Houston Photographer Patrick Bertolino - Real Estate, Commercial, and Wedding Photography » Houston Skyline

The Holman House: A Piece of Texas History

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:25:14 +0000

As a photographer who primarily works in the real estate sector, I’ve seen and shot my fair share of interesting properties, but very few inspire me to much of anything beyond wondering what kind of stone a kitchen counter top is made of and how best to accentuate its natural beauty in post-processing. On rare occasion, a shoot will leave me with the desire to learn more about what exactly it is that I’m taking pictures of. I feel fortunate to have recently had the opportunity to photograph such a place. Constructed between the years of 1908 and 1909, the building now known as the Holman-Allen House is a Texas Historic Landmark and, as of 2010, also occupies a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Located on the corner of Avenue K and Third Street in Bay City, the two and half-story Victorian house stands today as a testament to the construction techniques and vision of its creators. Its fourteen rooms, three balconies, and three fireplaces occupy 3,236 sq ft and was one of the largest houses in Bay City at the time it was built.
Designed by architect A.W. Large for City Attorney William Shields Holman, the house fell into a state of disuse after Holman’s son Thomas fell ill in 1973, until 1978, when Mr. and Mrs. James M. Allen, with the help of architect A.J. Wildrodt, removed every- thing that wasn’t a part of the original dwelling and restored the home to it’s original grandeur. Replete with the fixtures and amenities of a stately turn of the century home, the arguably odd looking residence continues to stir the imagination of visitors and locals alike with its quirky asymmetrical design, yellow ocher paint job, and ornaments of times past. Click here to view a custom slide show of the property!

The Fred and Ginger Building

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:21:30 +0000

The Nationale-Nederlanden building in downtown Prague, Czech Republic has been wowing tourists as well as locals since its completion in 1996. Designed by Vlado Milunić in co-operation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry and originally called the Fred and Ginger Building (after late dancing greats Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers), the controversial building has since become a world-famous piece of architecture and some might even consider it a cultural center for the area. Located off the Vltava River, the site offers fine dining in the form of the Celeste Restaurant – considered one of the finest in the city. The hotel I stayed in was located across the street from this stunningly unique construction, so I was lucky enough to capture some beautiful pictures of a little-known architectural gem and share one with you.

Low Altitude Aerial Photography

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:01:17 +0000

Low altitude aerial photography, also know as elevation photography, has steadily been gaining ground since the turn of the century, and for good reason. An aerial view provides an overall picture that is simply not possible from ground level. These types of shots can really help a realtor’s listing stand apart from the crowd. It can show not only the home, but the backyard and surrounding areas. These shots can produce a much more exciting and informative view for potential home buyers. The twilight aerial shot especially can potentially add even more impact by presenting the home in a way that most people would never see it. The striking colors and contrast visible in a twilight shot can turn a bland looking cookie-cutter house into an alluring and mysterious home. Let’s say that you have a beautiful cluster of colorful trees or an enticing body of water behind the property. Without an elevated shot, prospective buyers may never get the big picture, so to speak, until delving deeper into the rest of the photo catalog. What elevation photography brings to the table is an immediately eye-catching first glimpse of the property, which will invariably lead most to examine the rest of the house, thus vastly increasing the chance of a sale. I predict that as the awareness of this art form grows, so will the demand for its implementation in real estate photography.

If you would like to see more examples of my Aerial Photography, click HERE.

Sam Houston REVISITED

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:12:03 +0000

Have you ever seen this equestrian statue? It’s General Sam Houston pointing in the direction towards the site of the battlefield that won Texas its independence from Mexico.

I’ve heard the sculptor erroneously placed the point of the finger in the wrong direction. I’ve also heard that he’s pointing to a route over the San Jacinto river or something like that. Either way, it’s a beautiful statue and valuable Houston landmark (More Info), and that’s why I photographed it at over 40 ft in the air. Take a look at the photo – have you ever seen this particular angle on General Houston? Note the monument visible under his horse..

A popular belief in the United States is that if the horse is rampant (both front legs in the air), the rider died in battle; one front leg up means the rider was wounded in battle or died of battle wounds; and if all four hooves are on the ground, the rider died outside battle. However, there is little evidence to support this belief. (wikipedia)
I know that General Sam was injured in battle – and that he was one tough hombre. Nicknamed “Coloneh” or “the Raven” by the Cherokee nation, he is the only person to serve as governor of two States. Here’s my favorite story about his character:

After Stanbery refused to answer Houston’s letters about the accusation, Houston confronted him on Pennsylvania Avenue and beat him with a hickory cane. Stanbery drew one of his pistols and pulled the trigger—the gun misfired.

On April 17 Congress ordered Houston’s arrest. Pleading self-defense, he hired Francis Scott Key as his lawyer. Houston was found guilty, but thanks to highly placed friends (among them James K. Polk), he was only lightly reprimanded. Stanbery filed charges against Houston in civil court. Judge William Cranch found Houston liable and fined him $500. Houston left the United States for Mexico without paying the fine.

The Fairview

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:26:03 +0000

Had a fun shoot at the Fairview – This is a great neighborhood bar!
click image for FULL GALLERY

By Caroline Gallay
08.26.10 | 03:18 pm

Steve Scalice wants his neighbors to know that it’s still him behind the The Fairview (and behind the bar) at the old Dean’s Credit Clothing location — it’s just being rebranded, revamped and he hopes, revived.

The (sorta) new spot now has a patio and will be introducing a menu next month to be developed by Fusion Taco, who will also be parked outside Friday nights from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Scalice says the name, “The Fairview,” was actually the plan when he first opened in the location, but he stuck with Dean’s to match the old downtown establishment. Now, he says he hopes to keep churning out the same great neighborhood product — which includes block parties with neighboring Boheme every first and third Sunday of the month with acoustic acts, poetry readings and art.

Other regular features are Texas-themed films from the Houston Film Commission every first Thursday of the month; Sunday movie nights with the locals on the projector screen; bring-your-own vinyl Thursdays and Southwest Alternative Media Project (SWAMP) forums for filmmakers the final Tuesday of every month.

And Scalice intends to keep some remnants of Dean’s. The old ledgers are still in the bathrooms, for one. He’ll also continue Dean’s monthly art openings, and his famous frozen cosmo is there to stay.

More furniture has been added inside — including several TVs — which will broadcast NFL games and major college sports.

“The bar business is an evolution,” Scalice says. “But the product — the drinks, the cool vibe and the good service are the same.”

West Ave in Houston Texas

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:42:25 +0000

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new West Ave developement on Kirby, it’s going to be a great inside the loop destination for shopping, living and eating. I had the opportunity to photograph the beginning phase and it turned out great! (click on image for full gallery)

West Ave on Kirby

GENERAL WEST AVE FACTS
Retail / Residential
• 190,000 square feet (50+ storefronts) of premium retail on the first two floors
• 389 luxury apartment homes located on floors three through seven
• Apartment rents range from $1400 to $3000+

Parking
Guests at West Ave have several parking options including street level parking in and around the development and 477 spaces in a dedicated underground garage.

(NOTE: some individual concepts offer valet parking)

Projected West Ave tenant opening schedule:
• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood – OPEN
• Ava Brasserie – January 2011
• Pondicheri – January 2011
• Tootsies – January 2011
• Pizzeria Alto – January 2011
• Cru Wine Bar – March 2011
• Azur West – January 2011
• Ivory Bridal – January 2011

The Fun Job

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:55:08 +0000

I was asked by a client if I had any photos of Houston’s beautiful skyline laying around. Since I didn’t I suggested they check stock photography for their needs, or hire me! Well, after a day of what I expect was unsuccessful or out of budget searching, I got the call. It’s one thing to get paid to do what you love, it’s another to get paid to do something you would literally do for fun! Enjoy…

Downtown Houston Skyline

Downtown Houston

The Savoy Hotel : Not the explosion I was hoping for

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:09:54 +0000

I heard two words: “building” and “demolished”

That’s all I needed. I did a horribly lacking amount of research to get the start time. 12 midnight.

“Well, I have to wake up at 6am for an early shoot – but how many times do you get to photograph one of the oldest buildings in downtown Houston go kaput?”

Plus I had an advantage on vantage point – 19th floor balcony of the Houston House Apartments. The ingredients are all there – camera, tripod, building, view, etc.

My lack of research? Well, with more research I may have found that they weren’t going to implode or explode the building with all the magic of C4 – like a glorious end to an old icon. No, they were going to tear it down with a crane – a slow, painful death. One we don’t have time to watch. One that doesn’t do much for the camera.

At the stroke of midnight – they started laying down planks for the crane. That’s about it.

At 2am my interest went in REVERSE. Feeling sleepy and defeated I gave up – but decided to create an explosion of my own:

Here’s an update on the state of the building:

Tree Installation at One Park Place

admin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:57:55 +0000

I photographed the installation of a bunch of huge palm trees onto the 8th floor of the new One Park Place Apartment building adjacent to Discovery Green. They had to build these monstrous cranes to hoist them up and block off 4 streets!

David Copperfield

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:40:04 +0000

Hocus Pocus! These two images are actually the SAME image! This is what happens when you have to get a shot – against deadline – and someone has parked their car illegally in front of the building you need to showcase. I just wave my magic wand and voila! The car disappears!! This is Terry Stanfield’s new downtown office for Heritage Texas Properties.