounds like a fun gig

Andy

This is good. Dayum good.

Thanks for sharing this, Shay.

and welcome back!

W.W. Webster

Shay Stephens wrote:

So it was arranged to show up just after a snow storm and towards sunset to get a warm glow form the house lights .....
As the light was getting right I began taking pictures.

Shay

This is a great picture, right up to your usual very high standards.

However, it struck me as being just a little incongruous that the indoor lights were on and giving a warm and cosy glow while the sky had the appearance of being lit up so brightly. Could the sky not have been a little darker, without losing the detail of the house, to give a better overall balance and mood - maybe done in PP, if not in the original shot?

Cindy

Wonderful capture Shay! Thanks for sharing behind the scenes.
Think I'll add my ladder to the van from now on :

DoctorIt

I like the final result, and thanks for the lessons, Shay.

One comment though: if you hadn't told us you were on a ladder I'd never guess from the final photo. How tall are you??

Shay Stephens

W.W. Webster wrote:

However, it struck me as being just a little incongruous that the indoor lights were on and giving a warm and cosy glow while the sky had the appearance of being lit up so brightly. Could the sky not have been a little darker, without losing the detail of the house, to give a better overall balance and mood - maybe done in PP, if not in the original shot?

The sky was overcast except for the horizon which shows some sunset color. If I remember right, I was using a graduated neutral density filter to help bring the sky brightness down, but overcast is tough to work with. To keep the image looking natural looking, I did not change the sky out, I never have good success doing that.

Shay Stephens

DoctorIt wrote:

if you hadn't told us you were on a ladder I'd never guess from the final photo. How tall are you??

Hahaha well, I am not known for my skills on the basketball court

But, without the ladder, the perspective is more ant like. I was across the street to get the right field of view, and without the ladder, it looked like the camera was at the 3 foot level looking up and I think some road was visible too.

pathfinder

Nice explanation of your shot, Shay.

In the gallery at Yellowstone, selling Ansel Adams Original prints, there was a lovely shot of Adams on top of a plywood floor on top of his old station wagon shooting a landscape - choosing a higher vantage point has been a great thing to do for along time - I have always thought that an old van or RV would be great for landscape shooting, able to get up high on the roof.

wxwax

Shay Stephens wrote:

If I remember right, I was using a graduated neutral density filter to help bring the sky brightness down, but overcast is tough to work with. To keep the image looking natural looking, I did not change the sky out, I never have good success doing that.

Did the ND filter stop at the top of the house, or did you have to compensate for it in post, to make the house look even?

I've found that for myself when shooting hand-held in shaky low light, the machine gun mode can be useful. Somewhere in the burst I find a steady shot.

rutt

Shay you have a great touch. This photo illustrates perfectly something I've been thinking about: the way tungsten light looks when seen from outside at dusk. The darkroom rat's first impulse is to neutralize that yellow, at least a little, but in this case you've used it and it really enhances the shot. Very very nice.

Shay Stephens

If I were a bit more curageous, I would love to have a platform on top of my car hehehe.

pathfinder wrote:

Nice explanation of your shot, Shay.

In the gallery at Yellowstone, selling Ansel Adams Original prints, there was a lovely shot of Adams on top of a plywood floor on top of his old station wagon shooting a landscape - choosing a higher vantage point has been a great thing to do for along time - I have always thought that an old van or RV would be great for landscape shooting, able to get up high on the roof.

Shay Stephens

wxwax wrote:

Did the ND filter stop at the top of the house, or did you have to compensate for it in post, to make the house look even?

I've found that for myself when shooting hand-held in shaky low light, the machine gun mode can be useful. Somewhere in the burst I find a steady shot.

I believe I let the filter drop about 1/3 into the roof, which as you mentioned was compensated for in post to help the house pop out a little bit.

I have firmly planted myself in the "take a lot of pictures" camp rather than the "take a single magnificent photo after pondering it for a long time" camp hehehe.

Cindy

Perched on the van roof & chasing deer

Shay Stephens wrote:

If I were a bit more curageous, I would love to have a platform on top of my car hehehe.

hehe - this thread reminds of all the time I've spent perched on top of my van and the cab of a pick-up truck while family members go deer hunting.
Never while it was moving mind you... my hubby wouldn't let me

I did get some crazy deer shots (photo) hanging out the van window while hubby was driving in reverse 40 miles p/h chasing them - - that was a blast! Havn't put it on my smugmug site simply because it's not that good & I'd forgotten about it but you can see it here if you'd like: http://www.pbase.com/w_d_p/image/41385476/original

The kids were yelling faster dad, faster. BTW: we live on an old gravel road way out in the sticks that's rarely traveled.

wxwax

Shay Stephens wrote:

I believe I let the filter drop about 1/3 into the roof, which as you mentioned was compensated for in post to help the house pop out a little bit.

I have firmly planted myself in the "take a lot of pictures" camp rather than the "take a single magnificent photo after pondering it for a long time" camp hehehe.

Cool, thanks Shay.

Peg

Great shot
Thanks for the good advice, Shay. I hadn't really considered using a ladder for building shots but will be packing one in the car from now on.
Peg