08/12/2026
Some photographs have a longer life than you expect.
I made this photograph of the 2007 Philadelphia Magazine Design Home nearly 20 years ago, and it remains in my portfolio today.
For about 15 years, I photographed the annual Design Home, producing roughly 100 images each year for Philadelphia Magazine's advertorial supplement. The projects were complex, the deadlines were real, and photography often began while the last details were still being finished.
On the final evening of this project, I was setting lights around the pool while workers finished the stonework, furniture arrived, and a growing crowd of the builder's friends and customers gathered to watch. It was the first time I remember photography becoming a spectator sport.
This exterior was quieter, but no less intentional. The viewpoint, the brief balance of dusk and interior light, and the landscaping in the foreground all work together to make the house feel inviting.
The best outcomes begin with thoughtful decisions most people never see.
Philadelphia Magazine Design Home, 2007
phillymag.com
Photography:
jaygreenephoto.com
Builder: C F Holloway III & Co.
Architect: McIntyre Capron, now Formwork Architects
formworkarchitects.com