Last fall, I received an e-mail I wasn’t expecting.  I had worked with Cottages & Bungalows for years as a contributor to their DIY essentials column, but when the editor asked me to work for them as a photographer and stylist, it was a total surprise. I felt like I could do it, but I was really, really intimidated. I have had photographers come to shoot my house before and they had so much gear and knew exactly what they were doing. I was…just me.  And my gear pretty much fits in one bag.  And I had never photographed someone else’s home, dealing with all of the lighting and composition challenges that may come with it. It may seem silly to some of my readers that I felt intimidated.  I do photo shoots in my own house and studio all the time.  I did all of the photography for my book

Two whole years ago, a stylist and photographer came to my home to photograph my kitchen for the Better Homes & Gardens special interest publication “Kitchen + Bath Makeovers.”  I was beginning to think the shoot ended up on the cutting room floor, but then it appeared in the Spring 2015 issue! …and now that it’s out in the world, I can finally share the details of the photo shoot. It’s always exciting to have a crew come to photograph my home.  I take pictures of my spaces often, so it’s nice to get a fresh set of eyes on everything.  I also love watching the photographers work…   The one I worked with on this specific shoot, John, was so talented.  I think I audibly gasped a few times when the image was relayed from the camera to the computer screen.       With this particular shot, the head-on