Variety makes my job interesting!

Samuels has some beautiful multifamily properties around Boston.  This is a photo of 1330 Boylston shot in November, when we did exteriors and interiors, including apartments of each layout and the beautiful amenities there.  Many people who work in the Longwood medical area choose these new up-scale places to live.  

Here is a photo from a recent residential shoot for Compass in Newton:

Photographing industrial things behind the scenes is so much fun and so interesting.  This maze of pipes was put together by Timberline for a new part of an office building housing restrooms and locker rooms.  I may not know what the system is for, but I do know it is cool-looking!

Roger Williams Botanical Center

My husband and I recently went to the Roger Williams Botanical Center in Providence to get a dose of green plants to counteract the dreariness and snow outside in a New England winter, and it was amazing!  They have four greenhouses - the one in the photo is the largest - and lots of tropical plants and nooks and crannies where you can sit and read or relax and chat.

We went from winter:

To summer:

Here are some of my favorite photos from that excursion.

I can also recommend the Lyman Estate greenhouses in Waltham!  Smaller but chock full of interesting plants.

Liberty Square Staircase

Beautiful staircase at 2 Liberty Square in Boston, built in 1910, shot for my client JLL #staircase #beauxarts #artnouveau

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United Methodist Church, Kent, Ohio

Chapel built in 1964 for the United Methodist Church in Kent, Ohio. A chapel in the round! Always a pleasure to visit this interesting architecture while visiting my parents. Would love to know the name of the architect…

Selected for the Cooper Center Exhibit

I’m honored to share that one of my photographs was selected for the Trilogy exhibit at the Cooper Center for Active Living in Newton, MA. Only 15 images were chosen from the Newton Camera Club for this show, and I’m delighted to be included.

The image below is of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California. It was one of the last buildings he designed and was completed after his death in 1962. You may have seen it as the setting for the 1997 science fiction film GATTACA.

The exhibit is on display through the end of February. If you’re in the Newton area, I highly recommend stopping by to see this wonderful show and the many beautiful works on display.

Elisif Photography Growing

I’m excited to announce that my husband, David Brandon, has officially joined Elisif Photography as our Office Manager! This is a big step for the business, and having support behind the scenes allows me to focus even more on creating exceptional work for my clients. We’re thrilled to be working together as Elisif Photography grows in the year ahead.

Trio Exhibit & Opening Reception

I’m pleased to announce that I have two pieces featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Newton Art Center's Trio location.  The opening reception is February 1st, 2:00–4:00 PM

This exhibit brings together a diverse collection of photographs by Newton Camera Club members, and I’d love to see you there if you’re able to attend.  The exhibit will be up until the end of February, and the space is open 24/7.  I was part of the jury who selected the images (except my own).  

Coincidentally, Trio is one of several multifamily properties I have photographed for my client Samuels!  Many thanks to Diana Perry at Rumphius Marketing for the intro!

First Shoot of the Year!

I kicked off 2026 with my first shoot of the year on Jan. 2 for Timberline, photographing the newly renovated JP Morgan Chase Bank in Bridgewater.

Working around holiday decorations, we focused on showcasing the clean lines and modern design of the refreshed space. A big thank-you to Timberline for being the client of my first shoot of the year—it was a great way to start 2026!

A Beautiful Kitchen by Haven Architecture

In June, I photographed a gorgeous home redesigned by Haven Architecture. The upper part of a split-level had been opened up to a beautiful open space with a dining room, kitchen, and living room all under one magnificent vaulted ceiling. I love the combination of the wood color with the white ceiling and countertop.  Frankly, I've never seen such a large kitchen island! It is such a pleasure every time I photograph work by Haven - their designs are elegant and bold.

A trip to New York City

After many years, I finally made a return trip to NYC with my husband and good friends. Top on my list of places to visit was this amazing building Via 57th West by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). What a crazy shape for a residential building! It looks as though there are balconies in the indentation in the middle. NY now has a pyramid. To get this view I had to go out onto the pier into the Hudson and look back.

Looking up out a car sunroof - a great way to look at skyscrapers.

Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in NYC - I love the big clock and the wide open roof.

Commonwealth Building Inc. launches new website with photos by Elisif Photography!

Winter is leaving! The sun already feels warmer and I'm ready for spring. Now is a great time to schedule your photography needs for the next few months. Send me an email or call so we can book a time convenient for both of us.

Business is going well. 2020 turned out to be my third best year ever as a photography business! I'm looking forward to even better things in 2021. This year has started off well, with my busiest March ever.

I have two photos in the Newton Camera Club virtual exhibit - Tree Farm in Cathlamet, WA (see below) and Driving on the Zakim (next to last in the show)

Commonwealth Building, Inc. Launches New Website with my Photos

I spent much of 2020 taking photos of projects built by Commonwealth Building Inc. (CBI). It was so much fun! They were creating a new website and needed lots of photos of work that they have built. Despite COVID restrictions, we were able to safely do shoots of a large variety of buildings, including retail, office, and restaurants. In fact, in some ways it was easier because there were fewer people to work around in these spaces.

Above is an image from the offices of Soso at 121 High Street in Boston. Below is Top Shelf, a store at Assembly Row in Somerville. In fact, CBI has been building out many stores and restaurants at Assembly Row. Did you know that Assembly Row is named for the Ford Assembly plant that used to operate there?

This Carhartt store below was just spectacular at dusk. Shooting at dusk makes the interior show up clearly from the exterior - showing off both at once.

CBI does wonderful work and it was a pleasure working with the CBI team. Below is a beautiful store they built at The Square at Chestnut Hill called Porcelanosa.

Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more. Please contact me for an estimate on your next project!

Alba Restaurant in Quincy, built by CBI

Cat Connection Shelter to open April 5th!!!

Many of you know I support the non-profit cat rescue group The Cat Connection. Exciting news! After many years of work, we are finally opening a shelter! It is at 167 Chestnut Hill Ave. in Brighton. Although we are still Waltham based, we are shifting to Brighton as well, where we found a wonderful space, spent the year remodeling it, and are ready for our first cat!! Find out more on our website.

Architectural Photography in the time of COVID-19

Elisif Photography is open for business! I have spent a lot of the time in isolation catching up on all my projects, improving all my business procedures with new project management tools such as Gantt charts, and doing lots of networking via video conference. I've now joined the Boston Society of Architects, American Society of Media Photographers, and several chambers, rotary clubs, and networking groups.

I have a COVID-19 policy and have started doing photo shoots now that things are opening up. It is actually a good time for architectural photography with so many buildings mostly empty outside and inside. My COVID-19 policy includes everyone wearing masks at all times on a shoot, assurances beforehand that no one is showing symptoms of COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who is sick, minimizing the number of people on each shoot, and wearing gloves or using hand sanitizer and washing hands often. As photo shoots are planned, I make sure my clients and I are all comfortable with the safety precautions in place before the shoot. On one shoot recently, my client had someone follow along to clean everything I touched as I straightened a space to make it neat for photography, which I think worked very well.

As I schedule shoots out the next few months, I want to make sure I can serve all my clients' needs! Please contact me for scheduling. This is a great time to do shoots with fewer people to disturb in occupied spaces, and of course a great time to photograph empty newly completed spaces or spaces for lease.

Exhibit Opening this Friday 6pm-8pm - BSA Space, Atlantic Wharf

Happy New Year! 2019 was an amazing year and I'm looking forward to a busy and exciting year for 2020! I started off the year right with a shoot in Manhattan for Newton architect Stuart Parsons on Jan. 2nd, a beautiful condo overlooking the Hudson River. Looking forward to serving all my clients' needs for photography this year!

"The Architecture of Time" Exhibit Opening
at the Boston Society of Architects

Please join me this Friday between 6pm and 8pm for the opening reception of the new photography exhibit at the BSA Space at 290 Congress Street (Atlantic Wharf). The BSA Exhibit includes pieces by many different photographers, featuring "photography that represents creative perspectives on the built or designed environment dealing with time or history through an architectural lens."

I was lucky to have two pieces selected for inclusion in the show.

This was shot at the beautiful Metropolitan Waterworks Museum by Cleveland Circle. If you haven't been there you really must check it out. The Great Engines Hall, pictured here, houses coal-powered, steam-driven pumps three stories tall that were used to pump fresh water to the city of Boston in the 19th century. They are beautifully preserved by the museum.

The second photo of mine that was selected for the exhibit is "St. Louis Street Impression" which I shot while riding along a street in St. Louis in my sister's car, looking out the passenger window and recording this panorama on my phone. The car moved faster than the panorama could be recorded, so it jumps and gives more of an impression of the street than a clear record. I've since been taking these types of moving panoramas in other cities to see if they result in photos that represent some aspect of each city's architecture or environment.

I hope you can join me for the exhibit opening! Many of the other photographers chosen are my fellow professionals, students from the New England School of Photography, and amateur photographers from around the area. The last exhibit had a high level of quality and so I expect this will be another great exhibit at the BSA!

Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more. Please contact me for an estimate on your next photography project!

Thankful for my clients! Exhibits Dec.5 & Jan.10, and I'm on TV

During this season of Thanksgiving, Chanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Year's, I am so thankful to all of my clients for an amazing year! I love my job - taking photos of my clients' beautiful work. May all of you, my clients, friends, family, supporters, colleagues, networking partners, have a safe and meaningful holiday season!

Elisif Photography in Two Exhibits and on Newton Cable TV!

I'm on TV! The Newton Camera Club was invited to be on Jay Sugarman's NewTV show "Museum Open House" to talk about our exhibit that is up right now at the West Newton Cinema through Jan. 25th. Three of us from the club, Marshall Goff, Nicole Mordecai, and I, taped the show with Jay, talking about our work and the work of other members. You can see this half hour episode on google drive. Although I was nervous to do it, it was a great experience and went pretty smoothly. I couldn't believe how young the staff taping the show were - the cameraman and director were both local high school kids!

Save the Date: January 10th opening of the BSA (Boston Society of Architects) Exhibit "The Architecture of Time" at 6pm at the BSA Space, 290 Congress St., Boston. Two of my photos were accepted!

Exhibit Opening THIS Friday Night in Waltham:
Lincoln Arts Project's Small Treasures

All are welcome to join me at the opening reception/holiday party for the invitational exhibit "Small Treasures" at the Lincoln Arts Project in Waltham. I have five very small (4x6) pieces in it - see below. These are part of my "Scale Series" showing one or two people in a large architectural setting. Pieces in many different media, not just photography, will be on exhibit. All pieces had to be smaller than 10 inches (thus "small" treasurers) and priced at <$200 - a good place to shop for unique holiday gifts!

The event is Friday December 6th from 6pm to 9pm at 289 Moody Street in Waltham. I'll be there for at least the first hour or two. At the same time, the gallery next-door, Monique Rancourt Artisan Gallery, is presenting "Ornaments for the Ear," a holiday exhibition of contemporary earrings.

Walking by the ICA, Boston

Two Paths, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis

Stairs, Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland

Looking Up, St. Louis Arch

Phone Call by the Red Cube, NYC

Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more. Contact me for an estimate on photographing your next project!

You're invited - Exhibit opening reception Sunday 3-5pm

I hope you are having a wonderful fall like I am! I would like to invite you to come see the Newton Camera Club exhibit at the West Newton Cinema. I have two images that were accepted into the show: "St. Louis Street Impression" and "Tadeo Ando Courtyard, St. Louis." Please join me at the cinema for our Opening Reception this coming Sunday from 3 to 5pm! We will have lots of refreshments and most of the club members who have pieces in the show will be there to answer questions.

I'd love it if you could make it! The show will be up through the end of January, though, so if you can't make the reception, please stop by and take a look some other time. Might be a good way to find a holiday gift for someone!

The image above is "St. Louis Street Impression." It may be a bit hard to see this small. In the show it will be 35 inches long. If you want to know how I created it, stop by the opening reception! Or email me to ask if you can't make it.

This is a photograph of the Pulitzer Arts Foundation building in St. Louis, designed by architect Tadeo Ando. I love the clean lines and simplicity of his work.

Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more.

BSA Summer Shindig tonight - come see the exhibit!

The BSA is having their Summer Shindig tonight from 5:30pm to 8pm and it is free and open to the public. Let me know if you can make it and you can come see the exhibit, including my photo! More info here.

As you know, I have had a photo accepted to the Boston Society of Architects Juried Exhibition running June 2019 - January 2020! The photo is the one titled "Urban Slot Canyon" that I shot in Toronto (see below). I am honored to have an image included in the exhibit and look forward to seeing the other images chosen!

I call this image "Urban Slot Canyon, Toronto." I moved quickly from seeing it to shooting it, grabbing my cell phone. They say the best camera you have is the one you have with you and I'm certainly glad I did have one with me!

This alley shows the inhuman scale of skyscrapers. The woman is dwarfed by the space and seems insignificant, lost in a no-man’s-land. The advertisement on the next street gives relief and a place where she will emerge back into the human-focused street level of these massive buildings.

Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more. Contact me for a quote on your next project!

You're Invited! June 6th 6-8pm opening at the BSA

I have had a photo accepted to the Boston Society of Architects Juried Exhibition running June 2019 - January 2020! The photo is the one titled "Urban Slot Canyon" that I shot in Toronto (see below). I am honored to have an image included in the exhibit and look forward to seeing the other images chosen! The opening reception is June 6th 6-8pm at the BSA Space at 290 Congress St. (Atlantic Wharf). Please join me! The exhibit is entitled "New Visions of Designed Environments." Please RSVP here (you don't need to print tickets).

I call this image "Urban Slot Canyon, Toronto." I moved quickly from seeing it to shooting it, grabbing my cell phone. They say the best camera you have is the one you have with you and I'm certainly glad I did have one with me!

This alley shows the inhuman scale of skyscrapers. The woman is dwarfed by the space and seems insignificant, lost in a no-man’s-land. The advertisement on the next street gives relief and a place where she will emerge back into the human-focused street level of these massive buildings.

Having a Great Spring

I am having so much fun taking exterior photos for my clients with the trees and flowers green and blooming! So many interesting things I've photographed this spring - a renovated wharf, a new glass top on an historic building, an inspiring event about diversity in the real estate industry, Pier 4, an office where the beautiful letters spelling the company's name filled a 2-story lobby vertically, the latest build-out for Wayfair, and an X-ray observatory center!

I hope you have all had a great spring too!

Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more. Contact me for a quote on your next project!

Hope Schreiber Photography - beautiful nature photography!

I have been using Squarespace for my own website and to create websites for two fellow photographers. I offer this as a service now, in a narrow case – for anyone who wants to use Squarespace to make a simple photography website.  Besides my own site, check out the two I helped with – www.aopp.photos and www.hopeschreiberphotography.com to see the beautiful work of these two Newton Camera Club members who are talented, artistic photographers.

Hope Schreiber takes amazing nature photographs. You may have caught her exhibit a few years ago of her ammonite photography at the Newton Free Library. She has been collecting ammonites to photograph for many years, pulling the most beautiful details and colors from these fossils. She has also traveled to Costa Rica and the Pantanal where she has photographed amazing wildlife. Her images are always so sharp that you almost feel you are right there. But most spectacular are her photographs of bats in Arizona - in flight!

Congratulations to Hope on her two photos selected for NANPA’s Top 100!!

The Story of a Photo Shoot

In October 2017, I had an exciting two-day shoot with PCA in North Conway, NH.  Working closely with PCA’s Marketing Director, I photographed the renovations of the existing Settler’s Green shopping complex, the new shopping area called Streetside, and three restaurants, Barley & Salt (shown below), Wicked Fresh Burgers, and White Mountain Cupcakery.  We went to each area multiple times, catching the light as it changed and including people or shooting a space, so that we had a lot of options when selecting photos to use.

Barley & Salt has a beautiful combination of wood and tile.  Sometimes people from my client’s office serve as models, sometimes we shoot spaces empty, and sometimes we just catch the people who happen to be there at the time (usually blurred as they move through the space or move their heads).

Conveniently, the hotel I stayed in was just across the street, so I could come and go for dusk and dawn.  And I can attest to the great food at these places!  It is a new experience to eat dinner at places I'm photographing.

Some storefronts were not yet occupied, but at night, the exterior lighting made it all come alive.  Photo shoots can’t always be timed to happen when conditions are perfect – this area needed to be photographed in the fall while the grass and trees still looked good, even though not all the retailers had moved in and the shoppers were still learning about the new stores.

At Wicked Fresh, the burger place, I loved the way the words on the windows created shadows on the wall and floor, adding a text dimension to an architectural shot.  The red accents of the chairs and the napkin dispensers, as well as the umbrellas outside, provided a way to tie the image together.

Wicked Fresh had a great combination of corrugated metal and wood, and included a garden of house-grown herbs which you can see on the back wall past the counter in the image below.

This shoot was exciting because there was so much to cover, but we needed to capture it in just a few images for the architects’ website and proposals.  I enjoy the challenge of giving a feel for the place and a sense of the design through the photographs.  The more my client can tell me about the story of the design and construction, the better I can show their work in a way that tells that story.

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Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more.  

Photo Tip of the Month: What Time of Day to Go?

How do you find the best light for photographing a building or waterfall or other site?  I have three iPhone apps I can recommend:  LightTrac, Golden Hour, and Sun Surveyor.  These apps can help you figure out the best light for a given location on a given day.  LightTrac shows you the direction of the sunlight overlaid on a satellite view of the place you want to shoot.  It gives you the angle above the ground as well, so you can tell when the sun will rise above a building that may be across the street from one you want to shoot.

The app Golden Hour gives you the times of sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour – it can help you decide when to go to get that magic blue sky.  Sun Surveyor gives you augmented reality projections over a live camera view and a map with street view, as well as providing information about the position of moon and the Milky Way, which is great for night shots.

I use these apps not only for photo shoots for clients, but also for trips abroad such as my trip to Italy last year, so I could take light into account in planning my itinerary (weather permitting of course).