5 Simple Steps to Better Pictures

Okay, here is a list of five simple things you can do to take and post better pictures for your listings (apart from using a professional photographer!).

1. Have the seller prepare the space properly:

• This might be the hardest one, because it depends on someone else, and will not be possible for every home. But the main thing to remember here is that THE LENS DOESN'T LIE! If the room is cluttered, dingy, and dirty, it will photograph that way. Spend a few minutes discussing with your seller about what they are able to do to make the home show better...this is for everyone's benefit, especially theirs! One of the best, simplest things is t o clean the windows. This makes a huge difference in the amount of light coming into the home, and will help your pictures as well.

  

  

This is the same dining room - all the sellers did was paint and declutter!

2. When you come to take photos, the details are key:

• Make sure fridge magnets are off the fridge door, the toilet seat is down (my personal pet peeve!), drawers and door close fully and that things look generally tidy.

3. Watch yourself...or someone else will:

• Check for your reflection in mirrors, glass doors, appliances, televisions, and glass picture frames. It's not always possible to avoid all reflections, but try to be sure you are out of the main reflective surfaces.

(Yep, that's a bit of me in the left side of the mirror!)

4. Take a deep breath and take your time:

• Take a few seconds to frame the shot on the focal features of the room. Take more than one shot of each room, and be sure to hold the camera steady if you are not using a tripod or monopod. This will help with the "fuzzy factor."

5. Use the software that came with the camera (if you don't have an image software of your own):

• Almost all decent digital cameras come with some standard photo processing software. They are usually quite good. Spend a minute on each picture to check that the colors look good, that the picture is level, that it is not too bright or too dark, and that it is generally attractive. This will only take you 10 or 15 minutes, including loading the pictures, and you have to do that part anyway! It will make a big difference to the final product.

                          Too Dark...                                                                                           Too Bright

BONUS TIP 6: Get a good camera and a wide-angle lens. Don't think it will make a difference?:

           Standard Point & Shoot Camera                       Canon Digital Rebel with Sigma Wide-Angle Lens

Good luck and happy snapping!