How to Set Up Your Project for Great Photography | Interior & Architecture Portfolio Tips with Charlotte Lea Bailey
How do you set up a project so it tells the right story through photography? In this episode, high-end interior and architecture photographer Charlotte Lea Bailey explores how storytelling begins long before the camera comes out. She shares how designers, architects, and builders can shape a project through material choices, spatial decisions, styling, and collaboration so the final imagery reflects the true intention of the space. From capturing atmosphere to communicating design intent, this conversation reveals how thoughtful storytelling transforms projects into compelling, portfolio-ready visuals that attract better clients and opportunities.
Key Topics:
- Charlotte Bailey's transition from food to interior photography
- The role of storytelling in visual content
- Building relationships with designers and architects
- Tips for creating a compelling portfolio
- The importance of patience and communication in projects
Charlotte's Website: https://charlottelea.com
Charlotte's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlotteleaphotography
Transcript
00:00:05
Welcome to our um podcast, Charlotte. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for joining us. And I'll let you introduce yourself, I think. Tell us a little bit about you and and your practice and your you know, what you do. >> Absolutely. So, I'm Charlotte and um I'm originally from Great Britain, just outside of London. I moved to California maybe like eight years ago and I am a a high-end residential interiors and architecture photographer and I service majority Southern California from LA
00:00:37
through to San Diego um for the most part but do do some traveling um but yeah that's just me in a nutshell. >> Awesome. So the uh the idea behind you know behind the podcast is to bring industry industry partners people that we feel got an interesting story to tell. >> We were usually trying to keep it short and you know informative but at the same time I do believe that a lot of our audience just very interested in interior design and architecture and everything that it is related to that.
00:01:13
So um we'll just jump right on it and thank you so much again for joining us and um tell tell us a bit about your journey you know in in the interior design architecture space and in the photography space um >> you know start from wherever you feel like is the best spot. >> Um well how I got here I guess is a good starting point. So um for me it wasn't actually like an intentional pivot to move into this space. I've always been in like the visual world. I grew up in the fashion industry and then um maybe
00:01:49
around 10 years ago, probably even 12 now. Time moves too fast for me. But I became a professional photographer and I was initially a food photographer. And then during that first few years, I moved from the UK to the US and a lot of my um photography at the time was also I was involved in recipe development. So when it came to the actual photography itself, I was usually already pretty heavy deep in the process, but I didn't really come to the images with like a fresh set of eyes. I was already heavy
00:02:22
in the creativity in terms of recipes and things like that. And not long after I'd moved here, my current boyfriend, who is now my husband, was designing and building custom furniture. And he had the opportunity to photograph some of his pieces in this staged home in in Southern California. And he asked me to go and shoot it. And I walked into the space and I remember walking in and just feeling like completely switched on and seeing this space and something to photograph in like a whole new way.
00:02:53
There were so many layers and just new ways of compositions that I could think about and the architecture, the furniture, the and I was just like sparked energetically I guess. And as things were kind of new for me here, I'd only been here around a year or so. I didn't really have like my network in my food photography as I did in the UK. So, it was kind of like a transitional period for me anywhere where I was like, "Hold on a minute. Do I have to stay in the food photography industry or could I could I switch
00:03:21
niches and could I do this because it feels good? It feels right." So, anyway, with without going on for too long here, I asked the stager if I could shoot the rest of the home just because I was really enjoying myself rather than just shooting his furniture pieces. And from there I sent that work to a designer in LA that I really admired and she asked me to come and shoot her house. That project actually got published in Domino magazine. And from there I was able to like reach out to more designers and the transition
00:03:55
from food to interiors kind of happened very quickly, very naturally. Uh that was probably about six and a half years ago and I've just been building from there ever since. Beautiful. Yeah. My next question was what was the breaking point project? But it seems like it was the first one. >> Yeah. I would say that was that definitely that first project I mentioned, although it wasn't like a big break, it was definitely my starting point, my, you know, I had a little uh leaprog moment where it gave me
00:04:27
something tangible. So when I was able to like reach out to new designers, it felt more natural. It was um I was able to be very proactive because I was a introduce myself, start building relationships, gain momentum quite quickly because there was some confidence to my decision because something I'd done very early on was published with a great designer, an award-winning designer. So, I was very very excited. Um but yeah, it just gave me the credibility and the confidence and that combined with sheer
00:05:01
determination is just what really moved things forward and gave me a lot of momentum. >> Amazing. Well, yeah, I guess it's a combination of talent and just, you know, being proactive. I think as as I'm interviewing more and more self-made people, >> uh I'll include I'll give myself the compliment and say, you know, it's a fact. Self-made is a fact. and the rest of the stuff you can you can negotiate. But if you're uh for all the self-made individuals, high achievers that I
00:05:30
interviewed or I know in my life that keeps me motivated and keeps my brain just thinking about their business and about their lives, it's always they always got this sense of well, I had to knock on doors and and and to be that person and to leave my ego or whatever it is aside and my the talent that I know I got and start there. So, uh, we we got a good starting point because >> absolutely >> it is it is what I'm >> Yeah, >> I think you definitely need some grit
00:05:59
about you. >> Um, some a good bit of get up and go and just like let's get this done. And the the motivation and the drive behind the creativity really is the thing that you know spurs you to the next thing and keeps pushing you. >> Very cool. Um, and then and then you start, you know, you start your business and your your your photography and and the things just snowball snowballed from there. And >> yeah, that's kind of >> tell us more about >> tell us more about your uh, you know,
00:06:31
how how people are, you know, coming your way right now and what's what's the collaboration between architects, you interior designers, builders, you know, what kind of relationships now you're kind of holding under your belt? What's that looks like on a day-to-day basis? >> Yeah. So um I mean it's it's very much changed from I mean the industry is constantly evolving. Um but one wonderful thing about where I started is that a lot of the relationships I built from the beginning
00:07:03
were with people that were in a similar stage of their career to me. So we've grown together. So the scope of work that I'm shooting used to they used to be much smaller projects and now they're becoming much larger and larger. So >> in terms of who I who my clients are um I mean a lot of my clients I've had for six seven years the whole time I've been doing this which is wonderful. Um, and it's wonderful for me for us to have grown together from the smaller projects
00:07:37
through to the much larger projects that are getting big publications. Um, and I think just having that outreach and and having publications gets you seen and you get into algorithms and you get more and more clients and it just snowballs from there. Um, but in terms of how I collaborate with my clients, it's sometimes it's just a designer. Sometimes it's just an architect or a builder. But a lot of the time, especially now I'm working on much bigger projects, it is there's multiple
00:08:07
collaborators involved. I mean, we just did a I just did a shoot with you guys and a designer, so it was like a a collaborative project. I mean, there's usually there's a few different perspectives to take into consideration when you're working with multiple end users of the products, but the the shared goal is telling a story of the space. Um, every person's going to prioritize slightly different perspectives, if you like. So, a designer might lean into something a bit more editorial and
00:08:37
layered and intimate, whereas an architect or a builder wants to kind of highlight structure and form and craftsmanship. But um part of my role is like balancing the perspectives of both parties or three parties or sometimes four um and creating a set of images of that particular project that feels cohesive and then gives value to every single party involved. >> So a lot of that comes down to communication up front like understanding your priorities, your expectations, staying flexible on the day. Um, and
00:09:17
then always thinking about the end goal of like how are these images going to be used? How are these images going to help my clients? And all the while keeping some form of consistency of the project itself and the story you're telling. So, it's not always just about being on set and just photographing a beautiful space. It's like much bigger picture, learning about my clients, what their style is, what their goals are, what they want to showcase. and um and really just ask lots of questions and and go
00:09:48
from there. So, it's it's >> being in the space, figuring out how to tell the story of the space when I'm in it and then also how that's going to translate onto print or screen and then how my client can use that and push their business forward. So, it's kind of >> it's so interesting, you know, for for a builder like me who deals first of all, side note and full full disclosure, you know, you know Gil uh Gil and I are married. I don't know if you knew that.
00:10:14
>> Uh, and my my home and my household, I'll put it that way, lives architecture, art, building, design. You know, Gil's brother, he's a musician, lives in in Brooklyn, and her sister, she's she's she's a chef. Um, >> I'm more technical, I'm going to say, and more like the brain behind a lot of the things. But at the same time, I'm >> I'm definitely motivated by fashion and by interior design. I'm going to say that. And architecture. I'm going to say
00:10:42
that all three are kind of going side by side. Somebody once told me how how come that all interior designers are dressed so nicely like because that's just part of it, you know. It's just how you know I don't know. It's just >> is very >> it is just part is it is just part part of the part of the image and the the the thing, right? Uh and you kind of you kind of answered but kind of prepared the ground for my next question or my my next idea. You know, I'm a builder and I
00:11:12
am trying to select projects that resonate with me and that I feel like at the end of the day, I can say yes to a lot of jobs and I can do a lot of projects to make probably more money. Uh, but at the same time, I do not believe that, you know, you know, those products will jet my business to where I want to be and propel me to like the custom high-end homes and to the details I'm so uh obsessed with personally. Uh, that's just my personality. So how you how you give like this one advice to a
00:11:42
builder like me who want to photoshoot a project that probably probably more recognized with work that you with kind of work that you do. Uh how can I set my projects for success in terms like the angle portfolio from the get-go? And it's it's kind of crazy question right? But >> yeah, as a >> uh because at the end of the day, you know, everybody looking at our Instagram or Gil Instagram or other Instagrams that I feel connected to and they ask questions like how come how you even got
00:12:10
there. Leave like the photographer aside before she even got there. That's the you know that the chair on top. >> Uh you had to go through like a whole year of building it. Uh >> what is like this one advice to this young designer or young builder who want to have a beautiful portfolio? um you can give them right off the right it can be a business advice. >> Okay. >> But it can also be an aesthetic advice. >> So it was really interesting how you spoke about fashion and things like that
00:12:38
because my dad's a men's wear designer. I grew up around it. My brother's a sound designer. I've been in the creative visual world my whole life. Um, and a lot of the time people don't have the words to generally express like what they see. It's it's a feeling. And I I used to work in the men's wear industry and we would design a jacket and the you'd get the first sample in and the and the pocket would just be like that's not quite right. It needs to be lower. It
00:13:10
needs to be higher. And and it's once it's right, it feels right. So I am always guided by that feeling. So I would say follow that follow your gut as to what projects you actually want to spend the time photographing. Not everything needs to be photographed. I mean we live in a con driven world where it's like we have to constantly be showing people what we're up to. But I am very much about quality over quantity. So you don't have to photograph everything. And let's be
00:13:45
real, you're designing for other people, not yourself, right? So there's things involved that you don't have control over, certain budget constraints. Things get changed that you wish weren't part of the initial, you know, that you had an initial idea and the client couldn't go through with it, whatever reason. >> But I think the biggest thing is having a clear point of view from the beginning. So the projects that photograph best for me are always the ones that feel cohesive from a
00:14:12
storytelling point at the beginning to the end. So um also having your clients on board with having their space photographed, that's another big thing. they um if you know from the get-go that all the furnishings aren't going to be in place or their budget's going to like they they literally have a budget for this and the and the furniture is not going to be quite right for how you want to tell the story. It's kind of you have to be prepared to say goodbye and not to focus on >> patience. You're saying you got you got
00:14:40
you got to train your your your your muscles to wait >> for that to be perfect because that's one shot. It cost a lot of money. Uh, and you want to you want to take advantage of the >> the absolute best product you can have. >> You want it to be right. You want to wait. Um, but sometimes it's it's worth noting like, you know what, it's better for me to just say goodbye to this project. I did my best work. Maybe you photograph some like tight vignette shots that you're super excited about,
00:15:07
but we don't tell the whole home story if the furniture isn't right and if the all the finishes weren't as you hoped. just um what I've observed from a photography standpoint is that all the small decisions matter more than people realize. Um details like how the materials meet, is the tile flush with the drywall, and the hardware finishes, did you pick the right ones, did they patina right? It's like all of those things that again, if someone was walking through the space, they may not
00:15:37
be able to pinpoint like, "Oh, that's how you did that, and I can see that you did that." It's again this feeling that you get that like this feels good while I'm in the space and that translates onto camera. So initially having your clear point of view from the beginning, making sure that you can do as much as you possibly can and continue in that visual storytelling that you want to do and that vision that you had from the beginning through to execution all the way through to keeping your
00:16:05
clients um in the loop with the fact that you may need to bring some stuff in for the photo shoot day. I always have this analogy because my dad's a men's wear designer. when he designs a jacket, he doesn't just design the jacket like by itself as a solo piece. He's thinking about who's wearing it, what pants and shoes he's wearing it with, how he's going to accessorize it. And that's always what I tell builders, architects, designers. It's not just about the finishes that
00:16:32
you put in it. It's all those final layers. It's hiring a stylist, bringing them in to pull the story together. It's it's >> not just a whole team involved. You know, >> art is an ongoing thing. thing I'm going to say and you know I'm I'm very much into like the Japanese way of doing art if I'm not sure if you're into Japan at all but for me uh I admire them for their patience. I admire them with age also you learn to wait. >> Yes. >> And hold it and uh and just be patient
00:17:03
with everything you do because it it will not come in one day. And it's such a cliche but it's so true. Like as as I'm getting older I'm enjoying the process and the time it takes to get it perfect. And you it's almost like you're you know it's it was so interesting that you said that thing about your dad. It's almost like he was able to to see the model always of this you know this this complete thing and I think uh for me also for Gills or for people that I associate with they they do the same for
00:17:31
everything they do and that's so interesting that you said it. So if we're already talking about storytelling uh I guess let's go to the other side. Have you ever made it to a site? I'm sure you did, but tell us no names and just keep it keep it simple and the site was just not ready or the clients were just not on board with the situation and what are you doing to mitigate and how you're or the builder and the designer are not on the same page or the stylist is not on the same page with you. I mean
00:17:59
business is business, right? You're getting into little little conflicts and hopefully you're not getting into too many of them. Uh but tell us about your approach to you know you you thought it's X you made it in and it's Y and there is there is a problem there is a problem with the weather there is a problem with the details there is a problem with the design it's not what you thought it is okay and the designer is just not personable or the study is not personable or the clients are like
00:18:25
what are you doing here get out of here what are you doing and if you want to give us like real life examples fine if not just give us give us your uh philosophy >> yeah in Fortunately for me, I've never had anything disastrous happen. I am a big advocate for communicating upfront in terms of me and my clients. So, I try and I have a whole prep document I send to make sure the homeowners are aware of what's happening. How that gets communicated, how that gets passed on is not between me and the homeowner. And
00:19:03
sometimes it's a very invasive process. It's I'm in somebody's house. I am moving their personal belongings. We are making their home a set if you like. And it's >> it's intense. And you have to always I always remind myself I am in somebody's home. So I understand the frustration sometimes, but to me it comes down to communication. Um, I've had spaces where things are not ready and it is a very stressful day for me and that was more so early on when I was still learning this whole industry. And
00:19:38
>> you mean like the house wasn't clean or organized in that level? >> I often times had things where houses aren't clean. Um, and I'm like, "Wow, I clean mirrors and a photographer at the same time, you know, I'm wiping toothpaste off mirrors." You you have to work with what you've got. And not everything's perfect. And people lead busy lives. And I think the most important thing for me is being flexible, not taking anything too seriously, knowing that you can always
00:20:06
problem solve if you are just do it with a smile. It's it I've I've had things where >> people have sick kids at home and you're like, "Oh man, now we can't photograph this space that we were really hoping to do." and say, "Okay, well, if we were trying to photograph the kids space to make sure that we're trying to tell this story of this whole home and the family that lives here, what other area is in the home can we tell a kid story in? Can we like bring some toys and make this a
00:20:34
little play area corner? Can we You just have to be creative, be flexible, not super rigid about um the plan for the day because things do change. People live there. I mean, the ideal scenario is that the homeowners are not there. There's no pets. There's no kids. Everyone's out for the day and you get to just have, you know, but life happens. Life gets in the way. But I guess the most the craziest one for me is I've gone in and the cook was there and the cleaner was there and they were
00:21:06
I had to work around them. Uh the light was right in the kitchen, but they were in the kitchen cooking dinner for the family. I had to go into the kids' rooms. The beds weren't made. I was an all round. Do you just breathe? You just breathe and breathe and breathe and >> I mean I'm there. I have a job to do. I made the beds. I did as the best I could with the time that I had. And you know, you just have to do your best. That's it. I'm not too precious. I will help do things. I understand that these things
00:21:34
take time as well. And I think people underestimate how much time things take. How much how long it takes to set up a shot, how long it takes for things to look exactly right. as you was talking about earlier, like the patience, like let's not rush it. Let's get this right. Let's we're here. Let's spend the time to do it. Sometimes you have to say, you know what, if we can't have access to these two rooms for whatever reason or we can't shoot the exterior because it's
00:22:01
raining all of a sudden. >> Luckily, that doesn't happen often for us in California, but that's absolutely happened for me. I've had go back and do a favor for someone and shoot for an hour on my way home from another project on a day it's sunny. Like I think being flexible um is is the only answer and just understanding that life happens. You can't you can't be too precious. I've had people, you know, tapping their fingers and being like, "When are you finished in my kitchen?" So that's
00:22:28
always an awkward >> an awkward time for me as a photographer because I don't know this person and I'm always just like, "Oh man, did we not get explained to you that we're going to be in your house for like 4 hours in this kitchen?" Um, but so I try and do as much of that upfront in communicating to my client like did you let them know? Are they out of the house the day? And I think the more and more my clients do this with me, the more they are like, okay, I'm doing it when the homeowners
00:22:55
are away or you know, having the space themselves is it just makes the day much easier. But >> yeah, I'm a communication freak. So, you know, for me it is uh I do understand everything you said is especially for me, you know, I'm I'm walking process. Imagine that I'm getting clients. you know, we do have an architect in our team and we do have me and and we're collaborating with interior designers like Gil, but many others. You know, Gil is just a onewoman show. She's very
00:23:19
talented, but at the same time, you know, she there is just as much as she can take and we do have uh way more projects um to offer sometimes. And in in that sense, um you know, we we're starting a process and it takes a couple years. And uh the the the communication thing uh saved me and every time I'm kind of improving my business uh you know 80% of the time is is just communication improvements. you know, it was just that little thing that I did not communicate upfront and and you know, and I got all I got all burnt out
00:23:53
of it and and and for me, you know, with our age and our generation, it's just uh you can never stop developing that skill and you must keep on going with that. And every time you learn something new and it must have it needs to happen once for you to say, I'm gonna sit on tomorrow. I'm gonna do my admin work and this part of it I'm gonna add something to my contract. I'm going to add something to my, you know, to my email, to my built-in uh investment guide. I'm going to I'm going to do something that
00:24:21
will make my client feel like I said it, but not only I said it, we actually he also, you know, they also understands it. So, um yeah, amazing. And uh maybe on a more positive storytelling you know do you have like you know I'm sure you walked a long way with some of your designers and architects means that they started in one place and with your help or with your portfolio help they you know took their business to a whole different dimension and a whole different planet in terms of like the
00:24:55
scope of project they can take now and the type of clientele they can take now and I'm not sure If you're thinking about it every day, but you got a big part of it at the end of the day, think about it, Charlotte. But I don't know if you think about enough, but um sometimes one photo on an interior designer's portfolio could make and change her life in a way that a client and that can be the dream client. That client that will take her to the next level or him to the next level seeing that and that's enough for
00:25:28
them to say that's what I want. and and you can you can be you know the impact of your work can be really aggressive and I was wondering if you have like a story about you know a you know a Jennifer designer whoever she was she might be uh that you you kind of saw her starting off with you in a way and now she's in a whole different place and and how it feels to be part of it. Yeah, I guess it is. You do have to stop and think about how important I have to stop and think about how important my job is
00:26:03
because often well from for the most part how people see designers work, architects work is through photography and video. we are the and and often times that's how somebody gets introduced to a designer is is apart from referrals but is you see a photo first or you see a video first and that is the thing that initially can draw somebody in. So it it does it's definitely high impact and I never take for granted the fact that people trust me with translating their design onto >> with the two years of their work with
00:26:36
everything they spend with millions of dollars that their clients spend and you got to >> it it and then at the end of the day it's you >> to put it out there. >> It's pretty intense but um I love what I do. So, it's for me it's like an honor that I get to do that. But I I wouldn't say I have a story of like one particular moment in time or a specific image. I mean, there's been certain images that take off on Instagram, but I mean, that's and that gains momentum for
00:27:02
a brand or what have you. Um, but for me it's a little more nuance in that, um, I mean, I've had clients tell me that like, "Oh, that kitchen that we photographed, I had an inquiry that led to a new client. Um, and they said this kitchen was like the exact inspiration they needed, and this is exactly what they wanted for their house, and they've hired me or, you know, this." So, that that is obviously wonderful, but >> I can't take full credit for that because it's so many people went into
00:27:29
making that kitchen, the design itself. them the designer even initially like we were talking about deciding to go out and start this business yourself and having this idea and turning it into a business is just amazing >> and do you get like comments from those designers hey because of that very specific picture I got hired for another big project and thank you kind of thing >> yeah absolutely that definitely way but in my experience it's rarely just one image or one shoot that elevates a brand
00:27:54
it's like a compound of >> it tends to happen like over time through consistency so like it's the design work itself and the photography combined and then how you use those images. So there's there's so many times where people are so busy like Gil, it's you're a one person show and you don't have time to post on social, you don't have time to share the images. you don't have time to update your website and it's kind of sad that you put all this time, effort, money into a photo shoot
00:28:28
and having this gorgeous work to showcase of a project you've worked on for two years and then it just forever live on your computer or in your phone. So I'm I have a big guide that's like how to use your images, how to make the most out of your images. So it's photography, yes, is absolutely a big part of how someone's brand is seen, experienced. Um, but it's for me a compounding over time of consistency of again going back to what we said earlier, choosing what projects
00:29:01
you decide to photograph, your strongest work of what feels most like you, what the vision for that story for that project is, what the story you want to tell. Um then communication of like with the stylist, with your photographer of how you want that project to land, what what future client you want to attract and then how to use those images to get that. So yes, there have been certain images that gain momentum and send lots of followers, potential new clients to um to my clients. Yes, absolutely. And that
00:29:42
feels wonderful. Um, I love it. But I do I I try not to take like credit like, oh, that was my photo because there's so many people that were involved in that one photo >> just to get there. Um, it's wonderful to be a part of, but I would definitely say it is the combination of the storytelling and the consistency over time, constantly compounding and elevating a brand. Well, I'm coming back to you just to wrap here. I'm coming back to a couple of things about you. Um, first of all,
00:30:15
outside of, you know, everything we kind of talked about. If you can, uh, go and talk to yourself maybe six or seven years ago when you started your practice, what will be your number one advice to yourself now that you know what you know? >> Um, I'd say whatever do you think that you can achieve, double it and then keep going. Okay. Um, >> we like early on we tend to really limit ourselves without you know even realizing. So trust your instincts sooner. Be patient with the process. It
00:30:51
takes time to build things properly. So there's a lot of value in that time in building and trusting yourself and learning like okay that's the feeling I should go with or something feels right. I shouldn't go with that you know. But definitely whatever you think you can achieve double it. Yeah, I was watching this uh Cristiano Ronaldo documentary is a the most number one poly football player for all some say for all all times. Cristiano Ronaldo it's a it's a it's is the Portuguese uh
00:31:20
soccer player. I'm saying football. I'm Israeli football is my football is my dad's religion. So >> it's it's also my religion. I must say again I'm I'm Israeli so it's a lot of eur European mentality in me of >> the way I the way I uh socialize, the way I do things. It's just part of me. Uh, and I was I was just just to kind of compliment what you just said. Uh, it changed my mind so hard after watching it because he he used to take, you know, everybody used to finish like 90 minutes
00:31:51
of like a big football game. So, I'm not going to use soccer because I'm not going to use soccer. I'm going to say football because it's football. Uh but and used to to go for another workout and that's almost insane to do that after like a professional football game. Uh and and I took that to almost everything I do now. And you know, I love sport and I love my business. And every time I push, I'm I'm thinking to myself, okay, what is my next push and how hard I'm going to push with that
00:32:21
push? And I'm doing hot yoga, I'm surfing, I'm I'm doing all these things and I'm testing myself. And every day before I come in, I'm I'm trying to do my absolute best. And and it is amazing because in you, you got a lot. And uh you need the guts and you need the other, you know, the the world's help a little bit, but I I I I agree so much and that your work speaks for for itself and >> and that's probably part of your DNA. Um and outside of work, anything that you
00:32:50
love doing, you know, for fun if anyone wants to kind of know that. I finally love cooking again. >> Okay. >> Food photography industry kind of burnt me out and I lost I lost my love for food, but food is a huge inspiration for me. Um I'm lucky with my dad's work as a as a and and also growing up in Europe, everything's so accessible. So many countries right there that um I got to travel a lot with my dad's business. Um he used to, you know, have fabric mills all over Europe. So, I've got to
00:33:21
experience amazing restaurants and food and travel and food, experiencing new cultures. Um, just and and being present. I mean, that does so much. >> Just going for a walk with no phone, no nothing. And just noticing things. That is a big thing for me. Like how the light moves through this tree and how the clouds are moving today. like just taking moments to be present, notice things, tasting food, and just experiencing different things. Like you said earlier, it's like it's the whole picture. It's
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it's food, it's architecture, it's how we dress, it's it's all of it combined. It's it's it's part >> part of how we experience the world. >> Live life. Just live life. >> Exactly. >> Um well, we we always wrap with something we call build it or bag it. Okay. And it's it's pretty much I'm going to let you decide between two options and the it's going to be photography related and we got four of them. >> The first thing will be morning shots
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versus golden hour shots. >> Oo, that's a tough one. Uh golden hour is so beautiful, but it's very fleeting and situational. So, I'm going to go morning shoots because there's more control over light, especially when it interiors. Okay. >> Collaborating with architects or interior designers? >> I I can't pick one. Both for different reasons. Um, I'm going to say architects for like the structure, the flow, the form. It just gets to exercise two different parts of my brain. And
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interior is more for, you know, lived in storytelling, more intimate moments. Sorry, I can't pick one. >> That's okay. Politics is very important. >> Print magazines or uh online uh features? >> Online for reach, print for prestige. >> Okay, you you you got a line here. Uh open open floor plans or uh defined rooms. I know the defined rooms are making some sort of a comic now. Uh >> they defined rooms. I grew up in England. We didn't have open plan open plan. defined ones for me just have more
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character. You've got the ability to do like more story in a cozy space. >> Fair. I I love open concepts, but but I'm >> I do love open concept >> getting used again to I love them both, but I understand exactly what you're saying. And if you can enjoy them both and you got a big enough of a property, great. >> Some of my favorite some of my favorite projects have been open plan. I definitely have nothing against them. Um, just purely from a nostalgic point of view for myself. Um, I love the idea
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of just the cozy rooms and separate areas within a house. That's how I grew up. So, and it just Yeah. more character, I guess. >> Yeah. So, if uh anyone uh wants to find you, so this podcast will go into our little new Instagram page, the builder blueprint, but it's also going to go into the Soho's uh >> Okay. Instagram page which is more active and we got a lot of architects, interior designers, builders following us from all over the country and asking us a lot of questions about the podcast,
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I must say. If anyone wants to find you, what's their best way to reach out and connect with you? What's the other >> um I'm I'm going to say I'm always active on Instagram. I'm not always posting, but I'm always checking in. Um my Instagram is Charlotte Lea Photography. Lea is L E A and Charlotte just because not many people know how to spell it is um C H A R L O T T E like Charlotte's Web. Um so Charlotte Lea Photography on Instagram. Um otherwise just through my website there's a
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contact page and my website's just charlottelea.com even though I'm not Charlotte Lea anymore. I'm now Charlotte Bailey but >> but it's it's close enough you know. You didn't lose the lead. >> Yeah, I made Lea my middle name. I never had a middle name so um it's still in there but yeah Lea I want to thank you for your time and for the opportunity to chat with me and uh I'm sure we're going to see each other >> soon enough. >> Yeah, I'm sure
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>> Gil will make the connection or somebody else will make the connection and then we'll just uh have fun at the job site. >> Yes, absolutely. >> Have a lovely weekend and uh thank you. >> Thank you so much. I'll see you next time.