BASIC REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FROM THE PRO'S

Experienced real-estate photographers often have a few tricks that ensure their photography is high-quality. These often take years to pick up, but we have provided you with some tips that BoxBrownie.com Director and Photographer, Brad Filliponi, has developed through his experience in the industry.

Here are some basic walkthrough shooting tips, that can help you complete a real estate shoot faster:

Get an Elevated Front Shot

An elevated front shot of a property will radically change the view of the exterior of a home. A front elevated shot of a home is important because it shows more of the properties features. Also, many properties are raised slightly above street level, so a handheld exterior shot will look like you are almost lying on the ground.

An easy way to get this shot is to have a ladder with you, or event pneumatic pole to attach your camera to. Alternatively, many photographers are now using drones for these elevated front shots.

Prepare The House Prior To Taking Photos

Whilst you are scouting the property it’s best to turn on lights and lamps, adjust blinds and remove any items not needed in photos. It’s always great to adjust and center any dining and outdoor chairs around the home. That way you are simply walking around the property shooting your preferred angles and not moving things around between shots saving you time.

We always advise photographers to send the realtors or owners who have booked the shoot our ‘Pre-Photography Checklist’. This means that you can get through the shoot quickly, and you can manage the expectations of the owners.

Window Blinds

When preparing a home for photography, it is important to pay attention to what can be seen out the window. You want to make sure the focus is on the property and not the neighbors, there are a few ways of doing this. The most common way to subtly block out the neighbors is to adjust pull down blinds when walking around the property. For pull-down blinds, it is best to pull them down so they are in line with the neighbor's fence, so you can’t see the neighboring property.

If the home has Venetian blinds, ensure you don’t fully close them. Turn them at such an angle that you can no longer see out the window, but you’re still letting light in and making the shot a little softer – Closing them completely may appear like you’re hiding something.

Always Wipe Down Camera Lens Before Every Shoot

It is essential to keep your photography equipment clean and well maintained. Always carry a few spare lens cloths in your bag, and carry one around with you when shooting exteriors to clean the lens when required

Use UV filters

Real estate photography involves a lot of moving about and working in difficult spaces, which means a higher likelihood of cameras getting damaged. UV filters are a great investment to use on lenses to protect them from scratches, smudges, and dust. They are easy to remove a clean and if they get damaged can cheaper to replace then a lens.

Shoot in Landscape Format

Generally, in real estate interiors are wider than they are tall, so landscape shots lend themselves to this format. Most online real estate sites don’t handle portraits well, so landscape is the only option, plus it displays the property better and feels more natural. Only shoot in portrait mode if it makes an image stronger or if it is going to be used in a vertical format, such as in brochures or flyers.

If in doubt ask the agent if they want some portrait shots, as may want portrait, close-up lifestyle shots of the home or surrounding suburbs to mix in with their marketing. However, 99% of the time, landscape mode will be the shooting preference for all images taken.

Tip: It’s easier to use your Smartphone for any “close up feature” shots of the property than using your DSLR usually!

This quick and easy list of on-site shoot tips will ensure that your edited shots will look exactly how you client expects them.

Want to save time on photo editing so you can stick to what you do best, photography? Get us to do them for you with our easy Photo Editing Service.


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