Category: Real Estate Photography

For most buyers, nothing beats a live viewing to really appreciate a property for sale. However, it’s expertly shot photos that catch people’s attention and get them interested in the first place. This is why photography is a big part of real estate.

Indeed, the importance of great pictures in promoting a listing is also why some real estate recruiters keep track of agents with photography and design backgrounds. Check this out if you want to know how meticulous the recruitment process can be for real estate agents. It may reassure you to know that recruiters and brokerages do all they can to help you sell your home for the best price.

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With all of the above considered, however, you still need to learn how to take good photos of your property for sale. After all, you may not always have the money to hire professionals to do it for you. You can sometimes rely on real estate agents to help you with this, but remember as well that they also handle many other matters.

Here are some tips to get you started on taking good photos of your property that will attract potential buyers:

Focus on the Best Selling Points

It can be tempting to take photos of every corner of your house to showcase it, but it would be better to focus on a few rooms. Ask yourself this question: what is or are the best selling points of your house? Perhaps it’s the big but cozy living room that’s perfect for family gatherings. Maybe it’s the ultra-modern kitchen that will excite budding chefs.

By picking just a few things to focus on, you can create a more unified theme for your photos. You can even use these photos as a storytelling medium, which can boost the appeal of your property to your target market.

Open the Windows

Windows are a great selling point for many properties, particularly for homes with views. Another reason is that more windows mean more natural light, which is good for the body’s circadian rhythm and vitamin D production; it can even improve your mood!

When it comes to photography, natural light is your best friend. So throw open those windows and before taking your shots—you’ll be surprised at how much better they look! You can also get creative with the windows, such as using them to frame the outdoor scenery. Of course, make sure that the windows are clean before your photo session.

Take External Photos During the Golden Hours

Speaking of natural light, it’s a good idea to take photos of the exterior of the property during the so-called golden hours: before sunrise and right after sunset. The lighting that these times of day provide can provide a unique flair, highlighting features such as a well-tended garden or even a unique-looking front door. You may also want to include shots of the neighborhood, in case this is a big selling point of your property.

Depersonalize

To get the best shots of your property, remove as much clutter as you can. A clean and organized space is much easier to photograph. You should also minimize the number of personal accessories, such as family photos or collectibles. This will depersonalize the space, so it’s easier for the buyer to imagine them filling it with their own furniture and decorations. Cleaning things up also gives you a better backdrop to showcase what you want to showcase.

Take Corner Photos

The best way to present a space is showing its entirety. If you take multiple photos, potential buyers still have to imagine what these separate elements look like together. This can affect their perception. At the same, it can be difficult to capture an entire room in a single photo. Even panoramic shots using digital cameras or smartphones are tricky to get right.

To deal with this dilemma, try taking a photo from a corner. This will allow you to capture as much of the space as you can, as well as make the room look bigger. If the room has windows, open them or at least pull back the window treatments. The natural light will make things look brighter.

Choose the Best Ones

Strictly speaking, this isn’t a photography tip but it still needs to be said: don’t overload your listing with hundreds of photos. Yes, you should take as many photos as you can but this is so that you can choose the best ones to upload. Putting up too many pictures can also overwhelm the buyer and decide not to look further into your ad.

Consider the photos in your for-sale listing as a movie trailer, something that highlights the most exciting, most interesting parts of the entire film. Post just enough photos to create that initial curiosity, so buyers will want to see the property in person. If you want, you can ask your real estate agent for advice regarding the number of photos and which ones you should post.

 

Good luck on selling your property! We hope that these photography tips can help you find the best buyer.

A gimbal works as a cinematographic assistant device that helps you stabilize your video footage. It’s an essential tool if you’re an aspiring blogger or cinematographer.

What is a gimbal?

A gimbal is a tool that provides support to stabilize the video footage in any desired angles. It has 3 common motors/axis, which allows you to mount the camera, and it helps you to record footage from different angles while moving or standing still.

Sounds simple enough, right? However, it’s more complex than it sounds. And if you used it then you’re already aware of it. No worries, we got your back. As we’ll share several essential tips.

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How Does A Gimbal Work?

As we mentioned earlier, the gimbal is consist of 3 motors such as:

• Pan motor/axis. (goes Left to right)
• Roll motor/axis. (goes side to side)
• Tilt motor/axis. ( goes Up and down)

Each of these motors helps you get different angles for your footage. They’re controlled by the gimbal’s inbuilt settings. Now, how does it work? Simply put, a gimbal helps to keep your camera steady while shooting.

In other words, when you’re capturing footage, the gimbal helps you keep the focus steady and allows you to shoot from different angles with the help of the different angular motors.

Take a Sony camera for example. Suppose you’ve got a Sony a7iii. Sometimes no matter how good the camera is you can’t get the right footage from the correct angle, right? For such cases alone, you can use a gimbal for sony a7iii to get the desired footage.

What Makes A Gimbal Better Than A Handheld Stabilizer?

In many ways, a gimbal is much better than your regular old handheld stabilizer. As you know, a handheld stabilizer is great for getting steady footage.

However, it doesn’t provide any support to keep the shoot steady, you need to hold the stand in a stable manner to get the right footage. Honestly, sometimes it gets irritating, also it’s not always possible to keep it in a stable place.

On the contrary, with a gimbal, you get support from three different motors. They not only just keep the footage steady but also, get it from your desired angle with ease. This alone makes the gimbal more reliable than a handheld stabilizer.

Essential Tips To Use A Gimbal Correctly

As you know by now, the gimbal is an essential tool for any cinematographer/ videographer. However, it can be overwhelming the first time, and it’s for good reasons. Because needless to say, the gimbal is a serious upgrade from your handheld stabilizer.

Although it’s for the same purpose, to get steady footage. However, its functionality is completely different. One of the reasons is it has 3 different axis motors. So here we’ve shared several tips below, that will help build a core foundation and a basic understanding of using a gimbal. This will help get some dope content.

Let’s get started.

Set The Balance

Getting your camera balanced in the gimbal is the most crucial point of using it. First, you need to attach your camera to the gimbal mount, you’ll find all the necessary tools inside the box. After that, remember you shouldn’t turn on the gimbal before balancing the camera manually.

Otherwise, the gimbal motor has to work harder than it needs to, which drains its battery fast and might cause problems with motors as well. Now to balance it, you should consider the weight of the camera. Try using a tripod while balancing the gimbal.

Finding the right balance on tilt motors is the crucial point. When you’re done mounting the camera see which way it tilts first, front or back. Either way, it falls means that the side is heavier.

Try to adjust the tilt motor so that your camera doesn’t fall to either side. Then rotate it upwards to see if it can hold the camera in one place or not. If it does fall to either side adjust it a bit more. If not then your camera is perfectly balanced on the gimbal mount.

Note– always buy a gimbal according to your camera’s weight. If the gimbal can’t take the weight of your camera then it might cause you more harm than good.

Autotune

After balancing the camera on your gimbal mount, you can turn it on. As a new gimbal user, we recommend you try using the autotune settings. It provides additional support for users.

To activate it, just go to the gimbal settings, scroll down and you’ll find the motors settings. In there just turn on the autotune. Then the gimbal will auto-correct the mount’s weight to the motors. And it’ll automatically use the right amount of force while operating the gimbal.

It’s only to get used to the gimbal first. After you get used to it. You can use custom settings that suit your needs. You can set a custom motor layout from the motor settings.

Doing so you can provide much more power to the motor while working. It’s much more efficient. Whenever you need your switch between autotune and custom layouts.

Practice with Freestyle Shots

If you have any idea about cinematography, then you know that it’s not an easy job. You need to be creative and have a good imagination, which isn’t developed in a day. You need to give it time.

For beginner level, you can start by taking freestyle shots. It’s great practice for you. It will give you the freedom to do as you please. Just walk around places holding the gimbal in hand, and take shots of things you like.

Don’t worry about the footage quality, just try to get a better angle as much as possible. Because when you get used to finding the right angle, you’ll automatically develop taking quality footage.

After that, you can move on to the next level. Always remember, everyone has their own pace of learning things. Don’t rush it, take your own time to get to the next level.

Plan Your Shots

To develop your videography, you can try to plan out your shots. That doesn’t mean you’ve to plan like making a blueprint and thinking through every outcome.

It’s for a much later time. But you must start from somewhere, right? You can’t just wander around places which thing what footage to take or not. It won’t do you any good. So must have a plan of action before your recording.

To do that you can try selecting a specific subject. Try recording the subject from different angles. Try out different subjects like humans, nature, and different objects. It will give you a general sense of shooting, and with time you’ll know which angle will be better for one specific subject.

Get Close

When you’re new to a gimbal, you feel hesitant to take close-up shots. You might think it won’t be as good as a long-angle shot. But if you don’t try, how will you ever know, right?

No matter how fresh or old you’re at cinematography/photography, if you don’t try you’ll never succeed. So don’t be scared while shooting close-up shots. Get as close as you need to be.

But be mindful of personal space. Otherwise, you might make the subject uncomfortable.

How To Get Good At Gimbal Shoots

If you’re using the gimbal to get good content for videography or cinematography, it’s natural you want to get good at shooting. But as a beginner you don’t know which direction to go with it exactly, right?

In that case, you might find the next bit really useful, as we share a few styles of gimbal usage. It will surely help you shoot like a pro. However, you might or might already know about these just didn’t know the technique’s name that’s all.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Push-In Shots

The first one here is the push-in shot, it’s where you’re pushing through something or towards something while moving with the gimbal. If you want to take footage for real estate, you can use the push-in shot technique.

While taking a push-in shot, remember to measure the distance first. It gives you an idea about the way you need to push in towards or through the footage.

Follow Shots

The next one is the follow-shot, where you follow your subjects while moving forward or backward. But while taking a backward follow-shot, be mindful of your surroundings.

Otherwise, you might trip over and not only ruin your work but also cause damage to yourself and your camera & gimbal. However, it’s a simple move to do, where all you have to do is move while capturing the subject’s backside or front side.

Dolly/Tracking Shots

The dolly/tracking shot is pretty similar to the follow-shots. All you have to do is rotate the tilt to 90 degrees and move along with the subject and film it from the side. This technique is largely seen in production houses.

Parallax Shots

The parallax shot is by far the coolest technique on our list. With this technique, you can make your subject look cool while the world is moving around them. All you have to do is, keep the subject in the frame and move sideways around the subject.

It gives the shot an illusion that the subject is standing still while the world is moving around. This technique is mostly used in action films.

Note- while taking any footage, keep in mind if you want to take slow-motion shots, always keep the FPS at least 60. Otherwise, the footage will feel laggy.

Last Views

After going through the above segment, surely you’ve understood the value of the gimbal. If you want to become a great content creator or cinematographer, you really need to get the hang of it and to have a best video output.

Remember you won’t become a pro on the first day, it might seem easy but it’s not. Having to operate the gimbal with perfection takes practice and time.

Good luck, stay creative and if possible go out and shoot some dope footage.

Photographers, regardless of their niche, are aware of the varied photography techniques they should know to do their jobs well.

One of these techniques is the use of the “flambient method.” In real estate photography, techniques like high dynamic range (HDR) and flambient photography are quite useful in shooting the perfect real estate images.

In learning the “flambient” technique, it is vital first to understand its principle and how it is applied during real estate photo editing. The “flambient” method involves combining both flash and ambient light in shots. It is one of the fastest-growing techniques for shooting real estate images.

But, why shoot flambient? As you may know, there are always pros and cons to utilizing varied photography techniques. For example, shooting in ambient light yields the most natural-looking images, but often results in walls that have shifted or lost most of their color and shadow areas that are a little too dark.

On the other hand, shooting using pure flash can result in an image that looks fake, with shadows pointing towards the windows instead of away. This is when the flambient method becomes significant. It recognizes both the strengths and limitations of shooting all-flash or all ambient. It is the solution to get the best of both worlds.

If you are interested in doing flambient photography, here is a quick guide on using this technique to capture great shots that highlight the best features of homes and other properties.

Take shots thrice

The rule of thumb is to take at least three photos of the room when shooting using the flambient style.

Perfect the ambient shot

Remember not to use flash when using this technique. Just utilize the natural light coming off the room. Make sure to expose in the middle of the room, so you get a nice overall picture. Also, shoot in RAW, so you maximize the use of dynamic range later on. Here is a classic setup to follow: If you have a room with an extreme dynamic range, you should shoot a bracket of 3 images. These photos should also have 0 as the “if only” exposure, then add -2 and +2 shots to allow room to capture the shadows and highlights.

Master the flash shot

A flash shot is usually meant to get a well-exposed image. In doing this, it is better to set your flash off-camera below a lovely white ceiling pointing straight up. Try holding the camera at 18 inches to 2 feet from the top. Then, leave the flash on the camera to get the best exposure to the room.

Focus on the window shots

When you have a nice window view, you want to capture and include in your real estate listing, and it is recommended to shoot thrice specifically for the windows. Ensure enough exposure for the windows and always point a high powered flash directly at the window frames. Doing this will make the blending process during real estate photo editing significantly easy. Always experiment in shooting images at varied angles to secure a shot with at least flash reflections. You can also choose to eliminate them, but turn off your flash and shoot one without the flash. Just make sure not to adjust the camera exposure at all.

 

These are four useful tips in incorporating the flambient method in your real estate photography. If utilized well, this strategy can help leverage real estate listings and attract more potential buyers using professional and compelling images. Always make sure to invest in quality images for your properties by choosing a great photographer and editor at the same time.

Doing real estate related work is never easy, especially when it comes to real estate photography. For one, taking pictures of properties is not just for the sake of it. It has a purpose, and it needs to be done professionally.

In photography, having a niche is imperative. While most photographers may be able to capture different types of images, niching allows them to practice and hone their skills, particularly in only one subject. Hence, some only specialize in weddings, fun shoots, corporate events, real estate, etc.

Photographers are also expected to be pro editors. They should know how to improve their shots and have a good mastery of the craft. Yet, in reality, not all photographers practicing in the real estate niche are expert editors. Sometimes, they still need the help of a real estate photo editing company to polish the images.

That is why knowing some useful photography hacks can help photographers to capture images that need minimal editing or even edit-free photos. Here are a few handy tips to get awesome shots.

1. Determine the exact area to shoot

Some clients do not want to capture the whole area, especially if some of the space is unattractive. It is best practice to ask the owner if there are any furniture or areas of the property that should be excluded from the shoot. This will help you save time in the editing process, either by yourself or through the help of a real estate photo editing company.

2. Use a wide lens

Using a lens that is at least 12 mm wide will yield more realistic results. It will make the interiors look more significant than they are. One tip to consider is to check with the realtor if some areas should look spacious to lure more interested buyers.

3. Feature attractive furniture and decorations

When shooting images for a home or any properties, it is best to show its most appealing side, including the furniture and the ornaments. For example, you can highlight a vintage chair or dining set to show intricate pieces of furniture. You can also highlight elegant staircases, accent windows, and walls.

4. Experiment with angles and heights

If you are unsure about where to start shooting or what aspect to use, try testing various angles and heights to make your shots stand out. Take note of photography fundamentals. For example, do not shoot directly at walls because it can make the photo look flat. It is always better to shoot from corners to create depth in the images. On the other hand, the use of low angles is useful, especially in kitchens. Shooting at eye or shoulder level is not always recommended. Moreover, when shooting the exterior of a house, aerial shots are favored to capture more property features.

5. Open all doors and straighten all curtains and cushions

Make it your goal to have neat shots. However, it is a challenge if the room has multiple entrances. The best hack to do is to open all sliding doors because it always creates depth in shots. Hence, you get a “huge space” impression. On the other hand, shooting kitchen and living areas tend to be difficult because of the furniture. The best hack to make this easy is to straighten all essential items such as the kitchen stools, cushions on sofas, books, dining, and outdoor chairs, including all the curtains.

Those are only five of the many hacks you can practice while taking images of a property. Take time to learn the skills, and eventually, you will get the hang of it. We hope these hacks can help you out!

With the current global situation bought by the ongoing pandemic, several industries have been affected. However, many of them also boomed during this crisis, just like the other successful businesses we know today.

Let us talk about the photography business. There are different types of photography niches to focus on, but the real game is to keep it going in a time like this.

For some, it may seem unrealistic to start this given the current situation and economy, but who knows? It will help if you have a leap of faith to start your dream photography business.

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If you are undecided yet, why not try real estate photography as your focus? This industry has a lot to offer in terms of financial independence and your time. Most of all, if you want, you can work independently using your equipment and skills.

How to get started?

The most important thing to have when starting your real estate photography business is the interest in the niche. Doing something you like is the key to a successful career and business.

The next phase involves your equipment. It is vital to have a high-quality camera, lenses, and tripods. You need to invest in state-of-the-art photography equipment to make sure you get the best shots for properties.

You must have a good internet connection to access your digital tools and upload the photos on sites frequented by realtors or clients.

Building Your Real Estate Photography Credibility

The big challenge in the photography business is in proving your worth. Many realtors will probably ask you about your experience, so it pays if you start small before tapping big-time clients.

Try doing some free shoot for your realtor friends or connect with a local real estate agent to do some work. The point is that even if you do all of these for free, you build your portfolio.

You can also do self-promotion of your works online using varied social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Use these platforms as your marketing arm in promoting your talent.

Moreover, you must have a responsive and mobile-friendly website, too, for showcasing your works. Use can also use it as a portfolio medium to consolidate your best work. Lastly, try to add testimonials from your friends about your work.

Growing Your Photography Business Online

If you want to excel more in the photography industry, you must know the importance of digital tools and how they help you work more efficiently than the traditional ways.

Digital tools are anything you use to enhance your shots. It can be a software for editing photos such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom or the advanced technology incorporated in virtual home staging.

Note that some tools need premium subscriptions, but some can be available for free such as the universal virtual home staging apps. However, you must understand that not everything that is free yields outstanding results. For example, in the case of free virtual staging apps, some may give you unrealistic final images which may not look attractive at all when used on the property listings.

Moreover, here are some suggestions that can help you grow your photography business.

Working with Third-Party Companies

If you are not yet pro in doing finishing touches to your shots and have an extra budget, it is recommended to work with a real estate photo editing company. For one, such a company is there to help you achieve high-quality and professional-looking images that realtors love to use on their listings. Furthermore, you can save time and money on buying and learning how to use editing software, although it is also helpful to have a basic understanding as to how these tools work.

Opting to Virtual Home Staging

It is recommended to have virtual home staging if your client is into traditional home staging, which is costly and time-consuming. Try to pitch the idea to your client first; discuss its pros and cons, then let him or her decide.

Learning the Craft of Single Property Websites

Understanding how a website works is one thing, and learning how to build one is another opportunity to grow your photography business. It is like hitting two birds with one stone: you create the website and provide the photos at the same time.

In the end, what matters is your perseverance in building the business and proving your worth. It is never too late to start your own business.

There is a new hype in the real estate photography industry. Both the realtors and real estate image retouching companies are considering this the modern ‘holy grail’ of real estate marketing.

The concept of virtual staging has been the topic these days because it is easy to use and of its power to completely transform or improve home staging setups.

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Virtual Staging Defined

Virtual staging is a new and advanced technology that can be used as part of home staging methods. It is proven to be cost-effective and the best alternative for the traditional staging of vacant homes.

We know that compelling visuals matter and play a critical role in the marketing strategy of realtors. While the usual photos of the property help, virtual staging produces more stunning, improved, and realistic images that capture a potential buyer’s attention.

How does it work?

In a nutshell, the enhanced images still employ real estate image retouching. However, the elements (e.g., furniture and interior decorations) seen in the space are all virtually arranged to help customers visualize the potential of the property being their home.

There are two different known ways to accomplish photo-realistic virtually staged images: 1.) by using a virtual staging app or 2.) by getting the services of a real estate photography editing company to do the work so you can focus on sales.

Using an app is a practical and easy way to create virtually staged images. You can probably finish the setup while on-site in just a few hours, making it the perfect choice, especially for a quick sale opportunity. Plus, most of these apps are available for free.

However, despite its advantages, the free staging apps have some apparent downsides too. They seem to generate generic and fake-looking pictures, plus the fact that most of these applications have relatively small libraries for available virtual furniture. This alone can ruin your design or style concept for the home.

On the other hand, the companies offering this kind of service work directly with photographers who give instructions about the perspective of the room and the style to use.

The stagers apply the necessary changes, and the finished images are inspected for final quality check before handling them to the realtors.

Practically, the advantages of this option are huge, considering that it not only gives you high-quality images for listings or clients but also lets you save up a few bucks since traditional home staging is quite costly.

Is it worth the hype?

Definitely, yes!

Realistic images are the first thing that potential buyers look into when checking properties online. The best way to get this done is through virtual staging.

Given the pros and cons, opting for this technology is the practical choice in terms of quality and cost. Why waste your time and resources if you already have the right solution?

Still, if you are someone who has the time to process good images the usual way, proceed. No one is forcing you to opt for virtually staged photos. Yet, if you are a realtor who dreams of expanding your business quickly, this can help a lot since it adds more value to your clients.

After all, spending a few dollars for something that can last for a lifetime is already an investment that you can continually use in marketing the business.

Remember that real estate is a competitive industry. If you are too slow in adopting the new changes, you will never be able to step up the game. Embrace this virtual home staging technique now and continue your business.

The use of compelling visuals in real estate marketing matters as it plays paramount importance to a property’s viability in the market.

As a photographer, you must know that there is no room for useless photos and that the clients always expect quality images from you. You want to make sure that the photos are high-quality and have the right quantity.

 

The Real Estate Photos Shot List

Most real estate photographers know that there must be enough images in a listing to give potential buyers a precise impression of the property.

The standard shot list for an average home typically includes at least 25 images. This number is enough to cover all the necessary parts of a home, such as the front and back exteriors, family room and kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

The 25 images are usually enough to use for multiple listing services or MLS, but clients or realtors can demand more if they are listing properties on other sites.

In general, the 25 images can have the following breakdown:

Allocate three (3) front exterior shots, including one head-on, angle, and a closeup shot to show the details. Then, another three (3) for the exterior back photos with a closeup and two shots from varied angles.

The family room can have at least five (5) shots. This number is enough to showcase this part of the house. Focus on another five (5) shoots for the kitchen area, which is another vital part of the house. Remember to always take shots from different angles.

For the dining area, one full shot is already good to show its connection to the central kitchen. After, allocate two (2) shots each for the bedroom and bathroom. Then, another two to three (2-3) for the guest bedrooms, and lastly, one photo for the guest bathroom.

Your shot list also depends on the size of the home. If you are shooting for a smaller house, taking multiple images of a specific room, for example, can be boring and is not recommended. Thus, you may need to reduce the number of photos to capture by discussing it with your client.

For bigger ones, it must not be difficult to secure the needed images since there are other rooms to feature in the photos such as the media and game rooms, and subdivision amenities.

Moreover, there should be a varied shot list when shooting images for the exterior and interior of the house. The approach may differ from one photographer to another, so it is crucial to have your strategy.

 

Exterior Shot List Pointers

The secret of getting marvelous exterior shots of a real estate property relies on the basic idea of doing it at the right time of the day – when the sun rays lead in front of the house. Otherwise, it will be hard to get the best visuals, and you will eventually need the help of real estate photo editors to beautify your shots.

For your shot list, take images showing the home’s exterior from a nice angle and best light. Most of the time, having shots of the frontside and backside is beneficial and preferred as they highlight the property’s unique style.

Besides focusing on the frontside’s details, try to emphasize the backside’s prominent structures such as the patio or porch.

 

Interior Shot List Pointers

For the interior shots, the vital thing to remember is to focus on individual rooms that require more shots. Most of the time, these are the main rooms of the house.

However, if you think the property is not big enough to secure all the needed photos, then try to stretch the numbers by looking for other parts of the house that can be featured in the listing, such as the garage or backyard.