Staging the Scene:

One cannot say enough about the effect that proper staging can have on a photoshoot. Case in point; we were asked to photograph a fantastic custom home in Michigan on the lake.  The homeowners were away for a few days, which provided the opportunity to stage the shots that the client wanted. 

This custom home was built by Schmidke Construction & Contracting a family-owned business headed up by master craftsman Joshua Schmidke and his wife Brianne.  Brianne as it turns out could start a second career in home staging.  This is no easy task as one has to remove most of the homeowners' personal belongings and transform a lived-in home to one staged for photography and then of course put everything back so that it appears that we were never there.  

 

The objective of fine architectural photography for a custom home builder is to accentuate the fine aspects of the build.  Therefore, one has to use substantial restraint when staging a scene for photography.  You want to add just the right detail to complement the room.  A splash of color here, a warm accent there, a stack of books, a bottle of wine etc., setting the scene to make the viewer want to step into the photo and enjoy the space.  Brianne hit this one out of the park!  The rooms were all perfectly set and never took away from the incredible floor plan, vaulted ceilings, or meticulous craftsmanship.   

 

If you are looking to build a custom home in Michigan, give Joshua and Brianne a call.  You can't do better.  Below are a few of my favorites.