June was a fast-paced month of real estate as it seemed everyone waiting to make a move until school was out suddenly was ready to list their homes. Austin is one of the few cities nationwide where prices have risen the past year and didn’t fall much in previous years, so the market is still jumping. However, as the number of homes hitting the MLS increases, demand from buyers is beginning to slow. Sellers and their agents must be competitive with not just nice photos showing the home, but amazing photos showing OFF the home! Seller demand for professional photography is high, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this industry.

Every month when I prepare my portfolio of the previous four weeks, I am energized all over again. I just love shooting real estate and find myself at portrait clients’ homes or wedding venues itching to take a few moments to light and photograph great spaces wherever I find them! Seriously, I know it’s hard to believe anyone can be this excited about her job or taking pictures of rooms, I’m not just making it up. To prove my point, I challenge you to take your little camera and take a photo of the best room in your home to see just how difficult it is to do well. I struggle every day, and I have so much to learn, which is why it’s so much fun. At 25 homes this month with some of the most amazing views I’ve seen in Austin, I am having a lot of fun!

This adorable trio we shot at Bee Cave Central Park just outside of Austin and Lakeway  just may have been the best behaved, most cooperative little group I’ve worked with. When I complimented them on how well they were doing, mom whispered to me that she’d been prepping them for weeks! It certainly paid off with their great smiles, eye contact, and close poses. She wanted tight head shots in black and white canvas gallery wraps to update some she’d had done six years ago for a previous father’s day gift. It’s a surprise, so shhh! don’t tell!

My favorite home this month was 100 Cloudland www.100cloudland.com in Spicewood on a gorgeous waterfall. The neighbors were proud that the home had once been a short-term rental for visiting celebrities working on films in nearby Austin, so I guess that makes us famous now too, right?

19309 White Horse Cove, Spicewood TX 78669 in Travis Settlement is a gorgeous home along a creek canyon with stunning sunsets and hill country views. Offered by agent/owner Tim Gigliotti, we had a great time shooting together. Twilight sessions always yield the best photos, especially on a sunset property such as this one. We ran around like mad shooting before we lost the sun, alternating between serious hard work and laughter to keep things interesting. This is a landscape 2-sided flyer to show off the best feature of the home, its great setting.

I personally also really enjoyed looking at the gorgeous art board wedding album their fantastic photographer in Taiwan put together. They said everyone does a 12-hour bridal session there and that perhaps I should consider adding a day-long wedding photo extravaganza called the “Asian Package!”

I guess the main point here is that I’m sure you want to capture your own family having as much fun as we are! I saw some seed pods on some of the flowers tonight, so hurry before it looks more like a pea patch than wildflowers.

One of the nice things about real estate photography (there are a lot of those) is meeting all the great agents around the Austin area. Jill Foye is a beautiful new Keller Williams Realtor® , though as an ASP certified stager certainly no newcomer to the industry. We networked while she was staging, and I had the chance to take her head shots today for her new business cards. KW isn’t as fun with their cards as they have premade designs to choose from and therefore less creativity on my part there, but I loved this design…I think because it looks like my web site header!

Austin bluebonnet season is in full swing. The flowers are bright and juicy, and not a single one has yet gone to seed. Another week of springtime before the pods take over and the Indian Blankets move in.

These gorgeous girls were so fun and easy to work with. They posed, they modeled, they listened, even the baby stayed put, and in between asking for mama created some beautiful smiles. Their dresses lend an almost vintage feel. And as an extra bonus, I found a huge bluebonnet patch just a few minutes from my house the morning of the shoot! Lovely subjects, great location, overcast skies with soft sunset light that needed no flash all added up to a wonderful photo shoot.

The Texas state flower has good reason to be so. Every spring they pop up all over the hill country, especially along the highways making even rush hour seem almost pleasant. With small kids we found an enormous yet out of the way patch just north of Marble Falls for this session in the flowers. Two families back to back with the sun fading by the minute, we moved fast: almost as fast as the toddlers!

I took Baby’s First Year maternity, newborn, 6 months, first birthday, and holiday family photos of the little redhead, and now he’s walking around talking to me! I also did the 6 month session for the toddler in the second family: they do grow up fast!

One of the reasons I love shooting real estate, other than the challenge of interior lighting in difficult situations, is that each home and owner has a unique story. Meeting with homeowners and realtors and hearing about the history of where they’ve lived, where they’re going and why, is always fascinating. The solitude of working alone with a lockbox key has its own rewards, but the story of the home is what holds my interest. This month I knocked on a door in a lovely neighborhood in Westlake only to have it answered by a friend of mine who is sadly (for me) moving. One home was agent owned, and her bittersweet goodbye to her first home as she moves in with her husband just begged to have her photo taken on her own front porch. Then there was a lake-front home in Spicewood full of exotic game on the walls and a bluebonnet meadow in full bloom! And another home in Westlake with a newly retired couple who had taken up metal sculpture with exquisite artwork displayed throughout the home and yard, who are moving to gain more workshop space.

Where we live says so much about who we are, and the homes we  buy can speak to us even without hearing the stories.

Booth Circle in Volente is nearly an acre of enchanting features one after another. A nautical themed estate in white with blue roofs and railings reminiscent of a luxury cruise ship, this one-of-a-kind custom-built home boasts soaring ceilings, gorgeous living areas, 5 patios, 4-car garage, water features, hot tub, full rear lake access and boat dock, incredible views, and a working lighthouse! A must see to believe property.

502 Mariner in Lakeway offered by Cynthia Carlisle, an incredibly unique home with spacious floor plan, gorgeous view, and amazing outdoor living areas.

4526 Duval St offered by Bambi Watson is a beautifully redone bungalow with amazing character and huge back yard especially in its central location. A 2/1 with large casita, hot tub, covered patio, indoor washer/dryer with gorgeous wood floors and trim.

9013 Mountbatten offered by Cara Keenan is luxurious living in an equally luxurious community. A 4+office/4.5 with attention to every detail, an enormous lot, pool, hot tub, and surrounded by hill country vistas.

Another great remodel in Travis Heights, 1401 Newning offered by Kenny Hilbig is a 3/2.5+office with rich wood plank floors, gorgeous bright interior with quaint vintage details. Located right off Town Lake, yet with a large corner lot with plenty of yard space.

What a spunky and funny couple, it was almost hard to take photos because we were all laughing so hard! I think it was the first reception I’ve attended where cowboy hats and Texas accents were mandatory (yes, we had the DJ call them all out for a group photo!) Yet especially later in the evening, once the happy couple was ignoring us and we went into stealth photo ninja mode, there was such a lovely tender affection and sense of relief that it set my own heart to melting. My own 13th anniversary was the day after the wedding, and I thank you for giving me the perfect reminder of how wonderful it’s been! And thanks to Tyler Schmitt who is such an experienced and expensive wedding photographer for agreeing to come be my second: you were amazingly easy and fun to work with! Betcha didn’t know he was hiding back there!

View their full galleries for the wedding and the reception

http://palphotoart.com/tomasroppolowedding/

http://palphotoart.com/tomasroppoloreception/