How to make a client’s building stand out

From this. . .

. . . to this!

Newly built mall in Chandler makes for a stunning second location for AZ MediQuip, which retails home medical equipment and supplies. However, dark window glass intended for morning sun protection made the shop look cold and not so inviting in a photograph. Here are some adjustments that were made:

1 – To make the store look as welcoming in a photograph as it is in reality additional light was added inside to overcome the dark glass and show the variety of products on offer.

2 – Texture was added to the windows on the adjacent store to hide distracting reflections and focus attention on the client’s shop and display.

3 – Extra lighting was added to the scooters on display outside the store so they will stand out and look appealing. The technique was similar to the one described in the story below.

4 – Asphalt on the street and the curb in front was cleaned up. Because the mall was new, relatively little clean-up was needed here. For many buildings extensive work is needed to hide cracks and stains and remove tire marks on the curb.

How to bring out detail with lighting

The clubhouse at Legend Trails Golf Community in Scottsdale was surrounded by vegetation. While the setting sun created beautiful light on most of the building, the trees cast a shadow on the most important parts — the main entrance and the portico. My task was to balance the light so the building looked stately and welcoming, and, for my painting company client, to show the quality of the painted surfaces.

First I made the basic exposure of the whole building. Then I walked all around the portico area, the planting area, the building wing in the background with flashgun in hand. I made 20+ exposures aiming light at each section of the building with the flash in one hand and the remote to trigger the camera in the other. When combined in Photoshop, only those portions of the building with added light come through, so you don’t see 20 versions of me.

One more exposure was made when the evening lights came on for the final effect.

Show what makes your business stand out

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