I’m a photographer…..get me out of here.

As you know, my forte is shooting multi-million quid properties. I can ensure the best results in the business for clients who put their trust in me, and I’ll not rest until the job is done. This house proved to be a technical challenge, but very enjoyable.

Ashbrooke Cottage in Sunderland’s swanky Ashbrooke district on the periphery of the city centre is a very noticeable property which previously featured in the national press when it was initially put on the market for a cool £2m. It was pitched as a “jungle-themed” house - so instantly attractive to fans of “I’m a Celebrity…get me out of here”. A bit of a stretch, but that’s the red-tops for you. It’s actually a well thought out property with the owners’ individual style stamped on it by virtue of the unique, quirky decor. With all the bits and pieces of foliage, ornaments and so forth removed, you’d have a very nice blank canvas to work with, but obviously buyers often can’t see past the things which aren’t part of the building. as I was shooting, I noticed a few people passing by who all stopped to look at the house before moving on.

I’d seen the previous shots commissioned by the owner, and knew what to expect beforehand. They met me there, advised that I didn’t need to shoot any exteriors (the autumn weather couldn’t compare with the summer shots already taken), and headed off to a cafe for some brunch while I got on with the task in hand. I estimated 2.5 hours for interiors.

The house looked small from the front, but inside it opened into a 4 floor mini-mansion with acres of space, and various large open-plan rooms split into different sections. There were shiny surfaces, dark corners, brick ceilings, and mirrored rooms to deal with. The weather outside was a bit grim, so I didn’t have the advantage of sunshine coming into the south facing rear which benefitted from huge glass doors along the length of the basement and lower floor.

Each space was a unique challenge in terms of lighting. I used my normal technique for much of the house, but needed my shoot-through umbrellas for some of the rooms which had brick and wood ceilings. The house was styled and prepared immaculately so there was no need to move anything at all. These guys were prepared.

The shoot took just short of my estimated time, and the post-production was a major part of putting everything together. The original shots from a couple of years ago were wider than mine, but I stand by my 15mm viewpoint rather than the ultra, ultra 12mm which seems to have been used previously. I’d like to have implemented my medium format gear here, but my 28mm lens just isn’t wide enough for real estate work. There’s a possible acquisition in the near future to solve that problem, but that’s for another day.