Looks like a million -- now

The Times posed this challenge to professional real estate photographer Nick Springett: Could he take the glamour shots he is known for when the subject is a sparsely furnished home in Brentwood listed at $1.425 million?

The background: The house, at 438 N. Greencraig Road, was listed last year, then withdrawn from the market while the owner made cosmetic improvements.

Coldwell Banker realty agent Kenny Bellini, who co-listed the property with Jesper Inglis, noted that, during showings, buyers would invariably comment that the online photos didn’t do justice to the house. Bellini’s wife, Izumi Tanaka, shot the original photos with a digital camera.

Springett tackled the job, which, he admitted, was more challenging than shooting a more expensive, professionally decorated home.

Among the things he did:

Dining room (photos above): The dining table was staged with linens, place settings and fresh flowers. Chairs were pulled out for a better visual composition. His shot is wider than the original and now includes the outside patio area and table.

But the most dramatic improvement came from improved lighting. The dark spots were brightened and the pool now appears more inviting. He used two strobe lights to balance the lighting in the room.

The area now seems larger. The room was shot with a 17 mm lens.

Living room (see photos on K1): The original photo missed the room’s focal points -- the fireplace and the view.

Springett’s remedy for an improved photo was to style the furniture and light the room to match the outside lighting. Furniture was rearranged to face the fireplace.

The outside patio was wet down with a hose to bring out the color and richness of the bricks. The bookshelves were filled out and a dining room chair was moved into the room to fill a hole in the photo frame. The fireplace was lighted. Springett used a 24 mm lens.

*

[email protected]