William Eggleston was playing the piano long before he picked up a camera. Classically trained as a young child, he continues to do so daily when so moved, but for a select audience of close friends. While they’re hanging out, Eggleston might launch into some Bach or perhaps an American standard on his Bösendorfer piano, but he would also meander into impromptu compositions of his own. They’re ephemeral improvisations he’s likened to dreams—”it’s here,” he said in 2017, “and then it’s gone.” 

Well, not entirely. Eggleston’s musical extemporizations have been captured on one album, the idiosyncratic Musik (2017), and more will now follow on his second. Set for release on November 3, his new record, titled 512, is filled with his serene piano-playing across six tracks—four of them standards (such as “Ol’ Man River” and “Over the Rainbow”) and two of them originals, including the aptly titled lead single “Improvisation.” 

The album was produced by Tom Lunt, founder of the The Numero Group record label, who met the photographer through his son Winston. Lunt recorded Eggleston playing his piano in his Memphis, Tennessee, apartment—number 512—over two days in 2018, in a process he characterized as a “field recording.” It captured not just Eggleston’s performance, but the ambient sounds of his apartment with its windows left wide open.  

“He was up for it,” Lunt said over the phone about Eggleston’s participation. “And we pretty much got everything on the second day because he was just flowing on that day.” 

Lunt then invited musicians to add flourishes to these recordings in a sort of remote collaboration, as if “they were spirits of musicians that heard him playing and just wanted to join in.” Among them are Sam Amidon on fiddle and banjo, Leo Abrahams on electric guitar and synthesizer, and ambient legend Brian Eno, who added bells to “Improvisation.” 

The effect is stark, yet moving and occasionally ominous. It’s an atmosphere—or the creation of an atmosphere—that Lunt sees as in sync with Eggleston’s photographic practice. 

“He has the same approach with his music as he does with his photography. That is, ‘I’m doing what I’m doing and that’s it. This note goes here and if it’s wrong note, I’m fine with that,’” Lunt explained. “Everything’s dependent on mood and what he sees in that instance. And that’s very much what he’s like as a photographer.” 

William Eggleston, Greenwood, Mississippi (1973). The Gayle Greenhill Collection. Gift of Robert F. Greenhill © 2020 Eggleston Artistic Trust.

That instinct has indeed powered Eggleston’s career since the mid-1960s when he first embraced color photography, shaking loose the once-staid medium with his expressive, hyperrealistic hues. His photographs defamiliarized the most ordinary of subjects—a child’s tricycle, a ceiling fan, a girl lying on a patch of grass—and were shot with an evident spontaneity that teased the strange out of the banal. “When I discover the picture, it happens very quickly,” he once said. “Suddenly there it is.” 

At no time has Eggleston, now 84, intended to embark on a music career even as that world has come calling for him.”I just don’t happen to be a professional public performer or I would be a concert musician,” he said in 2017. His distinctive piano-playing was first heard on “Nature Boy,” a 1978 cover by Big Star, and his photographs have bedecked the covers of records by Primal Scream, Spoon, and Joanna Newsom, among other musicians.  

In 2017, Lunt put together Musik by combing through Eggleston’s recordings (so old they were stored on floppy disks) of his Bach-inflected experiments on a Korg synthesizer. As with 512, the photographer observed the making and release of his own records with some distance, allowing Lunt to take the lead. “Tom,” Lunt recalled Eggleston telling him, “you can do whatever you want.” 

But Eggleston did offer this very succinct take on 512: “I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s very modern.” 

The cover of William Eggleston’s second album, 512, photographed by Tom Lunt. Photo: Courtesy of Secretly Canadian.

As a visual artist and photographer himself, Lunt deemed it a “real privilege” to know Eggleston and to learn more about visual art while visiting the photographer at his apartment. He recalled Eggleston would occasionally pull out one of his books and pick a picture: “He’ll go, ‘Look at it.’ And I’ll be looking at it and he goes, ‘Nope, you’re not looking at it long enough.’” 

Probably as much of an honor is having his photographs accompany a William Eggleston release. Lunt’s images feature on 512‘s inner sleeve; on its cover is his stark snapshot of Eggleston’s front door, plain but for a curious stamp depicting Rosa Parks. 

“It just lent itself immediately to being the cover of the album because it’s where [the recording] took place. It has his name on it. It just became very simple to do it,” Lunt said of the photograph. “I think I got it a little bit in his style. He’ll forgive me for that.” 

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When you’re selling your house, one of the first items on your to-do list is to get photos for your listing. 

If you’re like a lot of buyers, you may consider taking them yourself. After all, your Instagram account is probably full of nice-looking selfies and photos of food — how much harder could it be to take photos of your home? Actually, it’s a lot harder than you think. 

While you can use a discount real estate agent and still get high-quality service, the same doesn’t apply to your listing photos. Generally speaking, professional photos will far surpass even the best amateur photos, not only because the professionals have a better understanding of what the average buyer wants to see, but also because they’re working with superior equipment and a more refined sense of composition. 

Subpar listing photos have a price — literally. Many buyers will cross a home off their list if it has unappealing listing photos, which means less interest for you, which means less competition and a lower sale price.

Let’s talk about what professional listing photos can do for you.

Making a critical first impression

Nearly everyone starts their home search online these days. And when they look at a listing, they’re heading straight to the photos. If they don’t like what they see in those first few moments, the listing goes in the “no” pile. Some buyers won’t even look at a home’s basic information unless the photos jump out at them.

If you heard the term “curb appeal” when you were planning your showings, this is something very similar. Curb appeal is how enticing your home looks as a buyer approaches it from the street. Those first few seconds largely determine how they feel about the property, regardless of how the rest of the tour goes.

We’re talking about visceral, gut-level reactions. First impressions are formed very quickly and are tough to change. While not every buyer who likes your listing photos will put in a bid, no prospective buyer who dislikes your listing photos is going to consider buying. Getting professional listing photos maximizes your home’s appeal, and allows it to appeal to the maximum number of buyers.

Pre-photoshoot staging and art direction

While extensive home staging is often done by specialized professional home-staging services, a professional photographer can contribute some suggestions on how to increase your home’s appeal. Many photographers will even recommend home-staging services they’ve worked with previously, similar to how agents can recommend trusted movers or home inspectors.

An experienced real estate photographer has a well-developed understanding of light and space, and will know exactly how to present your home to its best advantage. They’ll know the most flattering time of day to photograph your home, how to maximize the amount of natural light your home gets, and bring in supplemental lighting if needed. In terms of space, they may rearrange your furniture to showcase the living space. 

If you have a lot of furniture, they may even suggest removing some of it, and putting it into self-storage until the sale is finalized. They’ll know how to make your home feel roomy without making it feel cold. They may also advise you to depersonalize your home by strategically removing sentimental items. If your home needs a little more energy, they can also advise you on how to upgrade your home décor, even on a budget.

If your photographer recommends professional home staging, they may bring in all new furniture and furnishings, down to art on the walls. Your photographer will have seen hundreds of listings, if not more, and will know how to adjust your home’s aesthetic for modern buyers.

High-quality photos

At risk of stating the obvious, a professional photographer’s listing photos are going to be far superior to amateur efforts. Even if you set the home staging and art direction aside, they’re using professional-quality equipment to capture high-quality shots. Their use of light and composition will produce photos that are appealing and evocative, and make a narrative out of your home. 

Many homeowners renovate a house before they put it on the market, but those improvements won’t help the home sell if they’re not framed properly in the listing photos. On the other hand, warm, professional listing photos can often enhance your home’s appeal — and at a much lower price point than pre-sale renovations.

Experienced real estate photographers also know little tricks of the trade that amateurs won’t. For example, using lamps in the room instead of flashes to avoid an overexposed or “washed out” photo, or moving vehicles out of the driveway to avoid visual clutter.

And the photos themselves are just part of what a top-quality real estate photographer can do. Many photographers offer services like drone-guided video tours, virtual 3D tours, digital floor plans, digital staging, and social media videos that are increasingly valuable in today’s hypercompetitive and tech-driven market.

Post-production enhancement

If you post a lot of selfies on Instagram, you probably understand the power of photo editing. After your home’s shoot, your photographer will select the best photos, often with the assistance of an art director, and then edit and optimize them. Photo editors will fix color and contrast, and can even correct small flaws in your home or landscaping’s appearance. Only after they’ve been carefully selected and enhanced will the listing photos be presented to the seller.

The price and time bump

Homes with professional photographs sell 32% faster than homes without professional listing photos. That’s a substantial benefit, since the longer a home is on the market, the lower the chances it’ll sell. If your home sits on the market too long, buyers will assume it has hidden problems and avoid it. In that situation, you’ll have no choice but to take it off the market, or sell it to a company that buys houses for cash at a huge discount.

There’s a significant price benefit, too. Homes with professional listing photos sell for 47% more, per square foot, than homes with amateur photos. That’s a staggering difference, and it means that your professional listing photos will pay for themselves, many times over.

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The Blue Fig – mangroves and conservation stories winner

The Sundarbans is one of the wildest places left on Earth: a biodiversity hotspot and a complex tidal network of waterways and islands. Scientists forecast that the whole coastal belt of Bangladesh around the Sundarbans will be submerged by 2050.Helena Begium, 55, pictured, says: ‘Six months ago, during Cyclone Amphan, I lost my cattle, all domestic animals. Since then, I live in our wrecked house all alone. My children have left for the city to find a job. There is no work … we hardly get to catch fish. I have little left to eat. How am I going to survive with so much struggle, I do not know.’

Photograph: Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/Mangroves Photography Awards 2023

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Thirteen-year-old Delvyn is an up-and-coming photographer hoping to share an opportunity of a lifetime with his classmates at Gordon Parks Academy.

During a recent trip to the Gordon Parks Museum to celebrate the iconic photographer, writer and film director from Kansas and his namesakes, Gordon Parks Academy teacher Mary Delvecchio noticed there was a photography contest happening.

She submitted photos students took during their efforts in putting together the school yearbook. A week and a half later, Delvecchio said she got the announcement that Delvyn won second place. The runner-up reward includes a trip overseas.

“I didn’t really think I was going to get second place. I really thought it was going to be one of my friends that got to it,” the 13-year-old said.

Delvyn won a trip to Paris, a trip he and Delvecchio hope can include his classmates. The prize isn’t just a vacation package. It’s an educational opportunity that will could students the chance to learn more about their school’s namesake and the impact Gordon Parks left in Europe, cementing himself as an icon on two continents.

“One of the things that you may have heard is that Delvyn has a free ride to Paris. But I have nine to 11 other students that are also wanting to go and are not funded,” Delvecchio said.

So, she’s fundraising to give her other students a chance to share in the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Delvecchio set up a GoFundMe to help raise $35,000 to take 10 other students to Paris to retrace the life and legacy of Kansas native Parks during his time in Europe. Those wishing to contribute to the cause can do so here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-journey-to-gordon-parks-legacy-in-paris.

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