Bring On The Expert
Meet Khun Konn Sarnsarit, our very own expert professional photographer who knows the secrets of capturing the best property shots.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
It’s no surprise that Khun Konn has ended up being involved in some way in the real-estate industry. Although it’s in a role that’s a little different to what his family may have expected. Khun Konn’s father is a Master Carpenter and his brother followed his father’s example by becoming a model-maker specialising in architectural models that are built as small-scale examples of real-estate projects.
Originally from Yala, Khun Konn moved to Bangkok to attend the Ramkhamhaeng Universitywhere he graduated with a degree in journalism. His course included inputs on photography and this is the field that really caught his imagination.
After graduating, he started working for the Nation Multi Media Group as the photographer for the Krungthep Turakit Newspaper; he moved on to be the photographer for a magazine about children; and then operated as a freelance photographer, which included some high-profile work for the LivingEtc magazine.
After 10 years’ photographic experience he got the opportunity to come and work for Siam Map Company here on Samui. So, having started just over three years ago, Khun Konn is now responsible for providing all the photographs used in the many Siam Map Company products including the Samui Dining Guide, Samui Spa Guide, Samui Wining & Dining and Samui Property. And, of all the expectation that’s placed on him to deliver the perfect pictures to support the products, the Samui Property is, by far, his most challenging role.
The importance of Khun Konn’s experience and talent cannot be underestimated, as pictures that are used in the newspaper, on websites or on the details in estate agency windows can be the deciding factor on whether people actually view a home or not. Any agent, developer or marketing expert will talk endlessly about the significance of getting the imagery right to secure a sale. Ultimately it will be the property itself that the potential buyer decides on. But that buyer may never find that property if the photographs which are provided fail to entice them into viewing.
As well as the images required for the articles in the newspaper Khun Konn has also taken other promotional images for a number of prestigious projects including: The Headlands Private Estate, a groundbreaking project, from the style and image conscious developer Frangipani Bay, and the highly respected Samran Gardens, a luxury residential and villa-letting project in Maenam.
Pictures can often be the most important part of the newspaper, especially for articles such as property reviews. A good quality shot that captures the atmosphere of a property grabs the attention in a way that text can’t, and it makes people want to dig deeper and find out more. In order to get people to read about a property, or want to visit and view it, the picture must act as an affective enticement.
For Khun Konn the challenge is to capture everything at the right time, from the right angle, without relying on modern technology to alter and amend the images to make them look better than they actually are. There are always examples where maybe some personal belongings require removing from a shot. But, Khun Konn prides himself on getting all the ingredients right; even if that means visiting a property on several occasions to capture the perfect sky, or to get the ideal lighting conditions.
The results of his integrity are well worth the effort, producing honest and believable images; as opposed to pictures where the clear sky is unnaturally blue and blemish free, or where the focus of the image is deliberately deceiving. It’s far harder and far more creative to create genuine images that express the beauty of each individual property.
It can be difficult sometimes to get the right angles inside homes where the interiors may be exceptional but, where the layout or space can make it hard to get a photo that does the room justice. To get that all-important shot Khun Konn has been known to climb walls, hang through windows, lie-down in bushes and even balance precariously over water features. In many instances he prefers to sit and look at the property from different angles until he gets the right feeling. This all adds to the challenge of the job and allows him to show his natural creative streak.
His basic tips on how to get good pictures of a home, whether it’s for sale, for rent, or just to send to your friends and family are to be flexible and to experiment. In many circumstances the best time to take photos is in the early evening as the sky is still blue outside but the light is fading. His advice is to turn all lights on and shoot-away from a variety of angles. For him a picture must show emotion and make an interesting impression on the viewer.
When taking internal shots he recommends trying to incorporate angles that show the views out of the windows. And in the garden he suggests waiting until the light on statues or on swimming pools creates interesting shadows. Above all he states that it’s difficult for him to explain or give tips as each property is different and requires different things to get the pictures right.
To truly understand you have to watch him work. You may see him take numerous photographs, from what seems like the same position, until all of a sudden he gives a satisfied nod and exclaims, “That’s the one!”
Outside of work Khun Konn enjoys the food that’s available on the island and meeting the friendly people around the food markets. He lives with his girlfriend Sadoko and his beloved dog, Ao Jang, but most of his spare time is spent on experimenting with new technology and new techniques to improve his photographic skills.
Khun Konn is a genuine, honest and extremely likeable character with respect for tradition, art and nature. In fact, although he takes 95% of his shots digitally, he’s one of a few photographers who still enjoys working with film. He even has his own dark room where he practices printing effects, especially with black and white images.
Khun Konn doesn’t like to look too far ahead. At present he’s having fun and is very happy working at with us at Siam Map Company. He believes that he’s fortunate because on Samui there are many different architectural designs and styles incorporated into the real-estate and hotels on the island. These consistently provide him with creative inspiration to continue improving and producing better images in the future.
Khun Konn is kept extremely busy providing so many images for so many products, which all require picture-perfect results to encourage the readers to learn about them; therefore his availability is somewhat limited. However, in some circumstances he is available for developers, agents and even private home owners to benefit from his exceptional expertise and imagination. |
