Real Estate Photography - 3 Important Steps for Taking Better
Are you tired of your real estate photography falling flat? Do you want your properties to stand out from the competition and capture the attention of potential buyers or renters? Look no further! In this post, we will share with you three important steps that are crucial for taking better real estate photos. From lighting to angles, these tips will help take your photography skills to the next level and showcase your properties in their best light. So grab your camera and let's get started!
Step 1: Preparing the Space - Lighting, Staging & Cleaning
Good lighting is essential for taking quality real estate photography. Natural light is always best, so if possible, open blinds and curtains that will brighten up the space. If you are taking photos during the daytime, be mindful of bright highlights from the sun. Our team uses additional flash for our real estate photography workflow, but we'll save that work another thread.
Staging furniture will also impact the quality of your real estate photography. Take a look around the room and rearrange any furniture that may be blocking a clear view of the space. You want potential buyers to be able to see as much of the room as possible, so make sure there are no obstacles in the way.
A clean space is a happy place for a real estate photographer. A messy room can make even the most beautiful home look unappealing. Set you client up for success and have them declutter, vacuum, and dust before taking photos for the realtor.
Step 2: Camera Settings Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO
Since real estate photography is a niche, it is important to select the right camera settings in order to capture the best possible images. The three main settings that should be considered for real estate photography are aperture (aka f-stop), shutter speed, and ISO.
Aperture refers to the size of the opening in the camera lens through which light enters. A larger aperture (lower f-stop number) will result in a shallower depth of field, which can be used to create pleasing background blur or bokeh. A smaller aperture (higher f-stop number) will have a greater depth of field, which is ideal for capturing sharp images with both the foreground and background in focus. For most real estate photography shots, your f-stop should sit around f/8.
Shutter speed refers to the amount of time that the camera shutter is open, exposing the image sensor to light. Since your camera will be on a tripod, we can use a lower shutter speed and not have to worry about blurry images. Setting your shutter speed will depend on the amount of available ambient light.
ISO refers to the sensitivity of the image sensor. A higher ISO setting will result in less noise or grain in low-light situations, but may also introduce unwanted artifacts such as increased digital noise. Check online to see if your camera has a native or dual native ISO. It will perform best at the dedicated ISO.
By taking these factors into account when selecting camera settings, you can ensure that your real estate photography will give you a great start!
Step 3: Composition - Framing, Angles & Perspectives
Composition is the most important factor of any photo, but it is especially crucial in real estate photography. This includes the framing, angles and perspectives that you use.
The first thing to consider is the frame. What do you want to include in the picture? Make sure that all the important elements are visible and that there are no distractions in the background.
Next, think about the angle of the shot. Do you want to take a wide-angle shot (never lower than 16mm IMO!) or a more close-up shot? Consider what will look best for the particular property.
Perspective (verticals & horizontals) are very important for real estate photography. For example, if you’re taking a picture of a building, your camera needs to be level on all planes
By taking some time to think about these things before you start taking pictures, you’ll be able to get much better results.
