Commission your own image of home

A portrait of home can make an unusual and thoughtful gift between spouses, from parents to a child working abroad, or to have as a permanent and visible memento of a well-loved home which is due for sale.

Think of birthdays, anniversaries and wedding gifts, and choose from an exterior or aerial photograph, or a portrait in oils of the ancestral pile. Artist Jacqueline Holohan moved from landscapes to "housescapes" when friends began to ask her to paint their homes - not in all-weather emulsion, but in oils on canvas.

She begins by photographing the exterior from a number of angles. "The light is very important which is why photographs are best taken from spring to September. In autumn and winter the sun is too low in the sky and may cast too dark a shadow," she says. "I usually know which view will make the best picture, but I show all the photographs to the clients and allow them choose. We then might discuss any dramatic licence, such as leaving out the alarm and leaving in a wonderful Japanese maple which gives focus and colour."

Back in her Donnybrook studio she sketches in pencil, measuring to reproduce correct scale as necessary, then mixes up small quantities of paint to ensure she can later match colours exactly. She compares a photograph with her painting of a stone cottage, in which she has reproduced every stone in the building exactly. Her style is representational, combining the accuracy of a photograph with the softness and uniqueness of a once-off portrait.

"Oil paint is a good medium for this very exact work because it can give a warmth and depth not always achievable with water colour, which can be a bit flat," she says. Her charges average £450, including frame.

"Our relationship with our home is extremely important," says architectural photographer, Denis Bergin. "For example, when you move house, you leave some part of yourself behind. Having your home photographed can help you take something of that self with you if you go."

Homes intended for exterior photography need some homework. "You need to prepare the house extremely carefully," says Denis. "No venetian blinds, no net curtains. The windows must be spotlessly clean to reflect the light. Do the best you can with the garden depending on the time of year."

In an initial visit, he will discuss photographic approaches and possibilities with the family, and return to do the work at a time of the day when, depending on its orientation, the property will be shown in its most flattering light.

"Not all houses have architectural merit," he says, "but there is always a redeeming feature, even a hall door painted a lovely shade."

He also takes aerial photographs; ideally, a property needs to sit on between one third and half an acre in order to contextualise it in its place. "You sometimes see aerial photographs in people's homes which will have been taken speculatively and then offered for sale at the hall door. Frequently all you can see is an anonymous rooftop. With commissioned work you can come down from 1,000 to 200 feet, come in low, at an angle so you have the advantages of a ground shot as well."

For ground work, Denis Bergin charges from £250, which includes the initial consultation, taking the photographs, providing 12 contacts from which his customers may choose one, and supplying the chosen print. Framing is extra.

An aerial photograph will cost approximately £800, which includes hiring a helicopter and pilot for £600 an hour and personal liability insurance,

John Moriarty believes he offers a unique aerial photography service from the ground. He uses a remote controlled miniature helicopter which climbs to a maximum of 400 feet before being positioned and angled to take photographs to order.

He specialises in low-level, high detail architecture, scientific and property projects and is normally in demand by planners and developers wanting an aerial impact assessment of a proposed building or extension. "Almost any kind of a shot is technically feasible. The easiest to do is a detached property in its own grounds. If you are photographing a property closely bounded by others, it's possible to get an angle which emphasises it in the context of its neighbours, while de-emphasising others, or you could airbrush them out of the picture altogether."

An engineer by profession, he has been working with miniature helicopters for 13 years. "You need judgement and skill to position the helicopter where you want it to be. It's a bit like juggling with the right hand, bouncing a ball with the left, all the while riding a one-wheeled bicycle. It does take learning."

John Moriarty charges from £150 depending on location, plus expenses for mileage and film stock which normally adds on 20 per cent. Enlarging and framing is done in conjunction with portrait photographer James Travers, and costs from £50 for a 10 x 8 print.