Thankfully (for me and my clients), after a quiet end to 2019, the property market has really started to pick up. As a result, I've been kept fairly busy photographing some lovely properties for sale across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and the Cotswolds.
Saying this, one of my first 2020 shoots was a fair drive away – I headed to the stunning county of Shropshire to photograph a property near Ludlow. Let's just say it was well worth the journey! The scenery during the last 20 minutes of my drive was so spectacular that I couldn't resist pulling over to take some photos…
The property was The Old Rectory, a gorgeous period home in a little village about five miles north of Ludlow. It was such a lovely place to photograph and you can see that it was also my first twilight shoot of the year!
Unfortunately, you can never predict the Great British weather and after arriving at the property, all traces of sunshine disappeared within an hour. I was able to photograph the front exteriors and some of the bedrooms before the sun ran away, but for the rest of the shoot, I had to work with dark and dismal skies.
Not to worry though – I just created my own sunlight [see how here]! To be honest, in many ways I prefer shooting properties on a cloudy day, as it means I get full control over how I light the scene.
It took a lot of flash power to fake the sun in this grand living room! But due to its position, the room would normally benefit from lovely afternoon sunshine pouring in through those big windows, so it's something I was keen to recreate.
The kitchen was actually the last room I shot. By the time I got to it, the sun had almost set on the other side of the house and the room was very dark, so I had to move quickly! But surprisingly, these images turned out to be some of my favourite from that month.
I used the AD600 to blast 'morning sunlight' into the kitchen, with the aim to create images that were moody and atmospheric, but also inviting. I have to admit that controlling the lighting is very satisfying when it works out!
After a long and tiring shoot, you just can't beat a puppy cuddle…
Despite my despair at the uncooperative weather, I was really pleased with the final images – and I believe that the property sold just two weeks later!