Table of Contents
- What Is Real Estate Photography Really About?
- What Equipment Do You Need for Real Estate Photography?
- What Makes Good Real Estate Photography? (9 Essential Tips)
- PhotoUp Is Here for Your Real Estate Photo Editing Needs!
High-quality, impressive real estate photography is a crucial aspect of promoting properties. Today, about 90% of homebuyers start their search online, so the importance of great visuals is undeniable, as they will decide whether the person will visit the property or just skip passed it.
As a real estate photographer, it’s important to understand what makes good real estate photography.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the key elements that make a photograph stand out, and provide 9 useful tips and tricks to help you capture amazing real estate photography.
Let’s begin by taking a look at what real estate photography is all about.
What Is Real Estate Photography Really About?
As a real estate photographer, you specialize in capturing the essence of various properties, ranging from residential homes to commercial buildings and even vacant land.
Each category presents its own unique sub-categories, such as family homes, condos, apartments, and co-ops when it comes to residential properties.
Your ultimate goal is to showcase the distinct characteristics of each property in order to attract potential clients who are looking to buy, rent, or sublet.
Keep in mind that real estate photography is not limited to a single image; it’s the art of creating a captivating series of photographs.
This includes capturing not only the interior but also highlighting the building itself and its surrounding environment. The number of images required and the specific elements to focus on may vary for each property.
In the world of real estate photography, your expertise lies in crafting visually engaging visuals that tell a story and capture the attention of potential buyers and tenants.
What Equipment Do You Need for Real Estate Photography?
Are you wondering what equipment you need for real estate photography? Let’s take a look at the fundamentals of real estate photography gear.
1. Professional DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
First and foremost, you’ll need a reliable camera body. Whether you opt for a DSLR or mirrorless, it’s up to you, but make sure it’s a good one.
To find a professional camera, you can visit our blog post on the top 12 cameras for real estate photography.
2. High-Quality Lens
Now, let’s talk about lenses. Real estate photography requires versatility, so a lens that performs well in various situations is a must.
While both zoom and prime lenses can work, we recommend going for a prime lens.
In tight spaces, smaller options like a 27mm or 35mm lens are ideal. Take your time to explore the offerings from your camera manufacturer and choose the ones that best suit your needs.
Furthermore, a wide-angle lens is great for interior shots and will help you cover a bigger area of the room.
Check out our blog post on the best lens for real estate photography (top 15 picks) for good lens options.
3. A Tripod
Next up is a tripod. Using a tripod is incredibly beneficial in any genre of photography, but it’s particularly crucial in real estate photography.
Indoors or outdoors, a tripod provides stability and helps prevent blurry, shaky images. Make sure to have one with you at all times.
Have a look at our recommendation for the best tripods for real estate photography.
4. Extra SD Cards and Batteries
Lastly, it’s also wise to carry extra SD cards and batteries. As a professional photographer, projects can take longer than expected, and having backup power and storage is essential.
Avoid delays by investing in two or three extra memory cards of 64 GB or 128 GB.
With the right equipment and some essential skills, you’ll be well-equipped to capture stunning real estate photographs.
What Makes Good Real Estate Photography? (9 Essential Tips)
But what makes good real estate photography? Let’s take a look at 9 of the most essential tips to help you shoot stunning real estate photography.
1. Good Lighting
One of the most important elements of real estate photography is lighting. A property with adequate natural light often looks brighter, bigger, and more appealing than one without it.
Besides natural light, artificial light also plays a significant role in taking great shots at all times. Using external flash or reflectors indoors can brighten up a dark room and minimize unwanted shadows.
Similarly, during outdoor shoots, photographers often use different tools to diffuse or enhance natural light.
Always be mindful of the lighting conditions and adjust accordingly to create stunning and inviting images.
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2. Focus on the Property’s Unique Features
As a real estate photographer, it’s crucial to recognize that every building possesses unique characteristics, regardless of initial perceptions.
To capture captivating shots and excel in this field, you need to discover the hidden gems within seemingly ordinary places.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Does the building have a rustic charm that can be captured with the right angles or drone photography? Are there any newly installed bathrooms that potential buyers will adore?
Creativity is key when showcasing properties through your lens.
3. Consider Composition
Another crucial element of real estate photography is composition. You want to showcase the best features of the property, while also creating a sense of balance and symmetry in your shots.
Try to frame your shots from straight angles to avoid any distortion or tilt. If you’re photographing a room, aim to show the width of the space, while simultaneously highlighting the details and finishes.
The use of leading lines and symmetry can also play a significant role in creating visually appealing compositions.
4. Use a Minimalist Approach
When it comes to real estate photography, a minimalist approach works wonders. Shoot from various angles, but ensure that your images are easily comprehensible to viewers.
Avoid cluttered spaces as they not only confuse potential buyers but also make the rooms appear smaller.
Instead, focus on one or two essential elements and make them stand out. This way, you’ll captivate your audience and create engaging compositions.
If you don’t have the ability to declutter the space before your photoshoot, you can always use virtual staging to declutter your final images.
5. Consider the Time of Day for Your Photoshoot
Scheduling a photoshoot can sometimes be challenging due to coordinating with homeowners and Realtors.
However, there are optimal times to shoot that create stunning photos for any property.
For example, during the golden hours of early morning or late afternoon, soft shadows and warm tones enhance the beauty of the property.
Also, keep in mind to position the house where the sun illuminates the front.
Additionally, a cloudy day offers excellent lighting conditions but might result in a dull sky in the photos. Luckily, a beautiful sky can easily be added during post-processing to enhance the overall composition.
7. Use a Wide Angle Lens
A wide-angle lens is a great tool in real estate photography, as it allows you to capture a wider field of view and showcase more of the property in a single shot.
With a wide-angle lens, you can capture an entire room or even multiple rooms in a single frame.
However, be wary of the distortion effect that can occur with wide-angle lenses. Try to position yourself in the center of the room, and avoid tilting the camera to minimize this effect.
8. Pay Attention to Detail
The details and finishes of a property are often what attract potential buyers. It’s therefore essential to showcase these details in your images.
Try different angles and lighting techniques to emphasize the unique features of the property.
Don’t forget the exterior shots, as they are often the first impressions potential buyers will see. Take the time to capture the landscaping and curb appeal of the property as well.
9. Never Skip the Editing
Post-production is an important aspect of real estate photography. Editing can elevate your images and bring out the best features of the property.
Some of the most commonly used editing techniques are color correction, adjusting highlights and shadows, and fixing perspective distortion. For more editing tips, you can visit our blog post on how to edit real estate photos (top 11 techniques).
While editing, always remember to make subtle adjustments to avoid creating unnatural or exaggerated images.
The aim should be to showcase the property in the best light possible while retaining its authenticity.
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PhotoUp Is Here for Your Real Estate Photo Editing Needs!
In summary, good real estate photography is a multi-faceted approach that requires attention to, and mastery of, the key elements discussed in this post.
Lighting, composition, tools such as a wide-angle lens, attention to detail, and careful editing are the crucial factors that can elevate real estate photography from average to amazing.
With so much to consider, let PhotoUp take care of the editing for you!
PhotoUp specializes in affordable and professional real estate photo editing services such as:
- Color and exposure corrections
- Harsh shadows, lack of light, etc.
- HDR blending
- Blurred images that were taken without a tripod
- Images that need cropping or other effects
- Lawn greening and sky replacements
- Twilight and day-to-dusk editing
- Manual blending and pano stitching
- Clutter and advanced object removal
- Line and angle corrections
- And much more!
Our team of expert photo editors, based in the Philippines with a local sales and support team in the U.S., is ready to assist you with all your editing needs.
When it comes to pricing, we offer some of the most competitive rates in the industry. Depending on the complexity of the edits and your subscription, our editing services range from $1.10 to $9.00 per image.
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A Complete Real Estate Marketing Partner
Additionally, PhotoUp is a complete real estate marketing partner and also offers:
- Virtual staging
- Virtual house tours
- Video editing
- Single property websites
- Custom websites
- Floor plans
- Property flyers
- House portraits
- Virtual Assistants
- And more.
That said, marketing doesn’t have to become a time-consuming task. Trust PhotoUp for all your real estate marketing needs.
How to Get Started
Getting started is super simple.
All you need to do is sign up for a free PhotoUp account, upload your images, provide us with your instructions, choose your export settings and turnaround time, and lastly, download your beautifully edited images!
PhotoUp Real Estate Photo Editing Uploader
To see how easy it is to get started with PhotoUp, check out our real estate photo editing uploader demo:
As simple as that!
Sign up for a free PhotoUp account and let our expert team of editors help you create captivating real estate photos!
Plus, for a limited time, you’ll get 10 free edits when signing up for an account to try our services out.
We hope this blog post helped you understand what makes good real estate photography. If you found this post valuable, you may also want to check out the following resources:
