Mark Sorensen from Mark M Sorensen Photography in Boronia, Victoria has been a photographer for many years and loves to photograph architecture, interiors, real estate and gardens.

Photography:

My background in website design and online marketing has taught me how important high quality images are when trying to grab people's attention online. A great photo will wow people and get them excited to see more.

Where we work:

Mark M Sorensen Photography is based in Boronia in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne known as Knox. Most of my photography work is around Boronia, Bayswater, Belgrave, Croydon, Ferntree Gully, Knoxfield, Rowville, The Basin, Upwey, Wantirna and Wantirna South. I am willing to travel to Melbourne and around Victoria, though extra travel charges may apply.

Our ideal clients:

1. Real estate agents
2. Builders and developers
3. Kitchen and interior designers
4. Hotels and resorts
5. Holiday home owners & AirBnB hosts
6. Architects

Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm

Saturday By appointment

Sunday By appointment

AddressBoronia, Victoria

Phone 0406 094 034

Email photography@markmsorensen.com

Website markmsorensen.com

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Mark Sorensen and I’m a professional photographer that grew up and lives and works in Boronia in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs near Mount Dandenong.

From an early age, I have wanted to do two things – 1. be creative; and 2. run my own business.

My Dad was a property manager and would often take me with him to inspect homes and this is where my interest in real estate started. I loved looking at people’s homes and gardens. In high school, I studied art and graphic design where I would design buildings and create floor plans in class. I always looked at the real estate guide in the local newspaper and watched home improvement shows on TV.

My love for photography came when I started my first part time job in retail which had its own photo lab. I bought my first film camera in the early 1990’s and loved taking photos around the home, at family events and on my travels. But it wasn’t until I bought my first digital camera that I really fell in love with photography because I could instantly see the photo on a tiny little screen on the back of the camera rather than wait days for the prints!

In my next job at a sports centre, I was responsible for updating the website and would take photos at netball games, school holiday clinics and other events in the centre.

In 2013 I took my first overseas holiday to Singapore where I spent a week and took 1,300+ photos of the amazing architecture and Marina Bay that I knew this was something I wanted to do in the future.

In mid 2016, my friend and I did a short photography course together and we borrowed a couple of DSLR cameras and loved learning all about the manual settings, depth of field, shutter speeds and different styles of photography. Once we finished, we went out and bought brand new Nikon DSLRs and haven’t looked back!

For the past six years, I’ve been working for local government in the Marketing and Communication department where manage website and intranet content, edit photos, collaborate with Marketing officers and have become the unofficial photographer for staff events.

How would you describe your photographic style?

I try to be unique or different. It doesn’t matter what I’m taking photos of, I’m always looking for a different angle, close up or lighting that is different from most photographers take.

What's your standard workflow when doing real estate photography, from arrival at the location through to delivery of the images?

When I arrive on location, before I unpack any gear, I’ll normally take a look around the house and look at lighting and work out a mental plan on where to start shooting and then grab the gear I need and setup.

If an agent or client has requested photos of a specific room, or feature of a property, then I’ll typically start shooting those. Otherwise, my typical photos include the kitchen, lounge, master bedroom, ensuite and/or bathroom, and other bedrooms and the exterior shots.

Finally, I’ll measure up and draw the floor plan.

Back in the office, I’ll download the photos and work on the photo edits and draw up the floor plan. The finished photos are delivered online to the agent or client typically within 24 hours.

How important is Photoshop or digital editing to your process?

Post production editing in Lightroom is essential to produce a photo especially when it is being used for marketing a home or hotel room. Ideally, I try to get the best shots I can on location, but sometimes you need to remove an object from a shot, and lighting can’t always be done in a single shot, so multiple photos are often combined to produce the final photo.

What do you enjoy most about photographing real estate, architecture and the built environment?

I’ve always been fascinated with how things are built, the materials used and the different floor plans can be built or changed to suit different people. My Dad worked for a Danish furniture designer and later in property maintenance which helped me appreciate architecture and furniture in different ways from most real estate photographers.

What advice would you give to someone in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs who was selling their home?

Good photos are CRITICAL! Don’t skimp on the marketing. Think of it as an investment that if done right, will pay for itself. A clean, clutter-free home that is properly styled with your ideal buyer in mind, will help a professional photographer to take great photos and will always get more views than poorly taken photos done on the cheap by a home owner or agent that don’t understand or have the skills needed to help your property stand out from the other homes on the market.

What do you like to do away from work?

When I’m not taking photos for work, you’ll find me spending time with my very photogenic cat, Olly (aka Oliver Twist), or playing Lego or Xbox with my young nieces and nephew. I also like to spend time in the garden but I wouldn’t say I have a green thumb yet. I would love to do more travel overseas but it’s always fun to visit Melbourne or the Dandenong Ranges for a meetup with my group of photography friends too.

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