Making It Your Own

One of my favorite aspects of photography is that you can do an assignment for someone else and even though the subject matter might not be what you would go out of your way to shoot on your own creative excursion, you can always find something that will pique your interest.

Shooting real estate is one of those assignments that can be a little unfulfilling artistically. While it can be satisfying because of the challenge and skill it takes to make a home look it’s best, it is what it is. You can’t stretch too far creatively because you need to keep things realistic. You’re shooting wide, your compositions need to be precise, and your at the mercy of the seller of the home to have a well kept property.

Here is a shot I took of the interior of a home just yesterday:

When I was done I noticed a rose bush on the side of the house. A single rose against the brick siding caught my eye, so I put on my long lens and took a shot of it.

Then I started to look closer at the rose bush and decided to take some shots of the thorns, which was a bit more appealing to me.

I converted it to black and white and added a little cyan to the highlights to cool down the shot. It has an almost wintery feel as you see no flowers or leaves – just thorny stems against a pale blue backdrop.

And there you have it. The photographer’s equivalent to goofing off on the job (as long as you wait ’till you’re done and you’re not doing it on a client’s dime) is a good way to make the best out of what can sometimes be a mundane or routine job. It’s also a good way to keep you inspired after using your camera as a tool for commercial gain, which in my case can sometimes feel like a soul sucking experience instead of an expressive one. It’s important to remind yourself why you started to do what you do in the first place.

On a side note, I’m shooting a wedding for the first time tomorrow. I’m quite nervous as this is a huge task to take on and there is a lot of pressure to do justice to the newlyweds on their big day.

Here is a shot of a moment between the bride and one of the flower girls at the rehearsal today: