Portfolio 17 of 80

This was definitely a case of "keeping them peeled". I had just finished photographing the upstairs interior of a large villa and was carrying my gear down this spiral staircase when I noticed that the steps were very close together and the dark wood looked great against the marble.

I took the camera and tripod back up and set up the shot so that it filled the frame with the stairs and kept the plant in the middle. The spiral effect tends to lure the eye to the plant quite nicely.

An exposure of 3.2 seconds using just natural light was required to get the F11 aperture needed for maximum depth of field, therefore, the tripod was essential.

Photographing large villas is an absolute pleasure. More often than not they are empty and you are left to your own devices. I always take the opportunity to have a look around for some interesting or abstract views that would normally be missed by other agents.

These are the shots that end up being used the most as they encourage the viewer to use their imagination and it creates more of a desire to see the rest of the villa.

I will, at some point, be adding a huge tutorial on how to correctly and efficiently photograph properties for a living. This will include the setup, equipment needed, lighting, exposures, rules and regulations, Photoshop techniques, what to shoot and how to market yourself and your services. It can be a very lucrative business so stay tuned.

(Update: It was such a big tutorial, it ended up being a book. Now free...)