Emerald Bay Photography News and Updates

Growing up in Central Europe and spending a good part of the first 20 years of my life traveling the continent, my architectural aesthetics were infused with all sorts of different styles: the ancient, romantic buildings of Rome, Florence and Venice; the playful designs of Spain; the straight-forward, functional structures of Switzerland and Germany; and finally - the ultra-modern, sober edifices of Scandinavia.

Over the last 8 years of my professional career as architectural photographer then, one important fact dawned on me: buildings are the mirrors of the people who live in them. So as much as the fire and passion of the Southern Europe people are reflected in their lush and soulful buildings, so also is the cool, precise and disciplined character of the Northern people echoed in the spaces they chose to surround themselves with.

Enter a stunning contemporary home in the Broken Top development of Bend, Oregon. This beauty is owned by a lovely couple of Icelandic heritage (and skillfully furnished by the talented folks from Complements Home Interiors). Sooo - can you see it?







For the rest of the images, mosey on over here.

Labels: architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, interior architectural photography

I love the simple cleanliness of contemporary homes. No clutter - just sweeping elegant lines, white-washed walls, and lots of beautiful, naturally soft light. They are a blank canvas for the home owner to create a universe of art, color and style.

A few weeks ago, I was hired to shoot just such a home. Built by the talented Bend custom home builder, Hansmann & Sons Construction, and styled by the ever-amazing Pamela Armstrong at Complements Home Interiors, this home's clean lines perfectly embrace the exciting pieces of art that permeate the house.

What's most amazing however is the blend of styles: Contemporary and Western. Having myself contributed images to Thea Marx's book Contemporary Western Design, I am familiar with the concept of pairing a modern shell with often old-fashioned pieces of Western art.
This home however has achieved a rare and stunning combination of the both. But don't listen to me - see for yourself...







And of course to see the entire interior, go here.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, Bend photographer, Central Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon

That's really the one word that comes to mind when seeing this absolutely stunning example of elegance and craftsmanship:













Check out the rest of the images here.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, Central Oregon photographer, interior architectural photography

In this economic age of steep declines in new home building, a lot of home owners are choosing to remodel instead of building new homes (always a good idea too to have contents insurance on your building though!). The building contractors that have tapped into that trend are currently experiencing brisk business. So it may come as a surprise that only very few of them have the foresight to take pictures of the projects before the alteration.

Yet - "before" and "after" images are the most powerful and valuable tool these companies have to increase their business for the future. There's nothing like pulling out a portfolio in a client meeting, snapshots of outdated, crummy areas right next to the professional images of updated, modern and fresh spaces. As cliche as it may sound - but not even the best verbal sales pitch in the world carries the power of those kinds of images to convince a new client that a remodel is the right thing to do, and to get them dreaming about the possibilities.

So in conjunction with the launch of its new website, Nautilus Construction recently hired me to shoot an "after" portfolio of a kitchen remodel. The home owner had "before" shots on hand I was able to match angles to.



Above and below images shows just how much modifying the overbearing bar was able to improve flow and traffic around the kitchen...



... and how much counter space was created by adding a shelf for much-used appliances and treasured cook books.



In addition, a slim new opening between the existing cabinets and the new shelf was harnessed to insert a pull-out spice rack. The hardware was updated to enhance the new modern look of the kitchen.



So whether you're a satisfied home owner, a remodeling business, or a finish carpenter - it's always great to have those "before" and "after" shots. And not just for insurance purposes, or to revel in the memories of what once was.

Note: In the interest of full disclosure I must mention that Nautilus Construction is a finish carpentry company in Bend, Oregon, owned by none other than my hubby - but for the purpose of this blog post, I think it's still a fine example of the point I'm trying to make.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, architecture, Central Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, interior architectural photography

Book publishing can sometimes be such a sluggish venture. In this impatient age of instant gratification - fueled by the net, Facebook, Myspace and, yes, blogging - the thought of selling an image for a project that's not going to come into existence until 6 or 8 months later, can be a trying thing.

Luckily, I have plenty of experience in the field, having worked for four years in PR and marketing for a technical book publisher. I know that from the time of idea conception (ie. sitting around with your buddies, brain storming over a glass of beer) to the proud and satisfying moment of actually pulling the finished book off the store shelf, it can be a long and rocky path - littered with endless rewrites, changes of direction, fights over cover design, marketing snafus, wheelin' and dealin' with retail outlets... and so on.

That's why when I sold a few images for a how-to book on concrete to a client last Spring, I literally forgot all about it. Right after I cashed the check, anyway...

A few weeks ago though, while organizing my tax stuff, I suddenly remembered... that's right ... the book was supposed to publish last Fall! And sure enough - a quick check on the website confirmed it - it was out! Whoohoo!



A quick reminder email to my awesome editor, and a comp copy was at my doorstep two days later too.

Truly - there's hardly anything more satisfying than leafing through a book, seeing your images printed in it, and knowing that someone will assign space for it on their bookshelf for years to come.

Labels: architectural photography, architecture, Bend, Bend Oregon photographer, Bend photographer, book publishing, books, Central Oregon photographer, concrete, interior architectural photography

Earlier this week, I shot this beautiful home in The Highlands development of Bend:










The house is up for sale now (did you see the one-page ad in the Bulletin today?), and you can get more info and see more images right here at www.bendhighlands.com.

Labels: architectural photography, architecture, Bend photographer, interior architectural photography, photography, The Highlands

Gleaming metal. Clean lines. Sharp glass. Shadow and light, working together to create unexpected and dynamic patterns. Harmonic colors that enhance eachother, play off eachother, contrast and produce an environment of simplicity and grace.

These are the things I live for when doing architectural photography. Yes, I admit, I'm a junkie - my favorite fix being contemporary buildings.

So here's a good example I recently shot for an architect client:









Mmmmm. Mmm. Mm.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, architecture, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, interior architectural photography, photography

I'm so terribly behind in posting fresh images to my blog - a side effect of being always on the run and working, I guess...

But - I recently had the privilege and delight to shoot a portfolio for a company that specializes in concrete floors and countertops, and I thought I'd post some shots here. Not in the least because there's a special - and surprising - beauty to concrete that made me personally abandon my previously held (wrong) conception of cement as a rough material, suitable only for rudimentary construction uses.



Over the last few years, concrete has experienced a surge in interest as the versatile, clean and modern material that it is. Refined with color and in the hands of an artist concrete contractor, it can be turned into a thing of true beauty. It is nearly endless in its uses, highly customizable (with inlays and custom shades of color), easy to take care of, and stands up well to the test of time.





Wikipedia educates us on this interesting tidbit also: "Cement should not be confused with concrete as the term 'cement' explicitly refers to a dry powder substance. Upon the addition of water and/or additives the mixture is no longer referred to as 'cement' but 'concrete', regardless if aggregates have already been added or not."



And did you know? Unlike with a granite countertop, you're never locked into a certain color with concrete. Want to remodel that kitchen, but the new look doesn't jive with the current color scheme? No problem with concrete. You can simply have a new color applied over the old one. Cool, eh?

Look in the Sept/Oct issue of Concrete Decor Magazine for more of my shots.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, architecture, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, concrete, countertops, floors, product photographer Bend Oregon

Anybody who remembers Mt. Bachelor's West Village Lodge two years ago, and for some unknown reason hasn't been back since (uhmmm - me? because I don't ski?) - get ready for a pleasant surprise:



That's right - the interior of the lodge (which previously had a bit of a strong nolstalgic 70s feel to it ...) has been completely updated. Large, modern steel beams now rule the spaces, rugged floor tiles add color and texture everywhere, and open, light areas invite to linger, rest, snack or warm up with a drink.



The formerly cramped and lackluster bar area has been completely transformed into a hip, inviting space with neon signs, Bachelor-branded chairs and lots of open room.



And in a nod to the environment and green building, modular panels out of recycled wood now protect the walls - and once they are banged up pretty good by the crowds, they can be easily replaced with new ones (as can the floor tiles).



Overall - a very cool remodel. And a fun shoot too.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, architecture, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, Mt. Bachelor, photography

Kudos to the New York Times for writing an most excellent article on the importance of good architectural photography when trying to sell a high-end property or residence.

In real estate, a picture can be worth more than a thousand words. Much, much more. When selling properties online, agents and Web designers say that the pictures buyers see of houses and apartments for sale are often the first - and sometimes the only - chance for a seller to make a good impression. Less-than-flattering pictures can turn buyers off and lead to lonely open houses.

"Good photos will grab people's attention and help you sell a home," said Jacky Teplitzky, an executive vice president of Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York. "Bad pictures will absolutely give you trouble, because you won't have any calls on it, and nobody will come to see it."

Eighty percent of people across the country who bought a new home last year used the Internet while house hunting, and they rated photographs as the most useful tool in their search, according to a survey of buyers and sellers by the National Association of Realtors.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, editorial photographer Bend Oregon, Editorial Photography

Normally, winter is a time for me to kick back a bit, relax, collect myself again for the busy Spring/Summer shooting season. You know - catch up on reading those great books you've been saving all summer, go out snowshoeing, organize your office, prepare your taxes - fun stuff like that.

Not *this* winter, however.

I suppose that's what happens when you're finally so sought after in your field that you can (have to) work all year round... Or when you decide to pull a second business up by the bootstraps, make yourself CEO and photo editor of it, and end up having the thing take on a life of its own.

Serves me right. I should have known better. That's what I get for being so damn ambitious. Hahaha.

To sum up the past 3 months though:

• My clients know that I love a challenge. This residence certainly was just that. Contemporary homes are hard to shoot because they tend to be very uncrowded, with simple, clean and stylish lines. That makes it hard to find things to fill your frame with. But I was actually very happy with the resulting images - look for a full portfolio and an article on the residence and its unusual family dynamic in the March/April issue of Bend Living.
  
• Speaking of Bend Living: Their beautiful coffee table book hit the stores and shelves last November, just in time for Christmas. Given that I was one of the 27 photographers chosen to participate in the project, I'm very happy with the finished book. Yay. And a big thumbs up to Tiffany at Bend Living for making her way through 9000 images to choose just the right ones. Nice going!
  
• Another project I recently shot that is worth mentioning: the St. Charles Heart Center in Bend. This is actually an amazingly elegant, non-sterile space for a hospital. I wish all my commercial architecture projects were this interesting!
  
• Couple of editorial assignements that were fun: shooting Patrick Kruse, CEO of Bend dog product company Ruff Wear, with his dog Otis. And Redmond mayor Alan Unger - both for the Oregon Business Magazine. Look for the shots in this February's issue.

So there. That's the reason why I haven't really blogged in a while. Just in case anybody was wondering ...

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, editorial photographer Bend Oregon, Editorial Photography

As I had promised yesterday, the PDF of that story I wrote and shot for Log Home Design Ideas Magazine is now resized to something a bit more sane.

Click on the small versions below to see the full-size jpegs (at 72dpi):












Note: While LHDI did a bang-up job on the layout - thanks, Dave! - the original story was quite a bit longer and more detailed. Hence, if you actually go ahead and read it, and it ends up sounding a bit cut up, then that's why.

Addendum: It's always wildly interesting to me just how and why photo editors choose the images they do. I personally had some real favorites from shooting this stunning home that didn't make it into the final article. If anybody is interested to check out the rest of the shots, they can mosey on over here and here.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, editorial photographer Bend Oregon, Editorial Photography

I love surprises. Especially when they're ... uhmm ... pleasant.

Working with national magazines who have a 12-14 months leadtime on an assignment or article, you sometimes loose track of exactly who is going to publish what, where and when. Especially when they've already paid you for it long ago too.

So it was that only a few days ago I remembered that the feature I had written and shot for Log Home Design magazine last year was going to run in this June issue.

And upon checking the mag out online - looky here! - I was surprised to find that one of my shots had actually made the cover! Weeee ...



Alas, the swift publishing pace of the mag has already pushed the magazine off the shelves at B&N in Bend and replaced it with the July/August issue. Luckily, the kind photo editor at LHD sent me a huge PDF of the article, so once I have that resized, I'll post it here for people to check out.

Cool though. A milestone for sure.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, editorial photographer Bend Oregon, Editorial Photography

Ok, I admit it - I have an unreasonable obsession with angles and lines. But in my chosen profession as architectural photographer, after all, angles and lines are everything. To me, it doesn't even matter if they're straight, curved, upsight down, crooked, wiggly - as long as they're exciting to look at.

Take this house, for example.



A few weeks ago, I shot this residence for a local Bend architect.



As even the untrained eye can see, the angles on this home are exquisite. The combinations of straight lines with leaned beams, cool glass with warm wood, tinted concrete with natural rock, are beautiful. And unlike 99% of homes here in the area, this one isn't elevated some 30 feet above ground to take advantage of the mountain views (which is does have in abundance) - rather, it is nestled into the ground to blend into the environment and shelter its occupants from the at times strong winds.



And despite its sizable square footage, you never feel like you're in a very large home. It's always intimate, cozy, inviting.

Very cool.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, architecture, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, photography

There comes a time in (almost) every freelancer's life, when things start to click, start to fall into place. The past few weeks have been like that for me.

Work has been good and steady (so much as a matter of fact, that the last thing I've wanted to do after-hours is spend more time on the computer to blog), my calendar is satisfyingly covered with crazy scribbles of appointments and gigs, and there are a few very exciting new things on the horizon - which I cannot just yet brag about, but will be able to hopefully soon.

Yet today is special. A day when the Gods of the Publishing Industry are nodding and smiling down upon me. After working as a pro for 2 years now, this is the day I've gone national for the first time - with a 2-page (56 & 57) spread in the August issue of Money Magazine (Circulation: 1.9 million).



That so many eyeballs will see my images is exciting stuff. Hats off to the magazine and its fabulous editor for choosing the images they did and for reproducing them so beautifully.

So go out, buy the magazine - and be happy that Bend, Oregon didn't make the magazine's Top 100 list of "Best Places to Live". Otherwise there would be a resounding sigh so loud going through the Central Oregon home buyer community, you could hear it all the way to New York ...

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, editorial photographer Bend Oregon, photography

For some inexplicable reason, I'm terribly fond of this image:



Or is it just me? Does anybody else like the almost painterly quality of this image? The way the chair, hat, painting, old indidan leather jacket, logs, and set of fireplace pokers come together? How the single spotlight casts this interesting light on the scene?

It was taken on a recent furniture shoot, almost as a sidenote, for no particular reason really, and just because to me, the scene seemed so saturated with Cowboy romance.

I just found out today that two images from this shoot are in consideration for the cover of the updated version of the book "Cowboy High Style".

I somehow hope it's gonna end up being this one.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, photography, product photographer Bend Oregon, product photography

I love my job.

Especially when I get to shoot assignments that take me to beautiful homes, let me meet wonderful new people - and give me a slice of education I would have never gotten otherwise.

Take for instance a recent shoot I did for a high-end reproduction maker of Molesworth furniture in Cody, Wyoming.



Molesworth who, you ask?

Yepp, I posed the same question. But in preparation for the shoot and to get a feel for the image style of the book (as my images will get featured in the updated version of the book), I read up on this interesting icon of Western style in Cowboy High Style by Elizabeth Claire Flood.

To quote the author: "Bow-legged cowboys, buffalo silhouettes, bucking horses, Indian teepees, an antlered elk - all icons that symbolize the rugged West. These, plus sensuous natural woods, vibrant leathers, and colorful woven fabrics are the raw materials of western casual elegance.

The western decorative style first became fashionable in the 1930s and 1940s, when dude ranches and lodges were among the most popular tourist destinations. Many of these retreats were outfitted by Cody, Wyoming furniture maker Thomas C. Molesworth, who worked mainly with swollen burls, rich leathers, and vibrant Chimayo weavings, to create the sturdy, streamlined furniture for which he has become famous. By adding romantic western and wildlife motifs through detailed wood carvings or paintings, Molesworth promoted a high style of furnishings that captured the spirit of the West."

Indeed. Shooting these beautiful furniture pieces, I started to really appreciate the smooth woods with their characteristic burls; the soft, supple leathers in their rich tones of red, and the intricate hand-carvings of arrows and teepees.

I'll be forever grateful for the education this job provided me - never mind that it also spoilt me for all eternity. I will never look at my furniture the same way again ...

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, photography, product photographer Bend Oregon, product photography

As a kid, I spent many Sunday mornings staring at the beautiful colored-glass windows and the lofty rib vaulting of the ancient Roman Catholic church in the small town in Switzerland where I grew up.

Never mind that I wasn't a catholic. But I volunteered to go to church with my catholic friends, just so that I could sit and examine the tall gothic windows, detailed painted ceilings, and intricate wooden carvings at my leisure during mass. My protestant parents didn't mind.

And it was here that I fell in love with architecture, probably without even fully realizing it. To this day, I relish the quiet, almost magical quality of a church - the creaking of those old wooden benches, the hushed voices, the distinct smell of old, musty stone.

There's also something awe-inspiring and symbolic about the art and architecture of a church, especially an ancient European one. But I've learnt to appreciate a religious painting or sculpture for the pure artistic value of it, without letting its subject matter affect me.

So on my recent trip to Vienna I stopped off at one of the city's most commanding sights - the St. Stephan's Cathedral. The weather was dull and grey outside, so the church's interior seemed darker and gloomier than I'm sure it would have been usually.

Yet when a sudden sun burst briefly lit up the windows, the effect was wonderous:

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Editorial Photography, photography, travel, travel photographer

Here's another snippet from the European travel files, as they trickle in...

The Emperor's Crypt in Vienna is truly a place of beauty as much as it is of death. The bronze coffins from the 16th and 17th century are enduring artistic masterpieces from their time, never mind their morbid suject matter. Lavishly encrusted with symbols of death and religion, they hold the remains of the 146 proud kings, queens, and noblemen that once ruled the extended Austrian kingdom. The last one was buried there in 1990.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, editorial photographer Bend Oregon, Editorial Photography, photography, travel, travel photographer

Log homes are the stuff dreams are made of. Who wouldn't want to live in one? They symbolize ruggedness and the outdoor spirit - the very essence of the place we live in - and yet a lot of today's log homes have a definite air of sophistication about them.

One of Central Oregon's most glorious log homes has just recently been finished, and I had the chance to go out to the Crosswater Golf Community and photograph the mansion.

Take a look at the resulting images. Would *you* want to live here?

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, architecture, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, interior architectural photography, photography