Last week, I talked about storytelling with photos. This shoot was a perfect example how why storytelling is important. So what does storytelling have to do with photos of a fireplace? Well, how many times have you looked at a photo of a fireplace and had an emotional reaction to it like you get with a book or a movie? My guess would be never. Ok, maybe once – but probably not.
This past fall, I had the pleasure of working once again with Renae Keller on a modern home in Northern MN. We arrived 2 nights before the shoot as we had scheduled a scouting day the following morning. I prefer to do a scout on each shoot as it helps me to pre-visualize the shoot day and helps things run smoothly – allowing us to maximize the amount on time spent shooting.
Big homes like this are a rarity in Southern Minnesota and this 14,000 sqft “castle” in southern Minnesota built to entertain. This was the first home I photographed for Deichman Construction, who was using these images to compile a regional magazine to promote their work. You can view the magazine below. Some of the details of this home include a two-story library inside of a stone turret with an iron spiral staircase connecting the two floors, tudor styled latticework windows, drive through porte-cochere, 18 seat dining room, and full indoor gym.
This was my first commissioned out-of-state architectural photography project for Austin, TX based Wang Architects . I spoke with Gary over the course of a few days talking through this project that he had designed for long-time friends of his, so I knew that this was a special project.