I Ask for an Assistant and They Send Me an Ass

Typical real estate shoots tend to have the same requests - focus on the unique features, make sure you get the views out of the master bedroom, capture the ceiling detail in the living area, etc. On a recent shoot my instructions were "Make sure you don't let the donkeys out when you open the front gate." WTF. Really?

This property was on one of the most prestigious streets in Dallas - and I had to worry about donkeys? I finished the interiors a bit early and headed outside to capture some shots of the property. Before I knew it, two donkeys were at my side, very curious about what I was doing. As I waited for the sun to set so I could capture the front exterior, I learned a few things about donkeys.

1.  They seem to really enjoy eating magnolia leaves.
2.   They are very curious, especially about camera gear.
3.  They love having their photos taken.

Right as the light was getting right for the photo of the front of the house, they two donkeys slowly sauntered up on the front porch.

Not having much time, I had to run to the porch and gently urge the the two prima donnas to leave so I could get the twilight shot. Donkeys can move pretty quickly when encouraged to do so.

All in all it was a fun shoot. Donkeys in Dallas. Who knew.

December Twilights

I figured December would be a slow month - I figured wrong. Several interesting projects came my way, including a 1,000 sq. foot condo, several large homes over 13,000 sq. feet, and a ranch formerly owned by Dale Evans. Each property lent itself to a twilight photo - here are some of my favorites.

Restaurants X 4

I again had the pleasure of shooting more food for a project at The Dallas Morning News. Specifically, 4 restaurants at a new(ish) mall. Only problem, they needed to be shot quickly, and as timing would have it, some were to be shot during the lunch rush. Typical schedule for a newspaper shoot.

I had about 2 hours to get all the food photographed (normally, I would spend at least that long in each restaurant) while also shooting various product in some of the shops. Below are a few of my favorites.

NBA Championship Trophy

iPhone photo

While shooting a promo photo for an upcoming event featuring members of The Dallas Mavericks staff, I was able to squeeze in a few photos with the NBA World Championship Trophy. Pretty cool to see it up close.

iPhone photo

iPhone photo

Friday Night Football

I have not photographed a football game in well over 10 ten years, but this past Friday a client asked me to get a few shots of the Southlake Dragons game against Fossil Ridge. I only had time to shoot part of the first quarter, but was able to walk away with a good mix of photos. Here are a few of my favorites.

Good Enough To Eat

I love to photograph food and restaurants and a recent assignment at The Dallas Morning News had me shooting four restaurants at Lakeside Market in about two hours. Normally I spend at least two hours on one restaurant, but that's the way it goes in the newspaper business sometimes.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the shoot.

Reds Bar and Grill

Reds Bar and Grill

Seabreeze

Ziziki's

Breadwinners

I Want This House

copyright 2011 - stephen reed photography

I am lucky enough to photograph a lot of beautiful homes, and while they are extraordinary, most are too big and not to my taste. I recently photographed a home for Tricia Weiner of Dave Perry-Miller & Associates  (www.daveperrymiller.com) that had me from the get go. I knew as soon as I walked in the front door that this house would be special. Everything, from the furniture to the art to the finish out, really caught my eye.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the shoot.

Now, all I need is to hit the lottery and this puppy is mine!