How Important is Good Photography?
Article originally written for a former website.
This is a question that should enter the minds of every single real estate agent before they begin their career. However, often times this all important topic is overlooked, and agents fail to see the relevance in it. Photography can make or break the way your potential clients view your professionalism, it can be the difference between turning people off your listings on mls or creating interest in the home you are trying to sell, and it can greatly enhance or badly ruin any of your marketing materials. The number one most important tip that I tell my clients when they are contemplating photography, is to have a professional, who knows what they're doing, take the photos for them. Although many take this advice, there are still a high number of agents who insist upon capturing their own images, and this article is here as a simplistic, easy to read, non-technical aid to help those "stubborn" ones become more skilled at the task of taking interior and exterior house and building photography.
Type of Camera
The first issue that needs to be over come is the type of camera that is being used. If you insist upon taking your own photos, then it is time to invest in an adequate camera to get the job done. There are many good quality point and shoot cameras on the market today, from Nikon to Canon to Kodak and everything in between. Many of these can produce decent looking photos for everyday use, however, none can compare with the quality of the digital SLR's that are available to us now. Often times the flash on the point and shoots is inadequate, and megapixels are too low, the zoom is lacking, and there are no extra lenses that can be added, such as a wide angle, which is important in this type of photography. The best advice I can give is to either spend the money and purchase a good quality Canon or Nikon digital SLR, or make sure that you purchase a high-end point and shoot such as the Canon S3 IS or it's equivalent in another brand. These high-end point and shoots (S3 IS) offer many advantages over the lower quality one's and even allow for extra lense ad-ons, however, the digital SLR's are the way to go if you are looking at creating professional quality photos. There are many different lenses, flashes and other ad-ons available and the quality produced by these is unsurpassable.
Take A Class
Once you've decided upon your weapon of choice (digital SLR - hint hint) you need to seriously consider taking some classes in order to learn the proper operation of the camera, it's settings and the nifty little features that it comes with. Even a short seminar is better then nothing, enabling you to become familiar with basic procedures of operating your camera.
Tips for the Amateur
These are tips that may seem obvious to some, but are lacking by many when it comes to real estate photography.
Good lighting - Lighting is extremely important for any photography, and shooting indoors can have it's challenges. Decent natural lighting from outside is always helpful. Open curtains and blinds to enable the full benefit of the sunlight. Remember to never shoot directly at a bright window with open blinds. Angle the shot, so that it is not directed squarely on the light source. Shooting directly at a bright window will creating a glowing effect on the window itself, and everything else in the shot will come out very dark. If there is no other way to shoot but directly at the window, close the blinds, utilize the flash and the interior lighting of the home. Turn on the interior lights, even if it is during the day. Keep in mind though, that incandescent bulbs can throw off a yellowish tone, so depending on the amount that are used, the photos can take on a yellowish hue. Invest in an extra flash. This can be extremely helpful in houses that have dark interiors, small amounts of windows, and those lacking exterior light.
Use a Tripod - If you think that you are at all unstable while shooting, set up a tripod and utilize that for your photo shoots. A tripod will keep the camera from moving during a shot (unless your too rough with it) and reduce the "blur" that movement causes in a picture.
Pay Attention to the Layout of the Shot, Take Your Time - Many agents fail to actually look at what they are shooting, and just "point and click" to get the job done quickly. Take a minute to look through the camera at what is and isn't in the shot. Move around the room and try different angles to see what will work best. If you need to, move items that are in the way, such as a nick-knack on a coffee table, or a chair that looks out of place. Hopefully you've had the house staged so that you will not have to take too much time rearranging, but there are still little things that will pop-up that will need to be removed in order to make the shot look better. Don't shoot directly at a piece of furniture - you are selling the house, not what's inside of it, and many agents make this mistake. Shooting directly at a piece of furniture ends up making the room look extremely small, and shows no other details besides the offending couch, chair or table that you just snapped. It would be wise to invest in a wide-angle lens. These lenses are wider then the standard ones, and can capture a larger amount of the horizontal image, enabling you to create a better, "wider" field of vision photo of the room you are shooting.
You've Got a Digital, So Look at the Shots You've Taken Before You Leave - You have the ability with a digital camera to scan through the photos you've taken while you are on-site. I highly recommend viewing them on your camera before you leave the home. You don't have to scrutinize every single one, however, it is good to take a quick look to first of all make sure you've captured all of the rooms that you wanted, and second to make sure that the pictures that you've taken are good enough to use in your marketing materials. Many times I've seen shots come in from digital cameras, and they are out of focus, or there is a ton of movement creating a horrible image that shouldn't be used on any print or web material. This could have been avoided by simply previewing, and re-shooting if need be.
Horizontal or Vertical for Small Rooms - Have a good look at the room you are shooting. Is it a large family room, a medium sized bedroom or a small powder room? View the room through the camera and observe how much will fit in the shot. If the room is medium to large, a horizontal image (the typical way a photo is taken) will work best. If the room is small, like a powder room, or tiny bedroom, flip the camera on it's side so that you are shooting vertically, and test that angle. In small rooms, using a horizontal shot will most likely show too much wall, door or other unwanted item. Because you will probably be standing outside of the room in order to get the shot, you will need to flip the camera so that you can shoot through the doorway. And if you are confused about standing outside the room, the further back you move, the more of the room that you are able to fit into the photo, hence shooting through the doorway. If the small room is not terribly important to the house, skip the shot, do not put it in your marketing material, these shots, unless taken by a professional, never quite turn out good enough for presentation on printed promotional items.
Stage, stage, stage!- Staging is so important in being able to market and sell a home. Homes that are staged look a lot more attractive, less cluttered and more "professional" then one's that aren't. Staging is extremely useful when photographing the home as well. The pictures convey the above through your marketing materials when the home is staged properly and looks it's best. Staging helps to showcase the home properly in your marketing materials as well as in person. Have a professional stager complete this job for you, and this is redundant but because I've seen it happen, I will mention it anyway, take the photos once their job is complete, never rush and take them before the house has been beautified.
Overall, keep in mind that you are "showcasing" a home, and to do that correctly, the photos need to be of high enough quality to impress the home owner, as well as the potential buyers. Using the tips above will help those agents who want to take their own photos become a little more adept at the task. However, once again, it is in your and your clients best interest to have a professional photographer capture the home, and I highly recommend using one for this type of work, but good luck to those who are brave (or stubborn) enough to tackle home photography on their own - it can be a real challenge.
Julie Deans © June 2008
Julie Deans is an artist, a honours graphic design grad, the owner of Chickadoo Expressions (photography & design), and has many years of experience working in the real estate design sector as well as the administrative field. She utilizes the knowledge she has gained through her experiences by writing articles in hopes to help others gather information and become more successful in their careers, or business ventures.
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