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  • Real Estate Image Editing Tutorial for a Newbie Photographer

    Real Estate Image Editing Tutorial for a Newbie Photographer

    As a newbie real estate photographer, there are more tasks that come after booking your first project. Once you’ve wrapped up your shoot, the real job is just starting. Your goal is to deliver the images as the client wants them. These photos should represent the real estate property accurately and make it appealing to prospective buyers.

    In order to achieve this, you need to do post-production editing to improve your images. This will make your photos clearer and have better colors and lighting, depending on the scene. Unlike shooting portraits or events, editing for real estate is a different thing.

    The needed software

    Having the necessary software is essential to editing your real estate images properly. As a newbie photographer, you need to be familiar with both Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. These two are the most useful and the most common editing software for all types of photography. Especially for real estate photography, these two are a must.
    Aside from these, the Enfuse plugin on the Lightroom is also important for HDR photography. If you’re shooting a lot of interior for your projects, then knowing how to HRD will be indispensable.

    The step-by-step process

    In editing your real estate photos, follow these steps:

    real estate photo step guide

    1. Before working on your images, you need to import all of your photos to you desktop and to your Lightroom catalog.

    2. Once you have imported your photos, you can start working on them. If you have bracketed shots that you’ve taken for HDR, then it’s time to create a single stack for them. You might have three to seven photos on a stack depending on how many exposures you have taken.

    3. Adjust the color temperature on each of your stack using the eye dropper tool. This ensures that each of your bracketed stack has the same color temperature.

    4. Blend your bracketed photos through your Enfuse plugin. Highlight your stacks and trigger the Enfuse process. This lets Enfuse blend each stack individually.

    5. After successfully blending the stacks, edit the photos in Lightroom. Adjust the exposure, highlights, shadows and other necessary elements of your photos.

    6. If you have exterior photos of the property that needs more difficult editing processes, then you might need to use Photoshop. This is usually used for sky replacements or removing objects.

    7. Then, you might want to use some presets and adjust the photos accordingly so they have a similar look and feel as the client would want.

    8. Once you’ve finished all the necessary edits and you’re quite happy with the results, it’s time to export the photos and package them for delivery.

    Some tips and tricks

    Aside from the basic editing, there are other factors and tips that you have to keep in mind while going through your images. Here are some tips to remember:

    If you are shooting interior with a wide lens, having a sort of line convergence usually cannot be avoided. So, you have to straighten out the lines through your Lightroom’s Lens Correction option under the manual section.

    Remember to even out the light during post-production. Lighting is key for every type of photography most especially for real estate photography. This is probably the first thing that you have to check. The goal is to make the image and lighting look natural. To do so, push the exposure slowly so you get a feel if it’s too bright or not.

    Cleaning up your images is a must before you hand in the final photos to the client. Do spot removal or cloning if necessary. The spot brush tool removes dust or spots that are in the photo. Clone allows you to remove any reflections or glares. Healing, on the other hand, corrects smaller spots but adds a softer blend to the spots.

  • Phixer’s Team Building Adventure: Cebu’s Top Three Islands

    Phixer’s Team Building Adventure: Cebu’s Top Three Islands

    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.

  • How to Find the Best Real Estate Photo Editing Company

    How to Find the Best Real Estate Photo Editing Company

    High-quality images are needed by all types of business, most especially in the real estate industry. Photos are effective tools in selling, no matter what the product is. Whether you’re a realtor or a real estate photographer, ensuring that photos wow your potential clients is your number one priority.

    This is why you need to invest in amazing photo editing. Aside from making sure that you get a professional photographer to take photos of the property, having a great team of photo editors will ensure that you have high-quality images. Photo retouching is serious and it can make or break your business.

    Where to look for a trusted real estate photo editing company

    There are already a lot of image editing solutions companies around the globe. There are a ton of options depending on the type of retouching that you need to be done. If you’re looking for a real estate photo editing company, use the following resources to hire one:

    • Search online. Many photo editing companies are usually located in different countries. Although the headquarters and main offices are in the US, the services are outsourced to trained professionals abroad. Just search for real estate photo editing companies and the companies will pop up in your search. Look into their sites and check if they are credible enough to work with.

    • Ask friends for recommendations. If you have friends who have recently worked with photo editing companies, you can ask them for recommendations. This is an easier way to get options from people that you trust. Make sure that they have positive feedback for these companies, as well.

    If you have a few companies on your list, narrow down your choices to five or fewer companies. Make sure that you go for those that are professional and have been working in the industry. Having a few choices will ensure that you hire the best one.

    Factors to consider in hiring a photo editing company

    Once you’ve found a company, you have to scrutinize it in order to find a reliable one that produces high-quality images. It’s not enough to hire the first one that you happen to stumble upon.

    Here are the factors that you need to consider before you hire a photo editing company to do the work for you.

    • Experience. The company needs to have a good amount of experience in the real estate industry. Look into how many years they have been in business. Go for those that have been around for 10 years or more. This ensures that they have dealt with different images and properties. Those with a wide experience can provide you with professional editing and images.

    • Technical knowledge and technological expertise. Verify if they use the newest technology and programs for the job. Usually, just having updated technical knowledge will improve the output of the team. Having the right software affects how efficient and effective the company is. They should be able to retouch the most challenging photos and produce the best images.

    • Customer feedback. Make sure that you check the reviews left by their previous clients. This gives you the assurance that they always leave their customers feeling satisfied with the output and that they are professional with the work that they do. Check if they have negative feedback and unsatisfied customers. This is a red flag when it comes to outsourcing your retouching work.

    • Portfolio. Ask for the company’s portfolio, especially for real estate images that they have worked on. Make sure that they can provide you with a recent portfolio of relevant images that work for your industry. Check if the quality of work that they do is at par with your brand. This will help you make your decision and check if you can get a consistent look in all your photos.

    • Turnaround time. Different companies have a different turnaround time for the certain volume of photos. You need to specify the work you require and ask for their expected turnaround time. There will be times when the set time will increase depending if it’s peak season or not. It’s best to go for those who can be flexible and fast with their turnaround time as speed is essential to the business, especially when it comes to keeping up with the competition.

    • Pricing. Some companies already specify their pricing depending on the services that they offer. There are those that charge an hourly rate while others go per image or per project. There will also be an additional charge for rush retouching. This is something that you have to tell the company, especially if you need the images right away.

    • Support team. Having a local support team can make a great deal of difference if you’re encountering issues with the output. A communicative team will not leave any of your questions unanswered. You are able to discuss queries and openly discuss ideas.

  • Top 6 Coolest HDR Software Programs

    Top 6 Coolest HDR Software Programs

    HDR (high dynamic range) is a staple when it comes to real estate photography. It is an old photography technique that requires you to capture a wide range of light stops from lightest to darkest and then combine all those images. This creates a wider dynamic range than a photo with a single exposure.

    Although cameras and smartphones already carry the HDR feature, this might not be effective for professional real estate photography. The usual issue with this kind of system is that you have no control over the output. The best solution is to use your DSLR and shoot with RAW while using the auto exposure bracketing. Once you have the images with the different exposures, you can edit them to create the desired result.

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    HDR Software Options

    There are different HDR software options that you can use in order to create the perfect image that you need for real estate. Different real estate photographers have different preferences.

    Here are the top six HDR software programs that photographers use:

    1. Photomatix Pro

    This software is the top HDR programs for many photographers. Photomatix is developed by HDRSoft and is one of the oldest around.The great thing about the Photomatix is there are four tone mapping methods that can be used to make creative looks. Photomatix is a great all around HDR software and that is not just limited to real estate photography use. When you used right, you get the most amazing photos.

    2. Aurora HDR

    This is another HDR software that many professional photographers swear by. Developed by StuckinCustoms and MacPhun, this only works for Mac users. This is one of the easiest HDR software platforms out in the market today. It has a ton of different features that can be used to create different looks for your images. It’s close to being an all-in-one software that it has its own spot healing brush. Its HDR Tone Mapping feature is powerful and one of the best among all the software options.

    3. Nik’s HDR Efex Pro

    The company has always been at the forefront of producing presets and filters for Photoshop. With the HDR Efex Pro, the software is created to act like a plugin to your photo editing software. This software is great for people who don’t want to move back and forth across different software. The HDR Efex Pro creates a different workflow than that of the usual HDR software.

    4. Adobe HDR Photo Merge in Lightroom

    If you are using Photoshop or Lightroom, you need not look further. Lightroom has its own HDR Photo Merge that lets you combine images to create an HDR photo. This extra feature has different blending options, like Auto Tone and Auto Align. Auto Tone is used for merging photos while Auto Align is used for aligning your images.

    5. Easy HDR

    This software was released in 2006 and has gone through different versions through the years. This software is also user-friendly and one of the best in the market. It’s quick and can be easily installed. Unfortunately, this software doesn’t handle RAW files quite well. Older CR2 files might need to be exported to Lightroom first in order to create better images. To get the best results with this program, try converting your images to 16-bit TIF files.

    6. HDR Projects 4

    This is one of the newer software options in the market and it’s packed with some interesting features. It’s available on both MAC and Windows and it’s easy to use. HDR Projects 4 comes with a Lightroom plugin that makes the workflow easier. Unfortunately, its presets aren’t that outstanding. But it has quite a lot of controls and options. This software can be promising when used the right way.

  • The 15 Best Laptops for Photoshop Compared

    The 15 Best Laptops for Photoshop Compared

    When it comes to Photoshop, a powerful computer setup is a must. There are specific technical requirements to run this program and since one has to be mobile most often than not, a laptop is a popular choice. You need to consider the specifications of your laptop to see if its performance meets the demands of Photoshop.

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    If you’re in the market for a laptop, here are the top 15 best laptops for Photoshop that you should check out:

    1. Apple MacBook Pro MJLQ2LL/A 15” with Retina Display

    Apple is known to produce the best laptops for photo editing and Photoshop. This laptop comes with a 2.2 GHz i7 processor but can be overclocked to 16GB RAM for a faster performance. Unfortunately, its 256 GB of SSD storage might not be enough to store all of your RAW files. You have to get an extra backup for all your files. Despite the storage issue, the main highlight of this laptop is its retina display.

    2. Apple MacBook Pro 15.4” 1TB Touch Bar Silver

    This laptop has a 2.9 GHz i7 processor. Its 15.4” retina display is best for editing raw files in high-resolution. It has a 16GB RAM with 1TB SSD drive. The touch bar on this MacBook Pro is innovative. It can input commands without you having to memorize the keyboard shortcuts. Its Touch ID sensor improves the access to the laptop. This is probably one of the best laptops out there for Photoshop use.

    3. Asus M580VD-EB76 VivoBook15.6” FHD

    This Asus laptop is powered with an i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB graphics card and a 1TB HDD. It has an internal memory of 16GB DDR4. It has a full HD resolution and supports 100% the sRGB color.

    4. Asus F556UA-AB54 NB Laptop

    This is a Windows laptop that has a 2.5 GHz Core i5 processor that’s great for photo and video editing. It has a memory of 8GB DDR4 and a built-in 256GB SSD hard drive. The great thing about this laptop is that it comes with multiple USB slots that are compatible with most devices.

    5. Lenovo 17.3” ThinkPad P71 Mobile Workstation

    It has a 3.1 GHz Intel Xeon E3-1535 M processor. Its large 17.3” display gives you three times the screen resolution as compared to the most common full HD laptops. The laptop has an internal memory of 16GB and an NVIDIA Quadro P4000M 8GB graphics card. Unfortunately, its storage is a bit small with the only 512GB worth of space.

    6. Lenovo ThinkPad P50 Mobile Workstation

    One of the major advantages of this laptop is its 4TB SSD storage. It has a powerful Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB RAM. Its graphic has a 4GB internal memory for smooth operation.

    7. Lenovo 15.6” Legion Y520 Notebook

    This laptop has a good combination of speed, affordability, and performance. It is powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor. It has an internal memory of 8GB. This has 1TB of traditional HDD and a 128GB SSD. It has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Graphics Card.

    8. Dell 15.6” Precision M5510 Multi-Touch Mobile Workstation

    It comes with a 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 processor and a 8GB internal memory. It has a sharp display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. Having a dedicated graphics processor, like what this laptop has, creates a smoother performance.

    9. Dell Inspiron 15.6” Full HD Gaming Laptop

    This laptop is designed for a photographer who uses Photoshop a lot. It has a 7th generation i7 processor and an internal memory of 8GB and 1TB storage. You can also overclock the memory of the laptop up to 32GB. Its secondary 128GB SSD storage allows your system to work quickly.

    10. Dell Gaming Inspiron 17.3” FHD Laptop

    It has a full HD display that’s backlit and anti-glare so you can work even under the bright light. This laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and a 16GB RAM memory. It has a storage of 2TB HDD which gives you ample of space to save your work. This has an AMD Radeon R7 M445 graphics card that has a 4GB memory for a powerful laptop.

    11. HP 15.6” Zbook 15 G3 Mobile Workstation

    It has an Intel Xeon E3 processor and an internal memory of 16GB. It has four memory slots that you can fill up so you can have a more powerful laptop. It has a 15.6” full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It powerful NVIDIA Quadro M2000 graphics card with a 4GB memory.

    12. HP ENVY TouchSmart 15.6” Touch-Screen Laptop

    This laptop proves that you don’t have to spend a lot for an efficient one. It is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and a 8GB RAM. Although it doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, it has an Intel HD Graphics 4600 that’s enough for editing projects.

    13. MSI WT72 2OL-1246 17.3”

    It’s powered by an Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB RAM. It also has an NVIDIA Quadro K4100M graphics card. The laptop has a full HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. Its large screen allows you to have a pretty good view of your work. Although it doesn’t have a large enough resolution, its screen size makes up for it.

    14. MSI GE72 APACHE-235 17.3” Gaming Laptop

    Its large screen makes it a good laptop for editing projects. It has an Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX960M graphics card that has 2GB memory. The laptop has 16GB dedicated memory and 1024GB HDD. Although it doesn’t have an SSD, it’s still fast enough for Photoshop.

    15. Acer Touch V3-372T Ultrabook

    This is a mid-range laptop that has an ultra-thin design. It is built with an Intel Core i7 processor that’s powerful enough to handle photo editing tasks. It has a 13.3” display that’s in full HD. The laptop comes with an 8GB DDR3 memory that can be expanded to 16GB. It has a 512GB of SSD for storing your work, but might not be enough to handle all of your RAW files.

  • Best Phixer Videos of 2017

    Best Phixer Videos of 2017

    Our videographers and editors worked on lots of amazing footage highlighting some of the best properties in the Northwest. We thought you might enjoy seeing the top 5 as voted on by our post-production team. Enjoy!

    16327 Maplewild Ave SW, Burien 98166

    We love this video of a delightful storybook estate which is hidden in a park-like setting with private beach access. Originally built in 1927, the home, also known as the Palmolive’s Summer Estate, was carefully renovated to preserve its French Vintage charm. This amazing home includes a beautiful Provencal kitchen with LaCanche stove, antique terracotta floors, and a circular eating nook. There are walls of French doors opening onto a brick patio with expansive views of Puget Sound & the Olympics. With a luxurious top floor master suite, guest cottage, and parking for 6. This one easily makes our top 5!

    2312 N 59th St Seattle, WA 98103

    We were blown away by this distinctive modern home in the heart of Tangletown. Greenlake Partners is known for design that joins craftsmanship, high-performance & sustainable systems. Including a mini-split heat/cooling system + HRV and 100+ windows for amazing light and views, this property delivers on that promise. Linked open spaces flow seamlessly to a large private landscaped garden. This gem has oversized chef’s kitchen with a 12-foot quartz island, double oven, cooktop, dual fridge/freezer, a luxury master suite with a 5-piece bath and huge walk-in closet. Expansive views of Green Lake can be enjoyed from the rooftop deck!

    12103 30th Ave SW Burien, 98146

    Welcome to this beautifully crafted home reminiscent of Ralph Anderson’s designs. Located on 100’ feet of private beach this true northwest sanctuary sits above the treetops and boasts panoramic west-facing views. There is a natural flow between the elegant yet cozy interior and the layers of patios and decks outside. Enjoy the view through walls of picture windows in a striking great room with vaulted ceilings. Guests go wild for the perfect hideout on the lower level with a kitchen and separate entrance. It’s an easy walk down to the beach with the perfect set up: a picnic area, a boat ramp, and a buoy. Enjoy!

    9803 SE Shoreland Dr. Bellevue, WA 98004

    JayMarc Homes introduces The Idea House; 425 Magazine’s featured home for 2017! This luxurious masterpiece, with stunning views of Meydenbauer Bay/Bellevue skyline, combines custom designs with SMART home technology. No detail was spared. There is a gourmet kitchen with custom concrete island which matches the fireplace surround, powder room, and master tub. Countless windows and stacking doors expand the great room. This home also includes a wine cellar, elevator and an artistically designed backyard with a custom built-in barbeque.

    13900 Somerset Lane SE Bellevue, WA 98006

    We were swept away by this light & bright daylight rambler with sweeping views of Seattle, Lake Washington, Bellevue & Olympic Mountains! The Living room includes a gas fireplace and expansive windows to enjoy the views. There is a formal dining area with nice built-in next to an updated kitchen with Corian counters. The master suite is exceptional with skylights, custom built-ins, 4 closets, and a luxurious bath with a jetted tub. There is a beautiful daylight lower level with 2 bedrooms, a bath, laundry room and family room you want to hang out in. This home offers resort-style living with a beautiful heated in-ground pool!

  • Does Video for Real Estate make homes sell for more?

    Does Video for Real Estate make homes sell for more?

     

    A beautifully updated daylight rambler with sweeping views of Seattle, Bellevue, Lake Washington & Mountains! Just-refinished hardwood floors & new interior paint. Living room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace & expansive windows to enjoy the views. Updated gourmet kitchen with slab granite counters, stainless steel appliances, formal dining room, master with walk-in closet and bath. Den/office on the main floor. Daylight lower level with 3 additional bedrooms, bath & family room. Includes 2-car attached garage.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    4715 133rd Ave SE, Bellevue 98006 $1,125,000 $1,200,000 10/21/16 10/26/16 $75,000

     

    Take a look at this Fremont Craftsman with gorgeous views of Seattle, Mt. Rainier & Lake Union! With over 3500 square feet of living space, this grand home offers 4+ bedrooms & 3 bathrooms. The main and upper floors were extensively renovated in 2009 with period-specific detailing, hardwood floors & A/C. The grand master bedroom features vaulted ceilings, a walk-in closet and french doors off to the private deck. The beautifully landscaped yard provides gardening space, a gazebo & year-round privacy.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    809 N 47th St. Seattle, WA 98103 $1,049,000 $1,130,000   1/20/17 1/21/17   $81,000

     

    Ideally situated on a quiet street with eastern views, is this mid-century built in 1946. Thoughtful floor plan with over 2,400  square feet of living space, with re-finished hardwoods throughout the main floor. Smart updated kitchen with island seating 6+, sandstone counters. NEW roof and attic insulation, an addition of a 3rd bedroom, cedar deck/patio. High ceiling basement features huge recreation room and an abundance of storage. The private backyard is fully fenced and perfect for entertaining.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    3307 36th Ave W. Seattle WA 98199 $795,0000 $860,000   9/12/16 09/16/16  $65,000

     

    Brightly remodeled from ground up with all new open-grain wood floors, luxurious tiles, modern cabinetry, lighting and stainless steel appliances. Convenient Cloud 9 Living – 98 Walkscore and 2 car parking! Transition from downtown business scene to Pike/Pine corridor without missing a beat or culinary delight. Fantastic, protected city view with planned Convention Center addition across I-5 with new 1st floor retail and restaurants coming. Corner unit with 2 ensuite masters, balcony, storage, A/C; 24-hour concierge service and clubroom.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    1420 Terry Ave #1801 Seattle, WA 98101 $1,300,000 $1,510,000   6/21/17 06/21/17 $210,000

     

    Grab that morning cup of motivation at Starbucks. Relax on the private deck after work and let go of the cares of the day. Enjoy a special occasion dinner at Tavolata. This wonderfully designed two bedroom unit offers crisp finishes and a gracious floor plan. Windows facing both west and east allow for inviting light. In-suite washer and dryer, additional storage and secure garage parking for one car. Recent complete exterior building siding and roof deck renovation.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    1614 Summit Ave Unit S202 Seattle, WA 98122 $385,000 $480,000   10/06/16 10/13/16 $95,000

     

    Lovely Mercer Terrace home awaits you with open gathering spaces, beautiful hardwood floors & park-like landscaping. Light & bright kitchen updated in 2013 with new countertops, stainless steel appliances & 5-burner gas range. Four bedrooms on upper level, including spacious master & guest bedroom with desk space for two. Skylights, two fireplaces & fully fenced backyard. Private South End location nestled in a cul-de-sac, steps to trail system providing easy access to schools, parks & shopping.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    7842 SE 75th Place Mercer Island, WA 98040 $1,150,000 $1,273,000  10/17/16 10/19/16 $123,000

     

    Step into this spacious multi-level home and immediately bask in prominent views of Lake Sammamish from every floor, including the lovely outdoor patio. Adorned with 3 fireplaces and an open floor plan, this 6 bedroom home is ideal for both entertaining and relaxation. Enjoy spa-like luxury in the master suite, complete with soaking tub, walk-in closet, and dual vanity. Large mudroom features Samsung washer and dryer and ample storage throughout the home. Steps away from Tam O’Shanter Golf and Country Club.

    Property Address Listing Price Selling Price Listed Date Offer Date Profit Difference
    1332 183rd Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98008 $1,660,000 $1,750,000 09/06/16 09/13/16 $90,000

     

     

     

  • 5 Ways Camera Tech Changed In 2016

    5 Ways Camera Tech Changed In 2016

    As technology speeds ahead the newest features can be mind-boggling and true game changers. Although these features can only be found on select models, it won’t be long before the good stuff becomes the industry standard. Check out what’s next!

    Ridiculously High ISO

    The new Nikon D5 features an ISO setting so high that it will capture things even the human eye can’t detect. At ISO 3,280,000 this ability to photograph more than humans can see in the dark is very intriguing and Nikon isn’t the only maker to reach such high ISOs although this is the first DSLR camera to do so. Canon’s ME20F-SH “multi-purpose camera” that shoots up to a staggering ISO 4 million.

    Automatic Media Backups via Bluetooth

    Wi-fi is power hungry. In order to preserve battery life cameras can’t keep their connection to mobile devices making automatic backups impossible. They also need to be manually connected and even this connection is doomed after a few minutes. The Nikon D500 features a low-power Bluetooth signal. This opens up the option of keeping that connection to your mobile devices and makes automatic backups possible. While a mobile device is not the ideal storage apparatus I see big potential down the road when this is inevitably paired with wireless hard drives.

    Mobile printing

    Mobile photo printing isn’t exactly new. What has changed in 2016 is that it can now be a useful tool for photo booths and quick on-site prints. The Canon SELPHY CP1200 Wireless Compact Photo Printer offers 4×6 prints and the device weighs less than two pounds and can be set up completely wireless. As this technology advances will we will start to mobile pro-level wireless printers.

    Radio Wave Flash Triggers

    These new triggers transmit their data via electromagnetic waves. They don’t require a direct line of sight, can communicate around corners, through walls, and across much further distances than light-based triggers. The Nikon SB-5000 is the company’s first flash to use radio waves.

    Small data storage

    New technology is allowing us to create better images, but file sizes are often much larger too. The Samsung 2 TB T3 SSD Drive allows you to jam 2 TB of storage in an external hard drive that’s about the size of a business card and weighs less than two ounces.

     

  • 5 Hottest Neighborhoods in the Seattle

    5 Hottest Neighborhoods in the Seattle

    Hottest Neighborhoods in Seattle

     

    Video is now a necessary piece of the real estate listing puzzle. Video gives potential home buyers a much richer online experience than pictures alone. The movement created by video brings properties to life, giving viewers an emotional connection to the home itself. Adding video to your property websites sells more real estate by inviting more interest, more attraction, and more leads. Digging deeper we find that the number one reason buyers view a video of their listing is to find out more about a specific community. Having great video of the neighborhoods that surround you can be an invaluable tool for presenting the best final product possible for your realtors to help sell their properties. These videos can also be used again and again to add great b roll to any future projects you have in that neighborhood making them a very cost-effective product to add to your offerings. In light of this, we decided to feature the 5 hottest neighborhoods in the Seattle Metro market for 2017. Check out these amazing communities and you will understand why Seattle is one of the hottest real estate markets in America.

    Ballard

    Known as one of the hottest going-out hubs in town and respected as one of the hippest areas in all of Seattle. Ballard has a very unique personality. Because of its wide variety of residents, you will cross paths with folks going out for happy hour in the evening, the going to the market crowd in the morning, trendy people looking to shop or visit a salon, and club hoppers late at night.

    Capitol Hill

    A colorful and urban community where many streets buzz with activity and others are tree-lined and calm. Capitol Hill is funky and fast-paced, with an endless number of cool blocks to explore. Just east of downtown, this is the city’s LGBTQ hub, but visitors and locals of all sorts flock to Capitol Hill. Daytime markets, boutiques, and salons are a big draw and the nightlife is hopping with clubs, bars, and music venues. You’ll also often find coffee shops that moonlight as cocktail lounges. Individuality and fashion statements abound, and residents and visitors mix and mingle via the plethora of block parties and community forums to this neighborhood has to offer.

    Magnolia

    Resting on a peninsula, the Magnolia neighborhood has a secluded feel. From the outside, you might think there isn’t much more there than houses and a marina. The truth is that the area around McGraw Street and 34th Avenue W is a little pocket of activity that rivals the best of Fremont or Greenlake. With a bustling farmer’s market, a yearly SummerFest celebration, free nature walks at Discovery Park, and lots of spur-of-the-moment community outreach events popping up there is always something fun to do. One of the hidden gems is Fisherman’s Terminal, located right on Salmon Bay near the 15th Street Bridge. Although it’s not a tourist attraction like Pike Place Market, it may just be a better way to experience the local fishing culture.

    Madison Park

    A community lying on the shores of Lake Washington, Madison Park is a popular living destination for those who want an in-city retreat. Close to Downtown and only minutes to the University of Washington, this neighborhood is home to a vibrant commercial district and one-of-a-kind real estate. Madison Park and is ideal for those who want the best of both worlds. The Duwamish tribe native to the area once used this area as their summer hunting and recreation area, with piers and a promenade, a boathouse, live entertainment, a charming business district and the still-popular Madison Park beach it still serves that purpose today.