A Winning Bathroom Remodel in Rye, NH
My latest project took me to a bathroom remodel in Rye, NH, with Phyrom Oum of HJD Builders. This shoot marked my first collaboration with Phyrom, making it a special and important project.
One of the standout features of this bathroom was the skylight over the shower. Phyrom had tried to capture this element with his phone but found it challenging. The dynamic range of the skylight and the rest of the bathroom was just too much for a cellphone to handle. Hoping to realize his vision for the room, he reached out to me for help. Not having seen the room before the shoot, I relied on my intuition that with a couple of lights, some masking, and bracketed shots, I could create the shot he was looking for. Phyrom was genuinely excited to see how a professional approach could bring out the best in his design.
The other obstacle was the very confined space of the long, narrow bathroom. Phyrom had tried to find a spot to put his camera that captured all the elements of the room but kept running into obstacles, including reflections coming off the glass doors. Using my tilt-shift lenses, specifically designed for architectural photography, I was able to find perspectives unavailable to a regular photographer. These lenses allowed me to capture the space as Phyrom envisioned it and wanted to share with the world. While I didn’t need to use it with this shower, here’s a Photoshop trick most people wouldn’t think of: when shooting into a glass door with reflections, take an extra shot with the door open and then paint out the reflection with the pristine tile work behind. Works every time!
Phyrom was very pleased with the final photos and submitted them to the New Hampshire Home Builders Association Cornerstone Awards where is won!, A testament to the excellent design and our successful collaboration.
For those interested in seeing more of my work or learning about HJD Builders, please visit their website. And as always, follow me on Instagram @kevinedgephotography for more updates on my photographic journey.