Atherton is near Stanford University and Palo Alto on the San Francisco Peninsula in an area with a near-perfect climate tempered by the Pacific across the coastal hills and the San Francisco Bay the opposite direction. This residential community with large estate lots, mature trees, and narrow shady lanes drew us for three days of shooting for Markay Johnson Construction, a Utah company with an extensive portfolio of high-end projects in California’s Bay Area.
The featured project tore down an existing home on a large estate lot with established trees and rebuilt in a Craftsman style inspired by the works of Berkeley architect Bernard Maybeck. The homeowner had a clear vision of what she wanted and worked closely with Markay Johnson Construction to achieve it. The exterior features difficult to execute details like shingled eyebrows, and some of the transitions are especially exquisite. For the interiors, the homeowner wanted bright, open, and connected spaces, and she personally completed the interior design and art installation.
For the photographs, I emphasized connections within the home and to the outdoors. I used natural lighting with some flash to assist with showing the details and to avoid dark areas that interfere with composition. There’s a warmth and friendliness that comes through the photographs that is genuine to the home.
— Scot Zimmerman
