We have decided to get real serious about real estate photography, and quite frankly, we have been point-and-shoot kinda chicks. I know that isn't enough, and we want to offer a more complete service.
Does anyone know a solid photography class online they could recommend for Sue to take? I will be looking into classes around Louisiana, but I am hoping to find something online where she could flex around our staging schedule.
~Michelle
Michelle - You are I are at a similar point regarding real estate photography. I just bought the Canon 40D and I need to learn some of the advanced features. I will watch your blog for updates.
I think you're going to have a tough time finding a course online that teaches you what you need to know. Interior architectural photography is it's own discipline and probably won't be covered. You might try finding someone who does real estate photography in the area and pay to have him tutor you.
Wow, I have a Sue too..... as a matter of fact I looked at the blog title and told her she was in trouble.... lol.... now I'm thinking that making her take my photos too seems like a great idea (except for the fact that I'm a control freak... lol!)
Sorry, no advice here, just was amused because of the title..
Hi, Michelle & Sue,
It's me again, Alan from South Florida. As a pretty good amateur photographer, I can give you a few free helpful hints for live shots:
For exteriors: Include trees as a frame for your photo. In fact, you will want to frame the roofline, if at all possible, with leaves just extending into the top left corner of the photo, thus acting as a soft framing device. If an actual tree is not in the correct position to give you that result, it may mean going so far as to have someone off-camera hold a leafy branch just in that top left corner. I suggest top-left because we view photos from left to right and top to bottom, just as we read.
If possible, to avoid deep shadows, a nearly horizontal angle of sunlight illuminates best and most gently, that is just after dawn and just before dusk. A slightly hazy sky similarly softens the bright daylight during other times of day.
For interiors: You already know that more light is necessary for successful photography than you would require if viewing the room in person. Try to place your 2 additional lighting sources about 45 degrees above the subject area (depending upon ceiling height, of course), and 45 degrees off center, thus creating a 90-degree angle, tilting upwards from the subject to the light sources. Sometimes bouncing light off the ceiling will give you the effect you desire, as long as you don't show that part of the ceiling in the photo. And uplights, as you know, can softly fill in dark corners and give a room an airy feel.
It's very difficult to get good angles and shots in standard-sized rooms, as you've no doubt experienced. You've probably noticed during your scrutiny of multiple magazine photos of the same room, as in Architectural Digest, that the furniture is moved, from photo to photo. It's all about balance - whether symmetrical or asymmetrical - the weight of the objects must not list to one side or the other in the photo. And remember, you can crop your photo to assist in creating balance.
For instance, in your top bedroom photo, the ottoman with teacup appears to be sneaking into the shot from behind the footboard. For that photo, it needs to be more centered on the window, but probably not in any other photo. Also, it would be more comforting to see the whole headboard than miss the left edge of it, and we'd probably prefer to imagine the right side of the drapery treatment, which would make the window appear wider anyway! And finally, the throw on the back of the chair, while good for color, confuses our perception of the shape of the chair.
It takes a lot of time, looking thru the viewfinder, and checking every detail in the shot to get the furniture and accessory placement correct for shooting. Further, when shooting vignettes with accessories, I find that comfort and serenity can be achieved when vertical objects are balanced by horizontal ones - i.e. a vertical picture frame near a horizontal basket of fruit or flowers, on a table.
Consider both shooting lower - at furniture height; as well as higher - getting an extra foot or two off the floor on a stepladder. Sometimes it provides a view that is more satisfying artistically, and makes a room both inviting and intriguing.
I hope these few tips are of some value.
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