What a Life!

When I rented the lens and flash, they filled out a paper credit card ticket as collateral. Next to the flash, they wrote $300. Next to the 16-35mm lens, they wrote $1200. And those were used prices. I think the flash – a 550 – would have sold for around $500 when it was new. Someday I may own a flash like that, but as for the lens, renting it for a day works just fine.

The flash actually had bounce capabilities, which is what I had thought I would use. But I ended up using it pointed directly ahead because I needed its full power in order to fill in the room and make it look bright and pretty.

Considering what I could have gotten with the equipment I own, I think these photos are quite nice. Compared to the kind of photos you find here where photographers charge $300 to go shoot pictures of million dollar homes that are being placed on the market, my pictures are nothing. Those pictures were great inspiration, though.

For real estate pictures of homes in our price range, there are few as nice as mine. In fact, I saw one photo with a listing where not only was their truck parked in the driveway, the garbage can was out by the curb; and not only was the garbage can out by the curb, there was trash piled up around it. And that was the only photo included with the listing. I laughed out loud!

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen events, we will not be placing our house on the market at this time. I will treasure my pictures, though. I remember my mom taking pictures of our house up in Michigan and how fun it is to look at them. Oh, the memories they bring back! My pictures may be a bit more staged than hers were, but they, too, will be filled with many memories.

In all, I took about 120 photos during three main shooting sessions. The first was in mid-afternoon so I could get the most light possible in each room. That worked especially well in the basement. Then I took some more in the evening during the hour before sundown. My final shoot was during the morning in the hour after sunrise. We had some hazy clouds over the sun during that final shoot which gave the light a softer quality – so nice for the exterior photos. You can see the highlights – including some I wouldn’t have used in the listing but which tell you about how things really are – here. Enjoy!