Category: Phixer News

When taking pictures of rooms in a house, there are times when the picture does not possess exact same look from the actual scene. Even if you try your hardest to fix the lighting or the camera itself, the picture really is not that good. This is the reason Adobe Lightroom is very useful when dealing with this kind of problem. Every picture can be fixed to make the quality top notch. Even if the picture has a tint of color that cannot be fixed by lighting, Adobe Lightroom is always there to help. Below are the tips on how to fix the color and straighten the picture to make it better.

Straighten and Color Correct Real Estate Photos on Adobe Lightroom

Before we get started it is important for you to know how powerful Adobe Lightroom really is in fixing and correcting things of a photo. Not only does it fix colors or light (hence the name Lightroom), it can even fix the angle of the photo automatically. So now you have an idea on what Lightroom is and how powerful it is, let us get started on how to actually use this to correct photos.

Here are the things you need to identify about the photo to determine what the problem is,

1. Is the photo colored? Is there a tint in the photo?
2. Is it dark or too bright?
3. Is the photo crooked?

The first thing you need to do is to identify the problem so that you know what to fix and not just blindly tweaking the knobs randomly.

White balance and Brightness

• Adjust the Temperature setting to match the real color of the scene
• Adjust the Tint to make the white balance perfect.

These are the first things you need to do: correct the white balance and the brightness. Every picture is different so there is no default or standard setting. Just move the White Balance Temperature and move it up and down depending on how too colored or too white the picture is. Now move the tint down if it is too purple and move it up if it is too green. That will make the white balance of the picture perfect. If it is not what you wanted, feel free to adjust the temperature and tint to your liking.

Now you want to make the picture brighter so that what you did earlier will be more effective and it will make the picture overall pleasant to look at. All you need to do is take the Exposure setting and slide it right and keep sliding until you get a brightness that looks good. Next is to adjust the clarity so that you can add a little contrast back into the image. In most cases you will adjust the clarity to 100 because it just makes the picture especially rooms look way more beautiful. And you have a Light source that is way too bright than the rest of the picture, follow the next step, if not feel free to skip it.

Next, is to make lamps, lightbulbs or any kind of light source match with the brightness of the rest of the picture. For this, you will need to adjust the highlights setting down to match the brightness of the light source and the rest of the picture.

Shadows, whites and blacks

• Adjust shadow slider for more bright pictures
• Increase the whites setting
• Decrease the black setting

For this part, you will adjust the shadows slider to the right to your preference and this will lighten up the dark parts of the image. By bringing the highlights down and adjusting the shadows up will inevitably flatten your image. The whites and the blacks setting will take part and the image will get even more contrast.

First, adjust the Whites setting up and the Blacks down. By doing this, the image will get more contrast back and it will make the picture overall good. Remember to adjust the setting according to what you think is the best. There is no “right” or “perfect” setting because every picture is different.

Hue, Saturation, Luminance (HSL) and Lens Correction

• Adjust the saturation to match the real-life picture
• Enable Profile Corrections

This part is mainly for matching the real-life scene and enabling the Profile Corrections to correct the distortions and vignette.

First, go into the HSL tab and adjust the colors to match the colors in the actual scene. Then go into the lens correction and basic tab and enable Profile Corrections and remove Chromatic Aberration. This will automatically make the picture better. Lastly, under the same tab you will see an upright setting and it will be set into OFF because it is the default setting. Click AUTO to turn it on because it will make any crooked picture straight.

All of this is automatically done by Lightroom. This shows how easy and powerful this program is and why it is a must for photographers.

Being in the business of real estate is competitive. The industry itself is highly competitive. There is a sense of urgency in everything, especially in selling as many properties as you can. Time is also of the essence as you have to focus on selling and booking more clients.

To keep up with your competitors, hiring photo editors is a must. This allows you to save time in order to focus on the essentials of your business. Finding a reliable photo editor can be challenging. If you are looking for one, consider Phixer.

About the company

Phixer is a photo editing company that specializes in architectural and real estate imagery. They take pride in using innovative software and processes to edit graphics, videos, and photos.

The company started in March 2009 as a group of developers and artists in Seattle who developed an application that streamlines marketing for real estate. A year later, they created a software application that delivers high-quality videos and photos. It was in February 2010 that Phixer was launched. That same year, the company grew and expanded to India. In 2013, they opened a subsidiary in the Philippines by partnering with Philippines Adobe Representatives in order to build a team of experienced photo editors.

High-quality output

Phixer maintains its quality and consistency despite having off-shore offices in India and Philippines. The USA office ensures ad checks the quality of the output.

Their real estate photo editors are well-trained and have the best software. Phixer has its own Style Sync software that allows photo editors to replicate the taste and style of every photographer. This allows them to learn from your unique editing technique in order to create images and videos that are consistent with your own personal preferred style.
They ensure that their photo editors have certifications with the advanced software applications in order to create the imagery needed for your business. Phixer provides continuous training to keep photo editors abreast with the latest in technology and processes. They are also required to have a degree in graphic design so you’re assured of their knowledge and skills in retouching your images.

Experience and support

Phixer has been in the industry for more than 10 years. This ensures that they have enough experience in real estate retouching. They have a proven track record and success with their output so you are assured of the quality. They are dedicated to quality so every image is scrutinized to pass their standards.

Their USA support team will assist you in every step of the way. From the very start of the project until the delivery of the output, you can be confident that you’ll get the assistance that you need. Phixer also has a quick turn-around so you can get ready for the next client without a sweat.

Fair sourcing

Aside from ensuring that every output that goes out is of high-quality and provides photographers the value that they need, Phixer creates a fair working environment for all their employees. Off-shore photo editors are given the same benefits and support as the ones in the US. This includes a retirement plan, health insurance, and a two-week vacation. Aside from that, the company gives artistic encouragement and development to inspire them with their own artistic endeavors.

Cebu is not only an island with long stretches of beach and clear water, but there is also an adventure waiting for you around every corner. Canyoneering in Kawasan is something that every adventurous soul should try at least once.

This can also be an exciting activity that strengthens team bonds while making sure that each team member goes beyond the edge and tries something new.

Kawasan Canyoneering

To take the trip, you need to travel around three hours from the city to get to Badian, a town in the southern part of Cebu. Upon arriving, you will need to leave your stuff at your tour guide’s post.

After you’ve secured your stuff, you will have to wear a life vest and a helmet as safety precautions during the entire trip. You also need to wear shoes for safety reasons. A motorcycle will take you uphill to the starting point. From there, you will do a little trek to get to the canyon and start the fun.

A little bravery will go a long way once you’ve tried canyoneering. You don’t have to know how to swim in order to enjoy. This is what the life vest and the helmet are for. If you’re scared to jump, just don’t think and do it. Trust that your life vest will keep you afloat.

The Activities

Jumping off the cliff is the highlight of the entire trip. There are three points from where you could jump. The first one is around 20 feet high and is required. There are other two jump points that are optional. One is shorter while the other one is the highest point. Depending on how courageous you are, you can go jump from all three.

Aside from jumping off the canyon, there are other activities that you can do during this trip. There will be a lot of hiking, rock scrambling, water sliding, rappelling, and swimming. The activities are fun and adventurous and perfect for the entire team. This creates a full day of exploration. The entire activity will last around six hours. After everything’s done, you can go freshen up at your starting point and change your clothes.

The entire Phixer team pretty much had a long day at Badian. However, everyone had a blast. Every sweat and step is worth the adventure and fun that awaits. Going on a canyoneering adventure with the team definitely helps in bringing everyone closer creating a tight-knit family.

The Philippines, being an archipelago, has so many islands to visit and to explore. Cebu is one of the major islands in the Visayas and is dubbed as the gateway to the south. Cebu alone is composed of different islands. What do you get with this? Endless beach and tons of fun under the sun.

Island Hopping in Cebu

There are many small islands that you can visit and check out in Cebu. Going on an island hopping tour is one of the top things that tourists and even locals should do to unwind and relax.

With a small boat, you can tour and visit different islands off the coast of Mactan. The top three islands to visit are Olango Island, Nalusuan Island, and Caohagan Island. Phixer’s team picked out these three islands.

Olango Island has a bird sanctuary that’s worth checking out. Although the island doesn’t have white sand beaches, it makes up for the rich resources. You can go kayaking or check out the bird sanctuary.Nalusuan is a protected marine sanctuary. The island is filled with marine life and you don’t have to go deep down the water just to see the fishes. It’s truly a wonderful place to appreciate marine life. Lastly, Caohagan is another marine sanctuary with crystal clear waters and teeming with marine life. It’s perfect for snorkeling and swimming when the water is just right.

Activities when Island Hopping

On an island hopping tour, you’d never want your day to end. There are tons of activities that you can do, especially when you’re out there building stronger bonds with your team and co-workers.

• Karaoke on the boat. Singing is an all-time favorite Filipino pastime. Karaoke on the boat is probably the best thing that you can do while boating. Being in the middle of the sea while singing your favorite tunes is nothing short of fun and relaxing. You can make it a friendly competition among friends on who gets the highest score.

• Snorkeling. The islands in Cebu boasts of amazing marine life. You cannot go boating in Cebu without snorkeling and checking out the life underwater, especially when you’re going to these marine sanctuaries.

• Lunch on the boat. Imagine having the simplest food yet having the best time on the boat. Sharing good food with the best people is always a great idea. Even the simplest food can become a feast when you’re in the company of friends.

• Swimming. You cannot go boating without going for a swim. The seas in Cebu are clean and clear so it’s perfect for dipping. The boat can stay out in the sea while the rest of the team goes swimming.