Lee's Blog

The Birds

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:36:26 -0600

I remember seeing the movie The Birds as a kid. It had to be one of the scariest movies I had ever seen. I live in the part of the country where bird migration funnels through on their way to and from South America. There are times of the year where trees are filled to capacity and power lines sag from the weight. This photo doesn't even begin to show how many birds are in this area to spend the night. When they take flight, it darkens the sky.

Compact digital camera recommendations for real estate

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:58:42 -0600

Frank LLosa of FranklyRealty.com has created a video where he recommends a few compact digital cameras for real estate. Frank and I don't agree on all points, but we do agree that ultra wide is necessary for interior real estate photography. I would add a couple Panasonics even through they are only 25mm. I figure if you aren't hiring a professional to shoot the listing, then you don't really care how good the photos are anyway. (That last comment was designed to get things stirred up.)

calm water

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:15:39 -0500

Some days the shoreline just churns with breakers and other days the gulf is so calm. This was one of those mornings where the gulf was very calm and the bay was like glass. Just looking at these photos reminded me of how calm it was giving me a calm spirit.

Sandcastle

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:54:06 -0500

After building this sandcastle one afternoon at the beach (South Padre Island, TX), I went to the house to get cleaned up and realized I had no photos of the creation. I grabbed my camera, tripod and flashlight and headed out. When I got there I was surprised that no one had knocked it down yet. It's something about sandcastles that makes it too tempting to smash. I took a series of photos using a 30 second shutter and ONE flashlight. I think it made for some pretty interesting photos.

Lighting Techniques of a Professional Real Estate Photographer

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:46:06 -0500

There are a series of videos with Scott Hargis, a renowned real estate photographer, which show Scott’s lighting techniques for a typical real estate shoot. These videos are a series of time laps photos showing Scott at work with explanations along the way. Do you take this much time with your listing photos?

The death of the prosumer digital camera

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:02:46 -0500

At the end of 2007, I began a series of discussions on the best compact digital camera (sometimes called point and shoot cameras) for real estate. At the time I was using what has been termed a prosumer digital camera (between a professional and consumer camera often times larger and more complicated than a compact, but not a DSLR). I noticed a couple of years ago that the prosumer style camera had almost died out and I finally understood why. The prosumer camera usually had a price point of around $1,000 and DSLR’s where well above that, but now one can purchase a DSLR for under $1,000. Why by compact camera when for the same money one could have a professional camera? You can still find some very advanced compact cameras these days such as the Panasonic Lumix LX3 (my personal favorite), the Canon G11(touted my many professional photographers) and Nikon P6000(with built-in GPS for geotagging photos), but all are around the $500 price point. I’ll put together another discussion on DSLR’s soon.

DUCK!

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:56:16 -0500

I mean duckS

Taken on the River Walk in San Antonio late this summer.

Lighthouse

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:09:00 -0500

Moon

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:05:20 -0500

Is it Worthless Wednesday again already?

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:57:00 -0500

Man, am I getting sour in my old age or what? It's just that I don't understand why we have so many posts of "GREAT SHOTS" in the Photography Group when they should be posted in the GREAT SHOTS group. Great shots in the photography group would be just fine if those who posted them would post EXIF data and information on how they took the picture so the rest of us could improve our PHOTOGRAPHY. Most of us have no problem identifying a great shot, nor do we have a problem admiring said great shots. I thank all of you who have posted for the eye candy. They look great, but I want to get as good as you. Please help!

Correcting converging verticals - A TUTORIAL by Scott Hargis

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:54:05 -0500

Scott Hargis is an exceptional real estate photographer with a reputation for great architecturaland interior photography. He's a great source of help on the Photography For Real Estate (PFRE) group on Flickr and he has taught real estate photography seminars all over the country. I'm hoping to attend one of his seminars on interior lighting some day. Here's a link to a tutorial video Scott created to help you correct converging verticals.

Worthless Wednesday

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:12:29 -0500

If you have nothing to contribute to the photography group, but you want to ask for business or post a photo of your grand kids or a moose or squirrel. If you want to post a photo that has nothing to photography except that you used a camera to take the picture. If you want to post a photo you are proud of, but don't want to share how you took the picture so those who read blogs on the photography group can improve their photography, post it on Wednesday and title it "Worthless Wednesday."

Is this a great picture or what? It's a picture of a house we sold. We really do a good job don't we? If you want marketing like this, call me.

ActiveRain suffering?

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:38:18 -0500

I recently commented on the decline of the photography groups. I just noticed that AR is awarding 100 points just for signing on each day. Is this an indication of AR's decline across the board?

Are the photography groups dead?

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:37:24 -0500

Is it me or have the various photography groups been pretty dead? A couple of years ago, we had tutorials or tips on taking better photos almost daily. For instance, the purpose of the photography group is spelled out in the left panel:

"Some folks here just want to take better shots of their listings. Others are confirmed Shutterbugs. The Photography group chats about equipment, tips and techniques for all types of Photography."

Today we have an excuse for each day of the week to post photos. Don't get me wrong, I like good photography, but as an emerging photographer, I'd like to know how you did it so I can improve as well. Do you think we will ever get back to helping each other make better pictures?

So you don't think I'm just a stick in the mud, here's a few of the photos I'm proud of.

The fireworks shot was taken with about a 3 second exposure. I had scouted out a location earlier in the day so that the bridge would be in the background.

The moon shot is really two separate photos. A full moon earlier in the month and a quarter moon joined together in photoshop to make for what I consider an interesting view of the moon.

The pier is me just playing around with the new camera. It's just an example of composistion using the rule of thirds.

This old walkway was taken on the south side of the Alamo in San Antonio. I took a lot of good photos on that trip on the riverwalk, of horse drawn carriages and the architecture.

Moon Shot : New Camera

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:21:14 -0500

Now that I have my new camera, I'm feeling all artsy and stuff. I've never had a camera that could take a photo like this. It's only a 200mm lens and this is a cropped image, but the moon is about 400 pixels across in this image and I'm quite excited about the detail.

Camera:	Nikon D5000
Exposure:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture:	f/8.0
Focal Length:	200 mm
ISO Speed:	200

10 aesthetic principles of marketing photos for maximum effectiveness

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:35:17 -0500

Larry Lohrman from Photography For Real Estate has done it again. This time he's written a Realtor's Guide To Using Photos In Real Estate Marketing. I've linked to his beta version. I assume this will be polished over time. Some of Larry's other contributions include the 10 Essentials Of Real Estate Photography and Inexpensive Pole Aerial Photography (PAP). If you want to improve your real estate photography or even want to better understand what good real estate photography is, I suggest spending some time on his site.

Updated Guide

Cameras

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:04:12 -0500

Date Added	Title	Description	Category
	A Digital SLR Discussion	Which DSLR?	Discussion
	A good digital camera for under $200	Fujifilm Finepix S1000 fd	Review
	Choosing a Camera for Real Estate Photography	AUG 2007 Good advise w/link to list of cameras	Article
	Fear and Loathing with the Kodak camera: Part II	Kodak V570	Discussion
	Fear and Loathing with the Kodak camera: Part III	Kodak V570	Discussion
	Getting Acquainted With A New Camera	General advise	Discussion
	Home staging: Fear and Loathing with the Kodak Camera	Kodak V570	Discussion
	Kodak's V570 Photo class with 2 hr Audio. Free	Link to audio and video tutorial	Tutorial
	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 ANNOUNCED!	Lumix DMC-LX3	Announcement
	Photography 101: Attention Kodak V705 Users: You Have Exposure Compensation	Kodak V705	Tutorial
	Real Estate Photography - Camera Choice	FEB 2006 general advise	Article
05MAY09	Samsung NV24HD New Favorite Camera but ONE Major Flaw: Video Length!	What Frank likes about the NV24HD	Discussion
	Sell Your Camera On eBay & Buy This One!	Kodak V705	Discussion
	Solution to Camera RAW file plugin problem with Nikon D40	Nikon D40	Discussion
	The Best Entry Level Real Estate Photography Combo	Suggestions	Discussion
	THE Best Real Estate Photography Camera-Lens Combo	Interesting pick from a Canon user	Discussion
	The Big Camera That Can!	Canon EOS Rebel	Discussion
	The Big Camera That Can't! Please Help!	Canon EOS Rebel	Discussion
	Which camera should the real estate agent carry in their pocket?	Compact cameras with wide angle lenses (AUG08)	Discussion
	Why I Like Point & Shoot Cameras: Stumbling On A Good Photo	Small point and shoot cameras	Discussion
	Wide-Angle Point & Shoot 23mm $200	Kodak V570	Discussion

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Composition

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:02:55 -0500

Date Added	Title	Description	Category
	A narrow mind and a bathroom photo - the branding of a home staging business.	Zoom in for a different look	Discussion
	An Introduction to Photography Composition	A good introduction	Tutorial
	Awsome water views	Views out the window	Discussion
	Digital Camera Tracker Provides Solution To Real Estate Agents #1 Photo Problem	Stitching	Advertisement
	Digital Photography Composition Tips	General composition tips	Tips
	Photograph with ZOOM...show it off, sell it faster	Up close detail photography	Discussion
	Photography 101: Composition	Rule of thirds	Tutorial
	Staging for the Camera - 1. Remove Objects In the Foreground	Arrange the shot	Discussion
08APR09	Give your listing a good impression with a great front Photo! NEW	Ways to improve the composition of listing photos	Discussion
	The "Rule of Thirds."	Rule of thirds explained	Discussion
	Three Wall or Two Wall Composition	3 vs 2 wall composition	Discussion
	Window Views...let's make 'em BIG!	Show the view	Tutorial
	Give The Consumer More Views!	Take multiple photos of each scene	Discussion
	Need Perspective on Photographing a View?	give the potential buyers a clue as to where you are standing	Discussion
	Out of the Window Shooting	Think outside of the normal angles	Discussion
	Set Your Sites Low... to Raise Your Standards	Don't shoot too much ceiling	Discussion
	Tips For Better MLS Pictures...	Framing the shot	Discussion
	Your Photos May Need A Change Of Perspective	standing on a chair	Discussion

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Copyright

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:01:20 -0500

Subject	Title	Description	Category
Copyright	Copyright law is under attack!	Orphan works bill explained	Discussion
Copyright	Copyright your Before and Staged Photos, Website, etc.	Where to find copyright info	Information
Copyright	Hijacked Photos...What can I do?	Stolen MLS photos	Discussion
Copyright	How to add a copyright watermark to your photos	Adding copyright across the photo	Tutorial
Copyright	Photo 101: Metadata & Your Copyright NEW	Entering Copyright in your metadata	Tutorial
Copyright	PHOTOGRAPHY ~ Another Link in the.....COPYRIGHT Armor NEW	Another layer of protection	Tutorial
Copyright	Photos, Copyrights, Digital Rights ... A Photographer's Perspective	Copyright discussion by Richard Weisser	Discussion
Copyright	So, you want to thump your chest about plagiarism? (copyright)	don't take stuff that's not yours	Discussion
Copyright	The "Orphan Works" bill stalled in the House	Proposed bill	Discussion

White Balance

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:59:52 -0500

Subject	Title	Description	Category
White Balance	Get the Ugly Yellow Color Out of Your Interior Photos	Fixes for yellow photos by Piers Lamb	Tips
White Balance	White Balance & Color Temperature:	Understanding white balance by Bryce Mohan	Tutorial

Depth of Field

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:58:13 -0500

Subject	Title	Description	Category
Depth of Field	Depth of Field Calculator	Understand and calculate DOF	Calculator
Depth of Field	Photography 101: Boke (Depth of Field)	Boke	Tutorial
Depth of Field	Photogrpahy 101 - Depth Of Field	Understanding DOF	Tutorial
Depth of Field	Probing The Depths Of Field	Photoshoping DOF	Discussion
Depth of Field	The Secret to Ultra-Sharp Photos	How to get consistently sharp photos	Tutorial

Dynamic Range

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:55:27 -0500

Subject	Title	Description	Category
Dynamic Range	Photography 101: Dynamic Range	Dynamic range explained	Tutorial
Dynamic Range	Photography 101: HDR (High Dynamic Range Imaging)	HDR process	Tutorial

Equipment & Accessories

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:54:21 -0500

Subject	Title	Description	Category
Equipment & Accessories	It Arrived Today!! A Camcorder Stabilizer for My Video Tours.	Camera stabilizer	Information
Equipment & Accessories	Tripod Mechanics - Lesson One	Tripod
Equipment & Accessories	Tripods are great but if you need something else	Tripod
Equipment & Accessories	What's in the Camera Bag?	Photography equipment	Information
Equipment & Accessories	Why You Should Use a Tripod NEW	Reasons for using a tripod	Discussion

Ethics

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:53:11 -0500

Subject	Title	Description	Category
Ethics	Ethics	Proposed Real Estate Photography Guidelines for Image Modification	Proposal
Ethics	Ethics of Photo Manipulation	Editing ethics	Discussion
Ethics	How Far Is Too Far With Photo Editing?	How far do we go	Discussion
Ethics	How Much Photo Editing is Ethical - Where Do We Draw the Line?	Where do we draw the line	Discussion
Ethics	Photo Editing...What's Okay and Why?	Editing ethics	Discussion
Ethics	Photography 101: The Ethics of Digital Manipulation	Editing ethics	Discussion

Exposure

Lee Jinks (Coldwell Banker La Mansion) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:51:34 -0500

Date Added	Title	Description	Category
	Aperture: A really really simple explanation (I hope) :)	Aperture explained	Tutorial
	Even Simpler Apertures	Another attempt at explaining aperture	Tutorial
07MAY09	Photo Cheat Sheet	An awesome info sheet on ISO, shutter speed, Aperture, flash, ...	Information
	Photography 101: Exposure Trilogy: The Third Fundamental	Shutter speed, aperture size and ISO	Tutorial
	Unstaged Interiors & White Walls:	Exposure & composition	Tips

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