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What Is The Most Difficult Picture To Process For a Listing Shoot?

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty NRDS # 146013739

What is the Most Difficult Image To Shoot

and

Process?

 

Bathrooms! 

The picture above was from a listing that sold in 1 week back in 2014.  This picture still holds the record for time to process a picture.  Every one of those reflections had to be taken out.  I help my husband take the pictures.  He has a powerful flash unit on a coiled cord that can be removed from the base of the camera and pointed anywhere.  I usually help hold the flash. I remember taking about 6 different angles of this bath. None of them were going to be acceptable without a lot of fixing.  This was a bath that needed a flash. The most difficult part on this picture was pasting the individual tile squares to completely eliminate the reflections.  Also the light fixture created a challenge as well. 

The image below was processed through 2 separate programs.  Aperture, which is a Mac

program, is very rarely used anymore. It was used to clone parts of a picture to eliminate

elements that need to be taken out of a picture.  PhotoShop is now used for that purpose in

a more effective way. The other program helped to change the perspective to make the

lines in the picture straighten out the bends and angles of a wide angle shot. LightRoom

currently does this in a more effective and efficient way. Also it is much faster!  This

picture took as much time to process as all the rest of the listing pics!

 

Here is the "After" Image

After Image West Sedona AZ 86336 Listing for sale

 

The programs and applications today are fabulous to make your listing pics pop. 

Dick Greenberg did a nice blog post explaining LightRoom. You can find the post here if

you missed it. "For Love or Money"  

 

Here is a bathroom from my latest listing at 25 Pueblo Trail. My husband told me he used

the graduated filter and adjustment brush as well as exposure and temperature (white

balance) adjustments.  A little sharpening, dehaze and clarity and the picture is

transformed. 

Before Image

25 Pueblo Trail Sedona AZ 86336

The above image did not take long to correct but was not acceptable in this form.  Again,

glass and mirror create areas of light diffusion or the illusion of distance and the flash or

light does not get through, which forces the photographer to use an exposure brush. 

 

After Image

25 Pueblo Trail Sedona homes for sale

 

Before Image

25 Pueblo Sedona homes for sale

The above image was shot using a Canon 5D Mark III and a 16 to 24 mm zoom lens. At the

widest opening, the photographer needs to be even with the bathroom sink to keep the

distortion at a minimum.  When using a wide angle lens,  it is always best to use through

the lens viewing to get the best perspective. 

 

After Image

25 Pueblo Trail Sedona homes for sale

 

  Every picture is put through LightRoom program and adjustments outside the camera are made.  

Many professional photographers will have customized settings in their cameras to minimize out of the

camera processing.  Personally, my husband prefers using LR to make the final adjustments to the

image.  Most images take less than 5 minutes an image to process. However, some images with lots of

glass or windows can take up to 20 minutes to process but it is like you are in the room looking through

the glass.  

You can see the entire listing above in much larger images. Find Listing Images Here


 

 

As a Coldwell Banker Sedona Arizona REALTOR®, my primary goal is to help my customers obtain their dreams, as well as satisfy their financial goals and objectives through real estate. From the moment I am contacted, you will observe my seasoned ability to provide you with "World Class Service" and that "personal touch" while utilizing a complete package of technology options that are of the utmost importance and so critical in today's market.

I will tailor real solutions to fit your specific needs. - Sheri Sperry - YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

10 Reasons Why Sheri Is Your Solution

Solutions For Buyers

Solutions for Sellers

Comments (46)

Nathan Gesner
American West Realty and Management - Cody, WY
Broker / Property Manager

Sheri Sperry - MCNE® this is a great demonstration of the power of Lightroom. Very well done!

Feb 26, 2017 07:04 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

HI Nathan Gesner - thanks for your comment.  It is a very powerful program. Have a great Sunday!

Feb 26, 2017 11:50 AM
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee's Virtual Assistance - Jonesborough, TN
Retired and loving life

Amazing before and after pics.

Feb 26, 2017 09:20 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Thank you Sharon Lee !!

Feb 26, 2017 11:51 AM
Dianne Goode
Raleigh Cary Realty - Raleigh, NC
Realtor/Broker

Very impressive!   It takes the right camera equipment and a great deal of skill to create pictures  that good.  

Feb 26, 2017 10:22 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

HI Dianne Goode - Thank you so much! It also takes a determined effort as well.  

Feb 26, 2017 11:53 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Bathrooms are tricky, but the mirrors can often help show more of a very cramped space.  I'm usually crouching real estate agent/hidden camera during these photo shoots.

Feb 26, 2017 10:31 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Hi Chris Ann Cleland - Excellent point!  I didn't cover that. I am glad you did.  !!

Feb 26, 2017 11:54 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

The difference is AMAZING. It's like the rooms were painted white and were previously off white. Very powerful before and after examples!

Feb 26, 2017 02:29 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Thank You Sharon Tara - If a picture is underexposed, it is easier to make adjustments.

Feb 27, 2017 05:13 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Sheila

It a tough shoot to take a bathroom photo  with all the reflections.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Feb 26, 2017 07:25 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Small spaces, mirrors, glass doors make it difficult!

Feb 27, 2017 05:14 AM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Sheri Sperry - MCNE® - instead of being jack of all, I decided to get the PRO for this - and if I see those things in my listing pictures I can ask the photographer...

However, feature worthy post for sure.

Feb 26, 2017 11:29 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Hi Praful Thakkar - no doubt I would have to do the same. 

Feb 27, 2017 05:15 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Wow, those after shots look a bazillion times better!

I knew the answer to the title was going to be "bathrooms!"

Feb 27, 2017 04:22 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Hi Kat Palmiotti  - Ha Ha! I didn't think too many would veer off track on this one. !! 

Feb 27, 2017 05:17 AM
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

Sheri Sperry - MCNE® Looking for a great post on before and after photos and how much better properly edited photos look?  Look no further: 

"The other program helped to change the perspective to make the lines in the picture straighten out the bends and angles of a wide angle shot. LightRoom currently does this in a more effective and efficient way. Also it is much faster!"

Right on target - and - reblog!

Feb 27, 2017 04:30 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

HI Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers - thanks so much for the reblog. I appreiciate it!

Feb 27, 2017 05:18 AM
Chris Lima
Turtle Reef Realty - Port St Lucie, FL
Local or Global-Allow me to open doors for you.

Amazing!  Seeing the before and after made me go back and look again.  I am not a great photographer, but I do appreciate great photos.

Feb 27, 2017 05:45 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Thanks so much Chris Lima ! We want to give the very best service to our sellers!

Feb 28, 2017 11:23 AM
Beth Bromund
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Rochester, MI
REALTOR (248) 651-3500

Those are impressive before and after photos!  What a difference your husbands great editing made. 

Feb 27, 2017 11:55 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Thank you Beth Bromund - I always let him know how our customers react to the photos of their home.  He is always appreciative.

Feb 28, 2017 11:25 AM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Sheri - I would agree that bathrooms are very difficult to photograph. However, you and your husband did an amazing job fixing the photos, and they look 100% better!

Feb 27, 2017 04:44 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®

Hi Troy Erickson - My husband can adjust his schedule to put a little extra effort into creating the right image.  If an image does not come out the way we want it,  we will go back and take more photos. There is flexibility when your photographer lives with you...LOL! There is no scheduling involved. 

Feb 28, 2017 11:37 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and your before and after photographs. Well done!

Feb 28, 2017 01:16 PM
Dennis Swartz
Full Circle Property Management - Columbus, OH
MBA, GRI...experience counts!

So very true...you make it look great!

Mar 30, 2017 02:05 AM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

These are amazing before and afters, Sheri !  I'm curious, approximately how much time do you think you spend editing photos for your listings?  It must be very time consuming.  

Mar 30, 2017 05:31 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Sheri Sperry - MCNE® ,

I'm so glad that Roy Kelley re-blogged your post. This was a post the Active Rain gods missed for a feature. Wonderful before and after photos!

Mar 30, 2017 05:57 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Sheri. You are so right. Bathrooms are very difficult to shoot. I found your tips very helpful but unless the bathroom was something special, I don't think I would feature it.

Mar 30, 2017 06:34 AM
Mick Michaud
Distinctly Texas Lifestyle Properties, LLC Office:682/498-3107 - Granbury, TX
Your Texas Lifestyle is Here!

Mirrors and lighting are challenges for me.   I've also seen discussions about the ethics of using photoshop to alter photographs to remove unwanted elements.  Like debris or trash. 

Apr 03, 2017 07:37 AM
Denise Hamlin, Broker/Owner
Cardinal Realty ~ 319-400-0268 - Iowa City, IA
Helping Happy Clients Make Smart Choices

Excellent before and after photos, they definitely "pop" after editing. 

I'd recommend Lightroom too. It's definitely my favorite programs for easy, intuitive editing.

Apr 03, 2017 01:23 PM
Melissa Spittel
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Westminster, MD
"Achieving Results Together "

My goodness! What tremendous differences! You did a great service to those sellers by showing those rooms to perfection. 

Apr 03, 2017 06:57 PM