Are you interested in becoming a real estate photographer? This is great since the career is very rewarding. You can get paid a lot and there is a very good possibility you will love the pictures you will take. The problem is that it is not so easy to get started and be successful.
Real estate photography is a career option and it can also be a wonderful way to build up a great portfolio. Regardless of why you decide to shoot such pictures though, you need to get it right. This can be much more complicated than you might initially believe. The tips below will help you reach the level of the best real estate photography in Dallas, but only with constant practice.
Get The Very Best Real Estate Photography Gear
The best photographers put a lot of money into some important gear pieces so that their shoots are going to impress their clients. You need to specifically have the following:
• DSLR Cameras With Wide Angle Lenses
The full sensor DSLR camera stands out as wonderful for all real estate photography. This is because it will let you shoot in manual mode, will have a really fast response, and lets you quickly see shots as you take them. The DSLR lets you edit photos fast and the wide-angle lens lets you capture very beautiful images in narrow or tight spaces, like small rooms. Also, the lens will make the rooms you shoot much more spacious, which is quite important in real estate.
• A Good Tripod
The tripod allows you to set up the camera and fully control the shot so it is a must-have for real estate photography. The real estate images will always appear clean and will be in focus. You do not have to worry about haze or blurriness because you shake the camera.
• Flash
You never know what you will walk into when you shoot real estate. Low light settings are actually very common. This is why you always need a flash, like a flashgun or a moonlight. This compensates for the light and makes it much easier to take clean, bright photographs.
The best flash for you is one that has the built-in receiver needed to trigger it with a single button press. This can easily be combined with a camera remote trigger.
• Drone
The drone is absolutely perfect when you want to take aerial images, which are very common in real estate photography. With drone photography, you can easily shoot some exterior property images that look absolutely great. You can easily reveal the entire area and the property at the same time. The only problem is that drones can be quite pricey. A good one will cost you around $1,000. This is why you should only consider it after you get everything else you need.
Shooting Photographs In Real Estate
After you get the gear you need, it is time to take photographs of real estate properties for an experienced real estate agent. You practically need to practice shooting skills. The most important photography tips you need to remember when you want to capture some stunning images are these:
• Shoot Later During The Day
Weather and timing are very important factors when you shoot real estate photos. When you shoot way too early or after the sunset, the lighting is very bad. This is true for both interior and exterior photographs. As a result, it is great to schedule shoots during the way when the sun sets right behind the house. This gives you access to enough natural light without overdoing it. Also, the photographs will look stunning as this is when the light is great for capturing details.
You should also make sure you check the weather right before the photo shoot. This guarantees you do not have to deal with storm clouds or rain. It is obvious why such factors would make it very challenging to shoot beautiful real estate photos.
• Schedule Walk-Throughs
Make sure to set between 30 and 60 minutes on the property before the actual shoot. This allows you to become familiar with the area. You get to see the styling and how everything is staged. In an ideal setting, every single room is uncluttered and clean. But this is not always the case and you might have to move some things around. Maybe you will even have to move some furniture around. It is better to do this before the shoot.
As you do your walk-through, see if there are challenging rooms present. This includes tight rooms, small rooms, and even bathrooms that are awkwardly laid out. Consider how the tricky areas can be shot ahead of time.
• Create Your Shot List
You have to be as organized as possible when you shoot real estate. A great way to do this is to create a list of all the shots you will take. This can vary based on the property type. However, in most cases, you will need to include these photographs:
o 2 wide-angle photographs of the living room, kitchen, and all bedrooms.
o A photograph of special features. This includes the garage, laundry room, walk-in closets, and pantry.
o A photo of all bathrooms.
o Around 3 photographs of the backyard area.
o Around 2 shots from the front of the home so curb appeal is highlighted.
• Make Sure All Rooms Are Well-Lit And Bright
When lighting conditions are low, it is very difficult to shoot photographs that look great. You need to open blinds and windows to make sure as much natural light comes in as possible. Always adjust lights and see how you can take full advantage of what you work with.
Remember that overhead lights will make rooms look too harsh. Natural light is better and you can compensate with the flash. White balance and shutter speed have to be appropriate.
When you shoot real estate photos, your images need brightness and warmth in order to attract renters and buyers. As you keep the rooms lit, they do not end up looking dark or cold. Also, make sure lighting is always consistent for all rooms you will shoot in. Varying light temperatures will make it very difficult to create a cohesive package.
• Always Showcase The Very Best Features
Do this for every area or room you shoot. There is always some sort of selling point that you can focus on. Look at that detail and point it out through your photography. Sometimes, the focus is a very large window. In other cases, it can be a very spacious walkway. Maybe there is a standout feature present like some built-in bookshelves. When you actively showcase the very best features, real estate agents will keep contacting you.
• Shoot From Different Angles
It is a common mistake to rely on a single composition or area in real estate photography. Instead, you should go for variety. You need to have many shots that you can choose from. This makes your entire portfolio better for clients. Mix things up.
As an example, let us think about the doorway. Shoot right from a room’s doorway. Then, shoot towards it. After, put yourself in the middle of a room or at an angle. You thus have several angles that you can shoot from. Regardless of angles, also make sure the camera is stable and straight.
• Be Flexible And Adaptable
A great photography tip that you can easily learn is that you should always be flexible. You have to adapt to the surroundings you shoot in. For instance, you schedule the shoot on a day that is sunny or bright. But when you get there, it starts to rain. What do you do? It is possible that you have to go back at another time or maybe you can adapt on the spot. Just always have a plan.
• Edit Your Photographs
A downside you should know about the use of the wide-angle lens in real estate photography is that some distortion might appear. Also, some parts of the image can appear slightly off or warped. Fortunately, these are issues that can so easily be corrected when you use photo editing software. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom are the two most common options that have to be considered by photographers.
Make sure you always shoot all images in RAW. This makes it so much easier to edit photographs.
Alternatively, in the event that you are not good at editing photographs or you just do not know how to do it, you want to outsource photo editing to an experienced professional. This is also an option you have to consider when you do not have much time available.
Your editing software will surely have a lens correction feature you can use. Take advantage of that and play around with light temperature settings. This is perfect when there is too much light present in one or not too much present in another one. With real estate photography, you always need consistent lighting. If this is not present, your photographs will not look professional.
By Andrew Simmons
Bio – Andrew Simmons is an experienced digital marketing consultant and a passionate blogger. He has a vast knowledge of search media and online advertising to promote online branding and reputation. He loves to share his industry knowledge and experience with readers.