9 Amazing Real Estate Photography Tips for Beginners

With or without the COVID-19 pandemic, there has always been and there will always be a demand for topnotch real estate photographers as houses continue to go on and off the market every day. Every real estate agent in your area is always on the look-out for the finest photographers to produce the best real estate photos that could attract potential buyers.

If you are a beginner in this lucrative career, it’s great to grasp as much information about this industry while staying at home. As states and businesses slowly re-open, you can start gathering as much experience as possible. You can read and watch piles of materials, but without real-life application, you won’t really reach your potential as a professional photographer.

As they say, “Experience is the best teacher.”

And as you go on further in your photography business, narrowing down into a specific niche would be a profitable decision. Real estate photography or architecture photography is just one of the well-paid specializations that you can venture into.

In this article, we’ll try to cover some essential real estate photography tips that would go handy as you transition into this industry.

Go Pro With Your Photography Gear

Photo bySven Brandsma onUnsplash

You don’t need to buy all the best gear out there, but you should at least invest in a good camera, lens, tripod, and some supplemental lighting. And since you will be taking shots of huge spaces, having a wide-angle lens is a must. A tilt-shift lens is also helpful in real estate photography. This type of lens can straighten the vertical lines that appear to converge in the distance just like with door frames and wall edges.

Plan Out the Entire Shoot in Advance

Before you get too excited to begin shooting, you should first make a list of things to do to ensure that no stone is left unturned. Ask the real estate agent if there are features in the property that need to be highlighted. Floor plans can also make your job more organized and easier.

Capturing a breathtaking exterior photo could seal the deal for your realtor, so collaborate with him on how you can take a perfect shot of this area. You are also a photographer and not a housekeeper. So, it helps to let the homeowners declutter the house, especially the areas that will be highlighted for the listing.

As always, it’s also important to set expectations with your clients about your deliverables. Give them an option to choose from your packages and the inclusions. You can also ask them what they need so you can create a separate package or a customized quotation.

Take a Quick Tour of the Property Before You Start Shooting

Upon arriving in the area, gather some time to walk around. Let the spaces and the minute details of the living room, the bedroom, and the outdoor areas speak to you. It might sound melodramatic, but being a keen observer is an important attribute of a first-rate real estate photographer.

Consider the Role of Exterior Lighting

Exterior shots benefit with natural light in the morning or late in the day. You can determine the best time to shoot by simply looking at Google Earth Pro. It will tell you whether the property is facing the sunrise or sunset, or neither.

Having a shoot at dusk is also one of the most requested by clients because of the dramatic effect of exterior lighting at this hour in conjunction with the warm interior lighting. So, you may need to shoot at different times to capture the property with the best natural light as possible.

Play With Interior Light Sources

Having nicely styled lighting is the key to taking amazing interior photos. Most interior shots have two constant light sources: interior lights and window light. But these lights don’t always give the best image, and with the usually limited time in taking real estate photos, using a flash always proves to be helpful.

Some techniques that you may want to practice are the use of direct on-camera flash and on-camera flash in a bounce. Another popular lighting technique is the “light painting” approach and the use of multi-flash wireless set-ups.

Set a Limit to Shooting Wide

In real estate photography, it’s a no-brainer that you should capture the huge space beautifully inside the frame. That is why shooting with a wide-angle lens is a necessity. However, you don’t have to take it too far that the space would look bigger than it really is.

Pay Attention to Your Fore/Mid/Backgrounds

There are four parts in a landscape photo: fore, mid, background, and sky. This is also applicable if you are taking exterior shots of the property since the sky is present. In taking interior shots, though, there are only three parts since the fourth element is not present inside to make an impressive image.

These three parts are essential in framing an image. For example, you can place objects in the foreground or make use of what is already inside the room to add depth and make the image more interesting. Playing with these elements also has something to do with using different perspectives to capture the space on the best angle.

Decide on Your Camera Height

Keeping the camera straight is crucial in real estate photography. This is important because if you point the camera even slightly down or up, you will notice that the vertical lines will start to slant. To be sure that you are shooting at the right level, you can use the digital level that is available in your camera or the hot shoe bubble level.

Don’t Take Your Editing to an Unrealistic Level

Once all the shots are done, you’ll want to take the photos to the next level. During the post-processing stage, you can either edit the photos by yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Again, just like in taking wide shots, you should learn to observe some level of restraint in your editing so the images will stand out but still in a realistic way.

Conclusion

Virtual tours have always been an essential part of selling a property, especially in targeting potential clients from different states, or even from other countries. And with your expertise in taking professional real estate photos, you can help a realtor create an amazing listing with this feature, and eventually sell a home. You are definitely on your way to land more premium clients in no time.