Penn Field Austin Texas - Building J

 

Penn Field in Austin is home to many locally-grown architecture and design firms.  

This building (J) is the most recent to be completed.

Architectural Perspective Control: Canon Tilt + Shift Lens

Ever wonder how some photographers manage to take photos of buildings that are NOT leaning back?

The leaning buildings come from tilting the camera up to get the top of the building in the frame.  Most lenses, even wide angle ones, aren't wide enough to get the whole building in the frame while keeping the sensor of the camera parallel with the face of the building.

The solution to this is to use a Shift Lens, a lens that permits the lens to shift relative to the sensor of the camera, to capture the top of the building without tilting the camera.  It is like climbing up on a 2-story building across from the one you're photographing, and eliminated perspective distortion.

The technical detail underlying this are complex, so Google variations on "Tilt-shift lens" to find out more.

I've started using a Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5L Tilt and Shift lens on my Canon 5d Mark II DSLR to take our architectural photographs.  The quality of the images from this lens are absolutely stunning and I can't wait to go take more and more and more.

If your photos are looking like this one, consider getting a tilt-shift lens for a more professional photograph.

Wal-Mart vs. Small Town America

 

I was setting up the shot for this building in Lockhart, Texas, with my camera on a tripod when I saw the Wal-Mart truck coming. I had already been looking at the building with dismay - it clearly needed some life breathed back into it as a home for businesses.

The lens on my camera was a Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5L, otherwise known as a "Tilt and Shift" lens because you can shift the lens relative to the sensor of the camera to eliminate perspective distortion (where the building is leaning back). The lens is manual focus only, and the truck was coming fast, so I took my chances and took a single shot.

I do think this image captures why we have empty downtowns in these small towns that were once booming with business. Wal-Mart takes away business from local business owners, under pays their employees who then can't afford to support the local businesses that haven't yet been run out of town.

It is a sad and vicious cycle.  Do you keep your money local when you can?

Cows for Neighbors?

As subdivisions push farther and farther outside of the city limits, new home buyers are increasingly likely to find themselves peering over their back fence, wondering why it smells like . . . a farm . . . or farm animals.

When you buy into a new development, look at the development maps, and drive around.  Ask what surrounds the property, then confirm that information independently from the developer.

January 2011 Review of The Texas Economy - an Excerpt from Texas A&M

Do You Keep on Top of Texas Job Growth Numbers?
Even if you don't, the

The quick numbers on Texas Job Growth from Dec 2009 to Dec 2010

Gruene Texas: Talk of the Town

Gruene, Texas - Historic Buildings, Tons of People and Gorgeous

See Fabulous Photos from Gruene Texas at Appraisal IQ

The Robert Mueller Airport Development Area in Austin

Mueller Austin - Urban Infill at it's Best
Would you rather see a gigantic concrete lot with weedy fields, or homes for people who work in the nearby area?
The 2009 to 2010 Mueller Austin Real Estate Report

Meridian Austin (78739): Real Estate Data 2009 to 2010

Meridian in South Austin, 78739: Homes built in 2005 to 2010, priced in the $250s to $700s.

Read more about the Meridian South Austin subdivision ...

Avery Ranch Market Report 2009-2010

Love the styles of the homes in Avery Ranch?  Like the Golf Course community lifestyle? Homes stayed on the market for fewer days in 2010 than in 2009 and sold in fewer days.  Read the Avery Ranch 2009 to 2010 Real Estate Sales Report by Appraisal IQ.

Sunset Meridian in South Austin

We spent some time photographing the Meridian subdivision in South Austin this week.

 I haven't finished processing the home photos because this one was much more compelling. We'll have them poster later today on Appraisal IQ.

Have you Driven Through Driftwood, Texas?

Driftwood, Texas - Other than the Salt Lick
For many people who live in Austin and the surrounding Hill Country, Driftwood Texas is synonymous with the Salt Lick Barbecue. If you slow down, you'll find a lot more to see.

Read more ...

Mueller: Always a Good Place for Photos

I didn't set out to become a real estate photographer, and don't (yet) consider myself to be one.  I am a REALTOR and own a real estate appraisal company with my husband, Orlando called Appraisal IQ.  We take a zillion photos for work, and over time, I realized that the art of photography was drawing me closer and closer, and not just the ones we MUST take.

Every day is a day to learn something new.  Last time I took photos of this, it was all tilty because it is tall.

This one was taken with a 70-200mm lens on a Canon 5D Mark II. 

The old tower at the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport in East Austin.