I don’t think this will help you sell.

I don’t think this will help you sell.

I’ve learned so much about real estate. Not just photographing it. But the business of it. Stuff like features, amenities and such. All the things that help to get a home sold.

You learn quickly in this business or you wash out. Me, I’m stubborn, so I’m still here.

Early on in my “real estate” photography career though, I was much less seasoned. But I did know the basics of what would and would not help to sell.

It’s mostly common sense. Mostly. But every property can teach you something new. And they always do.

Like back in the “long, long ago times”. You know, pre-COVID? Way before that.

It was my first serious luxury home and it was gorgeous. Inside? Spectacular! This shoot was going to make me (yeh right). It’s a big house too, so I was there for a long while.

Things were going really well. Except for my expectations of my own work. You know, “better than perfect” no matter what. And that’s for every shot!

But what most don’t realize about this kind of work is that you are not just taking the shots you want. You are taking the shots that HAVE to be taken. Each room. Each feature. Each everything. Even in the best of homes not everything photographs well.

Hence my needing to update my invoice line items to include “Therapy”.

But I digress. Covering all the interiors, I moved outside to the backyard and lanai. Magnificent pool! Tempting too as it’s over 300 degrees out here. That Florida heat was really doing Florida heat stuff. Backyard had a well manicured landscape. Trees, shrubs, flowers, fire pit, butterflies and bees. Nice stuff.

Photographed really well. But then I noticed a smell. Odd, at first as it didn’t quite fit in with my surroundings. Touch of decay and death. Didn’t make sense. But whatever, I’ve got a job to do.

Moving to different spots in the backyard, the smell is becoming stronger. I did a quick check of myself. Nothing bleeding, nothing rotting, nothing on my shoes, all my digits still attached. Great, not me. But damn that smell!

Such a beautiful property and not the best smell back here. Fine, let’s move on. Smell is getting stronger. Much stronger.

I just need a couple more shots of the back and we’ll be good to go. Set up here by this oak. And….

And, I just found the source of the smell. And it’s exactly what you’re expecting, right?

Well, if you guessed rotting deer head, then you’re the winner! Yes folks, we have a rotting, maggot-filled deer head. Complete with antlers, swarms of flies, sunken in eyes and a smell that rivaled (but didn’t exceed) the “frogs in the toilet” smell (which at this time I had yet to experience).

Enjoy your best luxury life! 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, updated interiors, enclosed pool, gorgeous yard, rotting deer head! It can all be yours for the exceptionally low, low price of 1 Million Dollars.

So I took the shot, doing my best to avoid stepping into that semi-liquified deer head. Went back inside and had a brief chat with the owner.

“Hey, this is a gorgeous place here. Stunning actually. But, I think you should remove that rotting deer head from your backyard.”

Turns out he had returned from a hunting trip a couple days prior. Processed the deer right there in the backyard by the swing set. Accidentally forgot about the head, now decomposing and making one hell of a stink. I trusted that he removed the thing.

Because the last time I looked “Rotting deer head disposal” wasn’t a part of my job description.