Taking Better MLS Photos from a Morris County Stager/Photographer

 

The following are tips and editing tricks on getting great MLS photos. What your eyes see and what shows up in a photo aren’t always the same – trust me!

 Indoor photos:

 

1. Yellow lampshades create an orange glow that isn’t attractive. Always take photos with and without the lights on. White lampshades usually work, but dark lampshades usually cast an unattractive and distracting color. This is the BEFORE PHOTO of a home I staged…

 

 

 

2. Always direct your photos at a focal point in the room: fireplace, bed, dining room, kitchen table, couch by windows - you want to combine showing off the size of the space and home's architectural features with something appealing by drawing your eye to an object of interest.

This is the “After” photo of the room above – 2 things to learn from this – the lamps are off (no orange glow) and the photo shows an object of interest while highlighting the windows and space of the room...

 

 

(I know many of you are thinking – of course this looks better, it was staged, taken during the day and the curtains are open). The “before” is used as a reference for what I wanted to do with the room, hence the curtains are shut and the consult was at night)

 

3. Hide wires with tape – you may not notice them with the naked eye, but you will in a photo.

4. You may think the best time to take MLS photos is on a bright, sunny day. Not always – if bright sunlight is coming through the windows it overwhelms the photo with white. Overcast days are better – you won’t get direct sunlight and you’ll see the windows, not just a big blob of white.  

5. Take photos of different angles of the room because you never know which will look best in a photo until you download it to your computer. 

6. Whenever possible get inside a closet (yes, your read that right) to get the widest angle of the room. Closets lend themselves to getting a few more feet for a larger view – trust me, it works!

 

Outdoor Photos:

 

1. If there are a lot of trees on the property, you might consider taking the photos on a partly cloudy day because you’ll get too much shadow. Also – it’s hard to edit, because if you bring up the contrast to brighten up colors or exposure, you highlight the shadows even more…

 

 

Without shadows….

 

 

2. You always want the sun behind you when taking outdoor MLS photos. If you shot into the sun, you’ll end up with a poor quality, bleached out photo.  

  

3. Whenever there are pavers, wet them down and it will bring out the color – I discovered this when I had to get a backyard photo and it had just rained. I went back the next day when the sun was out and the pavers didn’t look as good .

 

 

Both photos were cropped to illustrate the color...

4. If you do get a good photo and but want to make it a great photo use PicniK (a free photo editing program to edit. For detailed instructions visit my post: Taking a So-So Photo and Making it a Great Photo.

 

The next 2 photos are a “before” and “after” and you will see I straightened, cropped added contrast, and brightened the color all in Picnik….

 Before

 

 

After

 

 

Which photo do you think will look better on MLS?

 

 If you enjoyed this post click:   Thank You! 

Elite Staging and Redesign - Kristine Ginsberg - 201 602 2562

 

Home Staging Morris County - Staged to Sell, Designed to Live!

You have 90 seconds to make a great first impression once your home goes on the market. Consult a Morris County professional home stager serving Union, Essex, Sussex Counties for that competitive edge so your home stands out from the competition, selling faster and for top dollar!  

Elite Staging and Redesign offers home staging services to North Jersey homeowners, real estate agents, banks, builders, and investors in preparing homes to stand out in today’s real estate market. For a consultation on vacant staging, lived in homes or interior redesign projects call Elite Staging and Redesign at 201-602-2562.

Morris County Home Staging Website: Elite Staging and Redesign

Morris County Staging: Portfolio

Email: Kris@elitestagingandredesign.com

 

           

 
This post has been included in New Jersey Real Estate News Morris County, NJ Real Estate News
Post is included in group: ActiveRainPhotoBlogger
Post is included in group: Home Staging
Post is included in group: Posts to Localism
Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...
Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You

112 Comments on Taking Better MLS Photos from a Morris County Stager/Photographer

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

SEP
19
2011
195,512 Points Outside Blog

Great tips and illustrations. Thank you.
1:13pm • #94

Excellent tips, thanks for sharing! Now my agents are heading out to re-take some pics.
Donna Breen
1:20pm • #95
1 Featured Post

OMG it is so important to take good pictures.  Makes such a HUGE difference.  You are AMAZING at what you do : )
1:31pm • #96

Great tips for getting better pictures. I primarily sell land and it's easy to get good pictures since I primarily need to be concerned with the lighting and views. I also use a photo editing program when needed. Houses are more challenging than vacant land with great views. I have found there is a period of time in the late afternoon when you can take photos of a room without getting glare from the windows. The other plus is it also shows a portion of the views seen outside the room.

I see photos that are very poor quality frequently on the MLS and they don't attract buyers. As I have heard before you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Jacqueline Drake CRS

Cochise County AZ
1:36pm • #97
196,696 Points

Good advice.
2:00pm • #98
2 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Fantastic tips Kristine.  A good course in photography should be mandatory for anyone even thinking about getting into real estate.
2:22pm • #99
474,000 Points 16 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Kristine, You give such good tips on photography. I couldn't agree more that MLS photos need to look appealing. You can certainly tell the ones that were taken by a regular camera in an agent's hands vs. a professional set.
2:39pm • #100

Good post, nicely illustrated to make your points.  Piknik is one of my favourite tools, as well as Snap and Picassa.  Nice job, Kristine.
4:00pm • #101
1 Featured Post

Good post, nicely illustrated to make your points.  Piknik is one of my favourite tools, as well as Snap and Picassa.  Nice job, Kristine.
4:04pm • #102
280,016 Points Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Kistine, Great tips! We have to work to get nice results and it can be fun.
4:40pm • #103

Thanks for the valuable photo editing info. Our mls now allows 24 photos. Buyer's won't even look at properties that do not have nice photos as part of the on line listing. 
4:41pm • #104
1,022,995 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Valuable lessons.  We could all improve our photos.  I have book marked this one.  
8:20pm • #105
152,908 Points Outside Blog

GREAT post! I'll go read you other articles now.

THANK YOU!
10:54pm • #106
SEP
20
2011

Great photos (and staging!) can make or break a home sale.  Excellent examples!
8:48am • #107
242,006 Points

Hey Kristine: Great tips! My sister and I just took a new listing this weekend and we're out to take photos yesterday. Kathy takes the pictures and I do the "prep" work, going around like a photographer's assistant moving things around (ie the kitchen table in this home), picking items up, clearing counters, swapping item locations, and on and on. We look over 80 photos to get a really good 20 or so for the MLS. It's so very important. Carrie
6:41pm • #108
SEP
21
2011
700,378 Points 39 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Excellent idea about the pavers. Some agents just don't get the idea that quality photos are now a requirment. Of course, these are the same agents that have 100's of blurry photos of their children growing up also! Great post.
2:54pm • #109
SEP
23
2011
477,796 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Kristine -- I just saw this post via Debbie G's reblog.  Bad MLS pics are SUCH a disservice to the seller. Your point about times of the day is valuable. A house could look so much different. I have gone back again and again to get my photos right.  After all, if the house doesn't look good, that buyer is not likely to click through and see the rest.  I take hundreds of photos for each listing and most times have to go back and perfect a few.  Your tips are great. Thanks.
8:16am • #110
NOV
06
2011
878,494 Points 10 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

A re-blog from Eric brought me over here - thanks Eric.

And sure enough nice photography tips in the original post.
8:57pm • #111
OCT
05
236,125 Points 5 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Great examples! I think that good stagers are worth their weight in gold.
10:35pm • #112
OCT
06
378,688 Points 84 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thank you so much for all the comments - I read them all and appreciate each and every one! Hope to see you on your blogs later today and this week! Kristine
9:25am • #113

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All


What does the graphic say?
Leave a response…

(optional)
Spam Prevention:
 
Profile%20blackwhite Rainmaker_large

Kristine Ginsberg Morris County, NJ Stager

Morris Plains, NJ

More about me…

Morris County, NJ: Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC

Address: Morris, Essex, Union Counties, Morris County, NJ, 07950

Office Phone: (973) 206-1301

Cell Phone: (201) 602-2562

Email Me

Morris County, NJ Stager - Staged to Sell, Designed to Live


Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog