Some listings really stand out–and it is our job to help create those listings by producing eye-catching photographs. This 5,000+ square foot home in Las Vegas shows exactly how shooting at the right time of day, with the right camera and lenses and with an eye for composition can create colorful and dramatic photos. From its courtyard-style pool deck to its desert setting, this home offered up scenes which lent themselves to fantastic photos.

Dries Janssens goes to great lengths to capture photos of creative, real-life uses for his company’s hand-made pottery. Manufactured near the picturesque town of Bruges in Northern Belgium, Atelier Vierkant’s unique pottery find itself in the most exclusive of locations–from the palaces of Middle-eastern monarchs, to modern french skyscrapers, to luxurious Spanish retreats. So we were flattered when we were contacted by Dries to shoot photos of some of their latest work; Atelier’s designer pots now line the desert’s latest shopping corridors at Downtown Summerlin.

In June, Dries flew across the Atlantic to visit recent pottery installations in the US and make sure he acquired the best photos possible. Touring each property, Dries selected individual scenes he hoped to feature in their designer catalog. When he stopped in Vegas we met with him at Downtown Summerlin to go through the process with him. We looked at each location that featured Atelier’s work with Dries and discussed the best angle and time of day to capture the space–then it was up to us to make portfolio-worthy photos of their one-of-a-kind earthenware. Since he prefers to show the product in living scenes, we were also tasked with capturing some ambient and anonymous pedestrian traffic to add a little life to the shots. (We also added a few little faces whose parents’ were amenable to their children being featured in a pottery catalog.)

Dries insisted that these be “atmosphere photos” rather than product photos, so the pots needed to be both the subject of the photo and yet secondary to the scene itself. From Regal Cinemas 5 to the fountains and footbridges on the East-side plaza, we hope we captured just what Dries flew so far to capture.

 

Dramatic interiors at Exotics Racing Las Vegas needed photographing and we were happy to help out. Las Vegas Motor Speedway brings high-speed drama and attention to the Las Vegas valley, but few actually have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle. Exotics Racing has changed all that, offering the public the chance to sit behind a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin or kindred vehicle and step on the gas in a way you would never be able to pull off on the I-15.

 

Operating for years out of a tent beside the track, Exotics opened its official welcome center in March and we had the privilege to be the first to capture photography for it. One task was to capture the dramatic feel which private evening events can take inside the newly constructed building. From the intense light and graphics electrifying the front desk, to the exit doors of the Briefing Room, the welcome center feels as much an astronaut training facility than a building alongside a racetrack.

 

Learn more about Exotics Racing at www.exoticsracing.com.

It can be difficult to know whether or not lighting is necessary for a shoot. When clients call to discuss a project with us, we try to careful listen and understand the budget, the end use, and the ultimate goal the photos will be trying to achieve. We then try to make a recommendation which best fits the needs of the particular project.

We take pride in every shoot, however adding supplemental lighting to a shoot gives a photographer options and opportunities he/she wouldn’t have otherwise. Adding lighting allows a photographer to add emphasis to areas of a home. When processing an image where we used supplemental lighting, we take multiple exposures and layer them in post-production. Because we light different areas individually, we can carefully control how much additional lighting goes into each area of the photo. In addition, lighting the exterior of a structure helps balance the exposure so that windows are balanced and the interior can be seen from the outside–instead of a blast of light or an unsightly glare. Here we have a competent dusk exposure of a model home we recently shot. We then have a 14-layer composite with sky replacement.

A decent image, shot at dusk of a model home.

A great image, shot after dusk, with lighting at multiple points and a sky replacement from a day with clouds and some dramatic orange and reds in the sky.

Just after dusk, there is a 20-30 minute period when buildings look spectacular and there are radiant blue skies which create a dramatic backdrop. This shopping center was shot at the perfect moment of blue hour. Here is an example of a shot without lighting and an example of the same shot with lighting. The image, shot without lighting, is pretty stunning. Shot at the perfect time of day, this is almost as good as the image produced with supplemental light. But not quite.

Not lit, not bad.

Lighting adds emphasis to the signage and removes the murky areas of the frame.

The problem with magic hour is akin to magic in general–it has a tendency to vanish into thin air. The perfect blue light at the end of the day fades quickly, which means you only get a few shots. By adding lighting, you can continue to shoot into the evening as though magic hour was frozen just for our photo shoot. Here are some examples of shopping centers we’ve recently shot when the sun set, but we kept on shooting. The nighttime shots without lighting are bright and sharp and could work great on a tight budget and tight schedule, but the images which were professionally lit and composited in post-production are eye-catching and ready to sell.

Dark skies, but bright parking lot and visible buildings.

Dramatic skies, and careful lighting to draw eyes to the building, not the parking lot.

Not a bad shot for an area with very little lighting.

A vibrant shot with detail in signs, windows, and walkways. Plus a sky which conceals the fact that we shot at night altogether.

Supplemental lighting adds time to a shoot. Each shot takes longer both at the time of the shoot and in post-processing. It also involves at least one lighting assistant. So for some projects a run-and-gun approach may be best. But to get the absolute best out of an image, you can’t beat shooting with lights.