Best Wishes for 2011

When dropping off a family member I photographed this holiday themed display at the E Terminal of Boston's Logan International Airport. This stylized oversized wreath looked at home against the backlit wood veneer wall interior. The renovated Terminal E was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with lighting design by LAM Partners.

Apartment transformed

I was recently asked to photograph a fun project, "before and after" views of a residential apartment in downtown Boston as a pitch for a new cable TV decorating program. We photographed this room with multiple decor and furniture layouts all in registration so that an animation of the still photographs could be created by the production company showing the space as it transformed with the various styles.

Model Behavior

I was asked by a client to photograph an architectural model in multiple angles featuring the seven proposed variations of their building solution. I photographed the models at their offices in an unused space creating an on-site studio in which we could control the quality of the light. That lighting control combined with a locked down camera platform allowed me to photograph the variations of each scheme in registration for the eventual presentation.

Working with Fluorescent Light

This assignment of mine was to photograph a Fiber Optics manufacturing facility in New Hampshire. I was asked to photograph both interiors and exteriors In addition to the manufacturing process photographs. Having scouted the location I found the dominant interior source light was fluorescent light. I augmented those interior fixtures with professional fluorescent lighting kits which allowed me to match the existing light while providing for movement of workers in the views which created a sense of excitement my client was looking for.

Sustainable design in a healing environment

A recent assignment took me to Burlington, Vermont. I was photographing the just completed Radiation and Oncology facility at Fletcher Allen Health Care. One of the facilities most notable features is this green roof garden and public space. It provides a healing vegetable garden and drought resistant plantings to reduce heat build-up and storm water run-off.

Maintaining the Landscape

Often when photographing a property for commercial real estate purposes the project deadline not the time of year determines the shoot date. Sometimes the landscaping is not at its prime and it is necessary to fill in for missing or damaged shrubbery. Other times you are using the greenery to hide unwanted signage or mechanical systems. That was the case with the lower right side of this view, where I expanded the planting area for a more pleasant effect.

Dedication Day

The Needham Habitat house that I have been photographing progress on since August 2009 has finally been completed! It was a marathon sprint to the last of the landscaping that was finished by the Habitat volunteers and coordinators by 8PM the night before the dedication. I took this photograph, one of my last of the project, the next morning to make a print all the volunteers could sign later that afternoon as a house warming gift for the new owners.

Clubbing

In addition to working on portfolio images of interiors, exteriors and exhibits for architects an designers, I also photograph architectural related subjects for purely marketing purposes. I photographed two college alumni clubs based in downtown Boston for their Dallas,TX based management company. This is one of my views taken at dusk of a main dining room and a glimpse of the Boston skyline.

From Parking to Park

Hotel exteriors can be a challenge when the best angles of the building's facade are compromised by large expanses of parking asphalt. That was the case in this assignment of a mid level business hotel. The solution was to photograph the exterior at the best time of day in good weather and then add some lawn in the foreground to  minimize the parking expanse.

A Sense of Home

Try using people in your photographs to give the space a sense of scale and use. In this interior view my client wanted to show the viewer how this living room would be enjoyed by people in her target demographic. A senior independent living development which was creating a new marketing brochure was my client.

High Noon

Photographing a landscape at high noon on a record setting temperature day is not something to plan for. But when it's your client's schedule knowing what to do in front of and behind the camera so as not make it look like that kind of day takes skill and experience. The reward is when your client says, "I had no idea you could make it look this good".

Lunch Break

Photographing for commercial real estate broker's needs often presents a different challenge. Some or all of the buildings tenants are not necessarily involved in the photography project, yet their spaces need to be documented. Working quietly and efficiently in a tenant's space is a valued skill. This view is of a design firm's gallery area looking toward the open plan kitchen and creative spaces. Getting and in and out quickly and achieving the client's photography needs is always the goal.

Hurray for Harry

An interesting project came my way recently when I was called by a former Habitat contact who had a need for presentation images to be used in a tribute to a Boston building commissioner. The assignment was to photograph several of the key projectors he had been involved with and to show how they impacted the people of Boston. It was a fun project to be involved with and it was always interesting integrating people into the various views. This photograph is of the remodeled entrance to the Museum of Fine Arts.

When in ROM

When traveling I am always on the lookout for interesting architecture. This addition to Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and Bregman + Hamann Architects. The breathtaking centerpiece is the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal structure which is best viewed at dusk to appreciate all of it's reflective facets. This photograph shows how it comes alive at night. Always consider a dusk view if appropriate for your projects.

On the Fly

Sometimes when making arrangements to photograph a clients work you are given significant access constraints by the property management. The person you are making arrangements with may not have any idea the amount of time it takes to do the job correctly and sometimes they don't care. That's when you get what you need to work with and solve the rest later. This is a view from an assignment I had in Toronto in which access was at a severe limit. Take a look at the retouching section of my portfolio to see the "before and after" views.

Link to the retouching section of my web site

Photographing in Snow

Photographing in winter here in the North East presents its own set of unique circumstances. Variable weather, cold days and a short window of daylight are all things to consider. Even with those potential obstacles, success can be achieved with good scouting and preproduction. This image is from a scouting trip I made to a New Hampshire University's location after I had been photographing interiors nearby for another client.

Inhabit your space

When you are commissioning photography of one of your projects consider adding a portrait of yourself taken in the space to your shot list. You can utilize the image for your own web, marketing and blog.

While working in California recently I had the opportunity to just that, photograph a portriat of another one of my CA based clients, exhibit designer Mitchell Mauk, principal of Mauk Design Inc. San Francisco. Mitchell had recently completed the design of aerial photographer Robert Cameron's large format print exhibit at the Metreon building in downtown San Francisco. This exhibit will run through March 2010. It's a great show, try to take it in if you are in the city.