When a host spends nearly two years renovating a property, you can feel it the moment you walk in. Not because they tell you — because every single inch of the space tells you itself.
This lakefront home on Badin Lake in New London NC was one of those shoots I knew would be special before I even set up my first frame. The wood tones, the thoughtful color choices, the warm kitchen with those gorgeous wood-paneled ceilings running through the entire space — none of it happened by accident. The guitar on the wall, the National Geographic book on the coffee tray, the ship’s wheel detail, the plaid textures — this is a host who decorated with a story in mind, not just a checklist. And as a vacation rental photographer, that’s the kind of property that makes you slow down and actually look before you shoot.
The downstairs screened porch is my personal favorite. There’s something about an enclosed porch right at the water’s edge that just stops you. A hammock, open views, the kind of quiet that only lake properties have — I could have spent the whole shoot just in that one spot. The upstairs porch gave a completely different perspective, open air with ceiling fans and a wide view over the trees and water that photographs beautifully at any time of day. Two porches, two completely different moods, both worth every frame.
We shot on a rainy day — and I’ll be honest, I had a plan B ready. But the weather had other ideas. Right when we were set up and ready to move outside, the sun came out. Just like that. I’d like to think the property deserved it. The dock stretching out over Badin Lake, the paddleboard resting on the deck, Adirondack chairs scattered around a lit fire pit at dusk — that twilight shot at the end of the day is the kind of image that does all the heavy lifting on an Airbnb listing. Guests see that photo and the decision is basically already made.
And this home is pet friendly, which for Badin Lake — where people drive in from Charlotte, Concord, Albemarle, and beyond for a proper getaway — is not a small thing. Guests want to bring their dogs to the lake. This place says yes. That alone opens up a whole category of bookings that other properties in the area simply can’t capture.
As a short term rental photographer working across the Charlotte NC region and surrounding areas, I don’t get to photograph lake properties like this one every week. When they come along, you appreciate them. The host put two years into this. I put everything I had into making sure the photos show exactly that.
