Steven Best D.D.S

I was recently given the opportunity to photograph a newly built dentist office for Steven Best DDS located in Summerfield, North Carolina. Given the fact that I have only been shooting residential real estate for the past year, I was up for the challenge to start shooting commercial property.

This newly built office was constructed by James Contracting out of Charlotte, North Carolina and it is the perfect combination of function and design. Once you enter the lobby you are greeted with a welcoming staff along with stylized artwork. You are then escorted to an exam or consultation room while the staff has access to everything they need in the sterilization area in the back office. Once your appointment is complete you are taken full circle to the checkout desk complete with its own exit.

A nicely designed, clean lobby for guests to relax in while they wait.

Consultation room complete with exam chair.

Clean exam room with calming colors.

Employee break room complete with kitchen. 

Sanitation area and glass wall with separate entry and exit points.

Separate office workspace for consults or employee use.

Checkout desk.

Always Be Early

This past week, I had the opportunity to photograph a condo for a couple trying to sell their home. It was a different experience as I have never photographed in this particular area before and for this reason I wanted to get there early. The shoot wasn’t until 6:00pm that evening but I arrived around 5:15pm to make sure I was in the right spot.

Once I arrived I thought I should take a couple laps around the building to try to find the best exterior angle. I photographed the rear of the building but it was very crowded and honestly it just didn’t look good (open windows, clothes halfway hanging out the windows, air conditioning units, etc.). I drove around the front of the building and took a second to walk towards the road for a better angle and that is when I noticed the sun “kissing” the side of the building. That was the spot! Knowing I would have to brighten up the front of the building in post a good amount, I tried to put as much of the sun as possible while still having it touch the side of the building and also getting the buildings signage in the shot. 

This would have not been possible if I didn’t get there early to research the area before heading up to the condo to photograph the interiors. That is why I always try to get to a site as soon as possible.

“THE HAMPSHIRE” Greensboro, North Carolina  |  f/8, 1/320 sec, 500 ISO

Unprepared Photo Shoot

It just so happens that my full-time, 9-5 job is a graphic designer for a multi-family housing company. A major perk of this job is having access to model apartment units that are professionally designed. That is where the above photo comes from. 

I was attending a grand opening event for a brand new apartment community located in Kernersville, NC where I was supposed to take various photos of the event, ribbon cutting, people at the pool, attendees having fun, etc. To kill some time before the event started, I walked over to the model to see how it was setup as I have never been to this community before. As soon as I walked into the living area I was blown away by the colors and the overall design. This place was just beautiful! It was then that I realized I didn't bring my wide-angle lens (I wasn't going to need it for the event pics) or my flash, or even a tripod! So I had to make due with what I had. Once I got my settings dialed in, I had to find the right angle. I took a few facing towards the kitchen but I was losing light so shooting towards the window was the only option but it turned out to be the best option. After getting the main shot, I took a few steps back and managed to get another photo of the living room and dining area combined.

All and all it was a great, spontaneous shoot but I am certainly going to make plans to go back there with the right gear. Not too shabby for being a little unprepared, huh?

Cross Company Architecture

Earlier this month I was commissioned to do a real estate photography shoot for a local realtor in High Point, NC. After the shoot, I was headed back home around sunset and noticed a building off the highway that had some really nice architectural lines. I pulled over, found a good composition, and took the shot. Afterwards, back at the computer, I added a little extra punch while also cloning a couple of the windows so they all match.   That just goes to show you that if you keep an eye out, you can find great images anywhere! 

Cross Co in High Point, North Carolina

Another Photo Has Found A New Home

Well, another photo has found a new home. I just sold one of my most popular photos titled "Tree For Angels". This photo was take of the Angel Oak Tree located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Although the new owner cannot be disclosed, Im sure they will enjoy this photo hanging in their home.

Winter Wonderland

This past weekend, a huge winter storm slammed the east coast. Normally this would have been a major inconvenience but my first thought was "Finally! I can get some snow photos!". I had the perfect place in mind to get a great photo and I mainly choose this location because I knew it would be fairly undisturbed by footprints. I walked from my home over the the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, NC to get the photo. As I was walking around the park trying to find the perfect composition, it started to snow heavily. I started my walk back and when I turned around to get one last look at the park, I finally found the perfect composition. With the fence in the foreground and the building in the background, I was able to get two interest points, along with the falling snow to give this photo a great mood. Hard to believe I almost left without getting the shot!

Downtown Greensboro, North Carolina

I live about 15 minutes from Downtown Greensboro in North Carolina. It is a great little city with a couple unique scenes and buildings that I have always wanting to photograph. In the middle of December 2015, I had the free time to head downtown and get a few shots. Below are a few key shots from that day.