There’s a reason magazine photos are so doctored. Most magazines are largely comprised of ads or articles trying to get you to buy something. What better way to do that than presenting an enticing, beautiful photo to catch your eye? This same tactic can be applied to selling a home. The listings that feature the most beautiful, professional-looking photos will usually get more initial clicks than those with plain, point-and-shoot pictures. Professional photographers know how to use good lighting and appropriate angles to snap the perfect photo of your home. Below are just a few of the ways professional photographers are able to provide better listing photos of your home.
Lighting
The pros know that incorrect lighting can completely wreck an otherwise perfectly composed photograph. They know, for example, that it’s best to shoot exterior photos when the sun is shining fully on the front of your house. Shooting when the house is backlit or when the sun is straight overhead can cause shadows that hide your home’s best qualities and make the whole picture look blah. Morning and early evening light also tends to be softer, creating the perfect opportunity to take gorgeous exterior photos.
Angles
Taking a photo with the correct lens makes all the difference. A good photographer will have a variety of lenses to choose from during a photo shoot. If the details in a room are more important, a tighter shot might be fine, but generally a wide-angle lens is better. This enables the photographer to get more of the room into the picture and really show off the space. Pics from regular point-and-shoot cameras or phones don’t get a wide enough view and can cause a space to look more cramped than it actually is.
Positioning
The point from which you shoot a photo makes a huge difference in how the subject is perceived. Try this trick. Take out your camera and snap a picture of your face from straight on, one from below, and one from above. Which one is more flattering? A professional photographer knows to take several different shots from different positions in a room just to get one perfect image that shows off the room’s assets. Ideally, you want to see three walls in every photo. Even if you use a wide-angle lens, a room can still look smaller if it’s not shot from the best spot.
Views
Those who haven’t studied the finer points of photography and practiced them might not realize that the light streaming in from a window can completely wash out the view outside. Focus on the inside, and the window view will look blurry. Focus on the window, and the view of the interior becomes too dark. A knowledgeable photographer knows it’s possible to get both into focus by using high dynamic range (HDR).
Equipment
Sometimes timing isn’t optimal, and photos have to be taken on a cloudy day or at a time when the lighting isn’t very favorable. A professional photographer will have certain pieces of handy dandy equipment to help nudge those photos in the right direction. They should have a variety of lenses, flashes, light reflectors, and more to help while shooting photos. They should also be well versed in editing those photos to make sure your home looks its absolute best.
If your real estate agent doesn’t offer professional photos on your listing, it might be worth asking them to include it or at least offering to pay to have them done. Beautiful photos can mean the difference between someone being excited to see your home in person and them just feeling “meh” about it. You want to pique their interest and get them ready to buy before they even step foot inside your house, and professional photos are the perfect way to do that.
