There are a few simple things that anyone can do to improve their exterior digital shots. You will be greatly rewarded for spending a little bit of prep time before you shoot, as the main exterior photo is sometimes the only photo a potential buyer will see!

1. Pay attention to what time of day the home will look best, with the least shadowing from the sun on the front of the home.  Even homes that are not so great will look better with a sunny, blue sky - even in winter.

2. Take a good look at the home & yard. Do a little exterior 'staging'.

Make sure that all of the doors and windows are closed. Are the blinds or curtains inside askew? At the very least, straighten them - and you may want to close or partially close interior blinds or curtains, so windows don't look "pitch black" in the photos, (or show glare shining through from windows or doors on opposite side of the home).  Lack of visible window treatments in photos can make a home look vacant and unappealing.

Also, make sure the garage door is fully closed!  Move (or have the homeowner or your assistant help move) any items that should not be in the photo, such as the outdoor trash bin, toys in the yard, and especially vehicles or pets.

3. Take several photos from different angles:

Starting from, and including one side of the home with the front, shoot several photos, varying the horizon line.  Shoot all around the front of the home, and then including the other side as well.  It takes much less time to shoot many photos and look through them on your computer screen to find the best ones than it does to "photo-shop" & change them.

Try shooting holding the camera low, and angle up, and then hold the camera high, especially for full front views of the home.  Many times the best photo has a low horizon, with lots of blue sky, and the home filling about a third of the frame.  (If you take a photo on a cloudy grey day, just take a couple.  Go back & re-shoot as soon as there is a nice day, and make sure it is the right time of day for that home.)

4.  Decide which exterior photo is best.  Click back & forth between two of your photos displayed on your computer, and one will usually stand out as better than the other. (Now look at them again & figure out WHY one appeals to you over the other, which will help you with composing photos at your next listing!)  Keep comparing all of the other photos to the one you liked best, until you arrive at your top choice.  Above all, make sure the focus is very sharp on the photo that you select!

Be sure to 'rename' your top choice for the main photo, so it is easy to find again. (To rename, highlight name or number of photo, right click on the name, select 'rename' and type the new name or listing number, then click on the screen off the box area.  New name is saved!)

5.  Brighten the photo in a photo program (or mls controls for photos, if you have them available) before you post it on the listing.  All photos tend to look darker on the computer screen.  You may also want to play with the contrast to add more overall depth, or increase saturation slightly for deeper colors.

These are the basics. Of course if you have lots of time, you can spend hours playing with a photo program & discover all kinds of neat enhancements. If you follow the basic instructions above, though, you will be off to a great start!

Remember - that seller about to list is looking through the listings too, to see which Realtor's photos they like the best.

PS: Follow the above instructions, and if you do color print ads, you will find them popping off the page!

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