Mastering real estate photography is a tricky prophecy and one that requires years of practice. Since you likely don’t have the time to rush out and earn a Bachelor of Arts in photography from an arts college, here are some tips that can help make your real estate photography stand out!
- Make Use of a Home’s Light: One of the reasons real estate photography can be difficult is because of the lighting. You should start by determining which way the home faces, and then schedule your appointment accordingly so the sun is either at your back or off to the side. Trying to shoot a room with light coming directly at you generally results in a poor snapshot.
- Use a Tripod: Not everyone is blessed with stable hands, but this is practically a necessity for crisp, clean real estate photos. A tripod is a great way to stabilize your camera, and they make them for point-and-shoot cameras and for smartphones like the iPhone.
- Avoid Photographing Yellow Rooms: Yellow rooms can be lovely because they look so light and airy, but they’re not the easiest rooms to photograph. Often, the entire photograph will look yellow, so it’s best to avoid them if possible.
- Invest in a Wide-Angle Lens: If you are using a professional-style camera, a wide-angle lens will help you showcase more of the room. This is especially important for smaller rooms like bathrooms and walk-in closets.
- Create Depth: Beautifully photographed homes are that way because there is depth in the images. To achieve this, make sure your subjects are varied depth-wise in your photo.
- Consider a Photoshop Class: Photoshop can’t save a disastrous photo, but it can help you with things like correcting lighting, removing shadows and the like. Consider taking a photoshop class so you’re better equipped to edit your photos.
- Frame Your Subject: Photography is based on the rule of thirds, and you should remember this when framing your subject. When you take a photo, look at it broken into nine sections. Where does your subject fall? Remember, it shouldn’t always be in the middle!
