In today's market, home sellers need to bring out as much ammunition as possible in order to attract buyers. One of the first steps in drawing interest to your home is to create a clear, enticing and positive online listing of your home. As much as words can be used effectively to describe selling features, nothing can compare to the impact of quality photographic images. Digital cameras and photo software like photoshop, make it easy for homeowners to take their own listing photos. If want to present a successful image gallery for your home, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

Take more than one!

Your listing should contain more than one photograph. Ideally, there should be several photographs, all of superior color and in the correct format. Posting only one image, or only outdoor/only indoor images can easily come across as if you are hiding something distasteful. Prospective buyers want to have a clear visual picture of your property and are more likely to book a viewing if they've seen a good visual representation of your entire home through an internet listing. Make sure to include whatever rooms inside your home offer distinctive features or appeal. Your agent will probably have a limit on how many photos you can submit, so maximize potential by using your full limit and include only the best photos of the best rooms, views, and outdoor spaces as well. Take note that you'll want a great photo of the front exterior of your home, as this may be the image that is used repeatedly as a sort of cover shot. This will be the image that initially draws people to look further into your listing.

Set them up!

You will need to do a little home staging to prep your rooms before taking the photos. Remove everything from the room that distracts from your purpose of making the home look attractive. Avoid including things like door frames and chair backs in images. Remove extra furniture and add only striking decorative items that accentuate the selling features of your home. Keep an eye out for things that can be removed to improve the photo. Clean lines and an uncluttered room will make for an appealing photos. A strong photograph will focus on the building's/room's architecture, design and space.

Don't aim too high!

Don't aim your camera too high when taking photos. Viewers are not going to be interested in shots of the ceiling. If you have a ceiling/wall feature that you want to capture such as a high, coved or vaulted feature, you may need to use a camera with a wide lens. Aim to include a suggestion or taste of that feature, while still including the scope of the room at roughly eye level. Remember, it's important to capture the entire room. Viewers want to be able to perceive rooms as if they were just walking through your house. Clear, accurate visual information is what you want to offer in your photographs.

Color your world!

Once you've taken a whack of photos, you can then look at them on your computer and use a photo editing software package to adjust the color on your images. Play around, with different levels of color and contrast. Light and bright, is what you're aiming for.

Make them fit!

Keep in mind that most websites are designed to work best with horizontal (landscape mode) images. A mixture of horizontal and vertical formatted images can be distracting and confusing.

John Mejia is a top producing REALTOR ® who specializes in the Birmingham real estate market. For Mountain Brook AL real estate listings or information on other great areas in Birmingham, contact John with Providence Real Estate.