This evening I was photographing the exterior of an upcoming listing in Greenpoint, and this incredible sunset over Manhattan pulled me away in the middle of my set-up. I know how this sounds, but I really think this was the most amazing sunset I’ve seen in my ten years in New York.
This week, I photographed a new listing at 135 Prospect Park West in Park Slope. After shutting off the lights, I took one last look at the apartment and noticed how beautiful the natural light was, and I saw what I thought could make a great photograph. I knew it wouldn’t even closely resemble a traditional property shot, but as a photographer, it’s impossible to turn down the chance to capture an image that jumps out at you.
This main image is a 30 second exposure at f/22 or f/16. However, I had to flash the flowers on the nesting table because it was in shadow. I did this using the pocket wizard, which I am really into, and the Canon Speedlite 580EX II. I had a Flex TT5 on the Speedlite and the camera body, and I triggered the shutter and flash with the Mini TT1.
I really like the photograph. This apartment really has a great feel when the lights are off in the afternoon, and I hope that reads with people when they see the listing.
Here is an exterior shot of a new townhouse I am listing in Williamsburg in Brooklyn at 94 Jackson Street. I was really excited about photographing this house because I thought the brown siding would contrast really nicely with the warm interior lights - and I think it did!
This is a combination of 3 exposures. The first was taken to capture the sky about an hour before sunset, the second exposure was set to get the actual exterior of the houses just before sunset, and the final was taken when it was dark to get the interiors without any glare.
One of the pleasantly surprising results of starting a career selling real estate is that I’ve started to get back into photography. Most people are surprised when I tell them that I went to college for photography, but indeed, it is true.
Recently, I watched this video on Strobist about real estate photography, and I was so impressed with the final images that I decided I needed to figure out the technique. Fortunately, this coincided with being home for Thanksgiving, my Dad completing his new house in Wisconsin, and my brother getting married to a photography teacher who is an ace with photoshop. I bought some new equipment, as used in the video, and set to work. I’m very happy with my first attempt and look forward to applying this to my listings back in New York City.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good set of Before & After photos? Below, I have posted 3 sets from a property I just put back on the market at 243 8th Street in Park Slope in Brooklyn (full listing here). After trying to sell the property in the “Before” state, I was finally able to convince the owner to make the changes necessary to sell the property. We kept all of the good features (of which there were many - great layout, custom A/V systems, high-end kitchen appliances, etc) and fixed the problems (of which there were also many - blue marble floors, faux marble walls, yellow crown moldings, etc). I think we got it right because everyone who has seen the apartment since it was finished has loved it. I was involved with every step of the renovation, so if you would like specific information about the process, please contact me directly.
Living Room - BEFORE
Living Room - AFTER
Aside from re-staging, the two main changes we made were replacing the blue marble floors with 4” wide white oak and repainting the walls, crown molding, and trim. We also installed Top-Down/Bottom-Up shades because the apartment is on the ground level.
Master Bedroom - BEFORE
Master Bedroom - AFTER
In the bedroom, we replaced the carpet with the hardwood, repainted, and moved the bed to the other side of the room. We also replaced with window treatments, installing the Top-Down/Bottom-Up shades.
Kitchen/Dining Room - BEFORE
Kitchen/Dining Room - AFTER
Overall, I think the photos speak for themselves. The space is now warm and inviting and you can truly appreciate the open layout. I wasn’t planning on taking the final image above, but as I was sitting on the couch, taking it in, I realized how great the apartment looked from this angle. For the first time, it struck me that I could imagine living there.
Building Exterior and Private Outdoor Space
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Wedding kiss in DUMBO
Sometimes a groomsmen needs a little ice cream after the group shot.
Biking can be a little treacherous in DUMBO!
Lounging in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.