We’ve Moved!

New Horizons — this blog has a new home. As part of my website overhaul, I’ve moved the blog on-board the mother ship. Update your bookmarks to the new url:   http://www.scotthargisphoto.com/blog

This site will remain live for maybe a year (I just re-upped all the WordPress add-ons, so what the hell) but there will be no further posts here. Everything – past, present, and future – is now on the new site. See you there!

Eichler Living — with building Lab

EDIT: This blog has MOVED. You’re on the old, dead blog. Everything (including this post) has been migrated onboard my website. Here’s the direct link:

http://scotthargisphoto.com/blog/

Update your bookmarks! See you there!

We now continue with our original programming….

If you’ve been seeing a lot of building Lab work here this year, it’s because Stephen Shoup and his team have been on a tear – lots of amazing projects, and the recognition that comes with doing fantastic work.

This project is, in many ways, the epitome of what Stephen is all about. A Joseph Eichler home in California’s Marin County, this structure has seen extensive work but still feels 100% authentic. We shot this house over the course of two and a half days in November and created a set of photos I’m quite proud of.

iPhone Photo of the Day

One from the archives….

 

Lighting Interiors – 2nd Edition is Live!

EDIT: This blog has MOVED. You’re on the old, dead blog. Everything (including this post) has been migrated onboard my website. Here’s the direct link:

http://scotthargisphoto.com/blog/

Update your bookmarks! See you there!

We now continue with our original programming….

Almost a year in the making…it’s here! I’ve given “The Essential Guide to Lighting Interiors” a vigorous overhaul, doubling the page count (277 pages…yikes!) and adding four new chapters as well as a bonus section at the end.

If you’re not familiar with it, this is an eBook (PDF download, click here to buy it) that covers lighting techniques for interiors photography, with a strong bent towards real estate photography. Small flash is used throughout, and the photos are shot and presented with either zero photoshopping, or extremely minimal re-touching (which gets discussed every time). My philosophy with photography, and especially for real estate photography, is to make a deliverable photo entirely on location, so that I can produce a JPG with absolutely minimal RAW adjustments  — or maybe none at all — the least time spent in post-production possible.

Announcing: US Lighting Workshops!

EDIT: This blog has MOVED. You’re on the old, dead blog. Everything (including this post) has been migrated onboard my website. Here’s the direct link:

http://scotthargisphoto.com/blog/

Update your bookmarks! See you there!

We now continue with our original programming….

That motley crew above were some of the students I worked with almost exactly a year ago in Abu Dhabi, at my first Gulf Photo Plus workshop. Today, after a nearly 2-year North American hiatus, I’m happy to announce that there will be three US workshops this winter!

San Francisco Swank by Muratore

EDIT: This blog has MOVED. You’re on the old, dead blog. Everything (including this post) has been migrated onboard my website. Here’s the direct link:

http://scotthargisphoto.com/blog/

Update your bookmarks! See you there!

We now continue with our original programming….

I found myself back in the SF Millenium Tower at the end of October, shooting a very nice residence by my friends at Muratore Corp. We shot the spaces “straight” and then did a round of lifestyle images.

iPhone Photo of the Day

No curtains? No problem! On location in San Rafael California with building Lab!

New Work from Scott Hargis Photo

It’s that time….I’ve posted a new quarterly portfolio at www.scotthargisphoto.com.

New work from Jennifer Hoey Interiors, building Lab, Baran Studios Architects, Muratore Corp., and many more! It’s an amazing symbiotic relationship…my clients produce killer interiors and architecture, which provides the raw material for my camera, which leads to photographs that (hopefully) inspire yet more great design…

Some terrific projects are on the horizon, stay tuned!

Wood, Windows & Weflections – A New LFRE Video is Live!

In the latest addition to the “Le Monde Réel” section of my 28-part video series “Lighting For Real Estate Photography”, we talk with Brandon, who shot a kitchen that I’d wager 95% of real estate photographers deal with on a regular basis.

We talk through the issues, how Brandon lit his (pretty darned good) photo, and then discuss different strategies that could have been employed in that situation. Good times, for lighting nerds.

If you’re already a subscriber to LFRE, then head back over and hit the “Le Monde Réel” link – you’ll find the new video at the bottom of the page. If you’re not a subscriber….get over there and register! Lots of good stuff waiting for you….

Mid-Century Modern Kitchen, Upgraded by Building Lab

Obviously there’s a lot of natural light in play here. We bounced some of that back into the near side of the island, and added a bit to the cabinetry under the window. You can see how the backs of the stools really throw light back onto the edge of the cantilevered part of the island.

This is an example of a really beautifully designed kitchen. Stephen Shoup of Building Lab did a wonderful job of creating a modern, functional space while staying aesthetically true to the Mid-Century Modern bones of the house.

We photographed this kitchen in early October, and I was immediately struck by the cantilevered island and red cabinetry, as well as the enormous openings leading outside to the large deck.

This is always a challenging shot, as we had to light the interior to match the sunlight exposure of the deck, but without being too obvious about it.

With the multi-paneled sliding doors fully open, along with the very large window, the deck joins the kitchen and adjacent family room in an open floor plan. It’s incredibly inviting and must be an absolute joy to live in.

We backlit the translucent glass backsplash but made sure there was a gentle gradient from left to right for a more natural appearance.

We identified shots that would show off the features of the kitchen but which would also emphasize that indoor-outdoor aspect as much as possible.

And, just to make sure everyone understood that the rear backsplash was actually translucent glass, we shot the reverse angle: