About the Image(s)
Isles of Venice Home
Nikon D850 24-70 2.8 lens @56mm, ISO 250, F18, 30 seconds, tripod
Fort Lauderdale, Florida is known as the Venice of the Americas due to the dozens of canals that form parallel finger islands just inside the Intercoastal Waterway. On these islands the extreme rich and famous have built hundreds of fabulous homes. In the early 1900s the homes were smaller but as the original owners died and the land was sold the new owners built mansions. Now a small home runs around 6000 square feet and some are double that size. Most of the homes as built very close to each other (about 12 feet) and all have dock space for their 50-100 foot yachts. While the fronts of most homes are nearly invisible due to security walls and the landscaping the backs of the homes can be seen along the canals. To give some perspective, one home, still under construction, will have separate garage doors for 4 (yes you read that correctly) full size RVs plus a separate garage with a glass door where the owner will park his vintage Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Pictured above is one of the smaller homes taken at twilight.
Michael Jack
This could go into a real estate brochure - great time of day, effective exposure, nicely composed, good choice of shutter speed to take away any distractions from the water. My only suggestion would be to slightly crop up from the bottom. Only 4 garage doors? Usually there is a separate carriage house as well with an additional four doors - maybe the property is too tight for that there. Posted: 07/09/2024 22:38:22
Larry Treadwell
You got it right Michael. Unless someone purchased a double lot most of these homes are on fairly deep but quite narrow lots. Some corner lots are triangular. I struggled in regard to the amount of water to keep at the bottom. I included more water to make the composition taller rather than take on a pano look and liked the vertical lines in the water to move the up upward. Still I could crop out half the water at the bottom. Posted: 07/23/2024 15:07:54
Arne Skinlo
If I shall sell my mansion in Fort Lauderdale one day, I will hire you to take the pictures 🙂. Using a long shutter speed where trees are involved, is a risky task due to motion blur, but that is not the case here. The blurred water is what distinguishes this image from the crowd. The exposure is spot-on where the illuminated parts are not blown out and the surroundings are not too dark. To make it pop a bit more, I would suggest to lighting the facade and some of the trees a touch. Posted: 07/23/2024 05:46:32
Larry Treadwell
Thanks Arne. In the summer, unless there is rain or approaching storms just after sunset we get a short period is dead calm with almost no breeze. I planed to be there to photograph this house in that calm. Thanks for the thought about increasing the brightness of the building and trees. I tried a number of versions with more or less light, never could make up my mind..
Posted: 07/23/2024 15:14:01
Barbara Gore
Several years ago I dabbled in real estate photography, and I have to say you nailed this shot. The perspective showcases the house nicely. The lighting enhances the curb appeal of the house. The editing is natural adding to the visual appeal. Very nice! Posted: 07/23/2024 14:11:17
Larry Treadwell
I do appreciate your comment. I made a great many trips to the Isles to get these photos. I tried really hard to get each of the homes in the best possible conditions for that home. I even photographed one under storm clouds and some at dawn, dusk, mist and fog. Each one I wanted to be different. Good to hear a "pro" like you approves of this one. Posted: 07/23/2024 15:24:02
Barbara Gore
Haha, not a pro Larry. I gave it up because it required a significant amount of effort, yet the compensation was quite limited. However I still love architectural photography. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:14:06
Larry Treadwell
I hear you. I have a neighbor who is in real estate and over the years I have photographed some homes for her. It is a great deal of work to do right and the compensation is low. I'd hate to do it on a regular basis. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:40:33
Adi Ben-Senior
Very nicely done Larry, I do agree with the above compliments. I like especially the line of the dock in white. The curved line gives the sense of depth rather than just a flat horizon. Posted: 07/27/2024 11:04:16
Diane Ferdig
Larry, I love the sharpness, clarity colors, and reflection. This looks like something I would see in a high-end real estate ad Posted: 07/29/2024 00:39:19
