Nov 15 2007
Basic Real Estate Photography
When you sell your property, you want to generate as much interest as possible, with the potential for a bidding war to push the price up and up!
What will attract more possible buyers to your property, once they know the property’s specifications? The photos!
Show off your property at its best with a few simple tips that will make all the difference.
1. Focus on the biggest asset
What is your property’s biggest asset? Is it something you can photograph? Is the master bedroom particularly large, or do you have a great view, or is there some other feature?
Make sure you take a fantastic photo of whatever this is, and ensure that it runs as the showcase photo for the advertisement.
2. Time of day
Indoor photos - take these in daylight. As soon as you begin working with too much unnatural light, you could begin to run the risk of color casts making the images look a little strange.
Outdoor photos - use twilight/dusk for these photos. Turn on some of the outdoor lights, or even use candles for some added ambience. Remember you’ll need a tripod…
3. Use a tripod
One of the most important things is to have sharp photos representing your property. The only way to absolutely ensure this, is to use a tripod to take each photo, and to also use a cable release (essentially a remote control that is connected to your camera via a cable). If you can’t use a cable release, use the timer function on your camera. That way, when the camera takes the photo, there is no chance of camera-shake ,as your hands will be no where near the shutter button to move the camera, even slightly.
A sturdy tripod also makes achieving different angles possible, and when shooting at dusk a tripod becomes essential.
4. Angle
When shooting smaller rooms, take the photo from high up - pick the furthest corner of the room and position yourself there to take a photo. Where there is a larger open floorspace, you may be able to angle from down up - but this can be difficult, especially where furniture may block the view of the room. For outdoors try squatting and angling up to take the photo. Be careful not to get too much grass, or tiles in the foreground of the frame.
Depending on your height you may need a foot stool, chair or a small ladder. By standing up high, you get more of the room/s in the photo and less ceiling. You still need some ceiling but it shouldn’t take up half the photo, as it’s wasted image space.
5. Match the description
So many times I read descriptions of properties that list a ‘wonderful view’, but they don’t actually show the view as one of the images. That makes me wonder if there really is a wonderful view, and if they haven’t been upfront about this, what else aren’t they being upfront about?
You don’t want potential buyers asking these sorts of questions before they’ve even seen the property. So, if the description talks about a great spa in the backyard, include a great photograph of it!
6. Use flash appropriately
Flash can be a very harsh, uneven light. It also has the tendency to create a bright white dot when the flash hits a mirror, windows, or glass doors.
If you have an external flash, there is a simple way to avoid this - use bounce flash. To do this, angle the flash 45 degrees upwards, towards the ceiling. The flash will fire the light towards the ceiling, the light will bounce off the ceiling, and filter down a softer, more even spray of light. This works particularly well when the ceiling isn’t too high and is light in color.
Where you don’t have an external flash, you could place a piece of very sheer cloth over your flash to diffuse the light.
7. Clean up
Yes, this may seem obvious, but really look at your property from the eye of someone who is looking to make it their home. Remove excessive photos from the mantel, as well as general ‘clutter’. By removing items, it will actually make the rooms look larger.
Remember to dust woodwork - it will make the place look much cleaner and more appealing. Make your property shine!
8. Set the table
This is just for the advertising photos. It’s amazing the difference it makes to a plain dining room, or the life it brings to an outdoor setting.
Make sure it’s appropriate to the setting. For example, make the outdoor dining table look fresh and casual. Leave the crystal for the formal dining table. Set it complete with glasses and napkins and perhaps a nice centrepiece - nothing too over the top. It’s just to enhance the look and create a ‘homey’ feel.
9. Using natural light
Where the area outside is likely to be appealing, open the blinds and curtains - let natural light fill the room. It will open the rooms up and make them appear larger. Plus, it will provide some perspective in terms of what the view is from the rooms. However, where there is a concrete wall outside, it might be better to keep the curtains drawn.
These are a few quick tips on how to enhance the images of your property, when you put it up for sale. You’ll be amazed at the responses!
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