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Red Hot Real Estate Photos

The title has nothing to do with color temperature.

Thought I would post some recent pictures of a home in Austin I did a couple of weeks ago. This is all natural light except for two little accent lights I put in corners or behind things. If you don't have a light kit, I find that it is best to wait until sundown (or early morning) and use long exposure times. I have a light kit coming so daytime interiors may be possible soon.

Posted by Carson Coots on 04/12/2007 10:48 PM

Comments (11)

real estate photography

11 Comments on Red Hot Real Estate Photos

APR

2007

Hey Carson: Nice to hear from you. I'm just impressed with the color of the pictures. Mine always have a yellow hue to it. Yours look more natural.

What is a light kit?

And when you say long exposure, how would you know how long is long? I guess you also do mean using a tripod, right?

Carson, very nice work - definitely much better than the average images one sees on the MLS. In particular I'm glad to see a complete absence of keystone in your photos. Nice to see someone who understand white balance. ;)

Let me know if you want more constructive feedback.

Loreena, "Long Exposure" is a general term that usually means anything long enough to require a steadied shot (tripod etc) or another more technical definition is any shot long to enough to produce the color shift present in exposures of more than a few seconds (film and digital shift in a similar manner in this regard).

How long depends on exposure choices as well as how good your meter is. Time will vary widely depending on available light (both natural and artificial). Generally speaking a house during the day unless very dark won't need more than a few seconds for most shots. sometimes as much as six or eight for a very dark room (closet etc).

Cheers, -B

Bryce, What is Keystone??

I am a complete amature at photography. I just bought the V705 Kodak that Jeff recommends. I have two realtors wanting to know what photography sevices I offer!!! I am stager - not a photographer, however, when I look at what most realtors are doing: mine look better, but I attribute that to the photostyling(lol). I am going to need crash course. Thank goodness for AR.

BTW, your photo's are fantanstic! It is a shame not all properties are photographed that way. It just makes so much sense.

Carson, yours look great too! Yes, what is a light kit? and do you use a tripod?

Joelle Green

Very nice interior photography. What kind of camera and lens do you use. What do you mean by a light kit. Is this a flash connected to the camera?

Carson - Your photos look great! They are so crisp looking.

I'm with Joelle - I really need tutorials for the real beginner with a point and shoot camera. I'm a Jeff Turner groupie with the v705 as well.

Thanks everyone,

Bryce, I'm tripping on your photos... your exterior day's are amazing. I have a circular polarizer the keep the sky blue but it definitely doesn't produce results like that. I am stuck when it comes to exterior day shots. I hate being a slave to the sun - which is why I'm getting lights. I'm getting some video lights from lowel (2 tota lights with an umbrella). I'm not sure if they will work just a good for still photos... but I am migrating into video now and I absolutely need them for that because I don't have the option of long shutter speeds.

Here is the kit: http://www.lowel.com/kits/toGo95.html

Oh yes I use a tripod - always. I keep my ISO at 200-400 to try to keep the noise low, with a small aperture to keep the wide depth of field (for better focus)... then keep the shutter open for about 5 seconds depending on the room. I shoot in RAW format and adjust the color in Adobe bridge before going to photoshop to fix up other things. Shadow/highlight is my friend but I have had to use it less often as I get better at taking the shot right the first time.

I've been at this real estate phot thing for almost a year now and I still have problems.

Loreena,

If you have photoshop - The best way to get rid of yellow tint is to go to

IMAGE>ADJUSTMENTS>COLOR BALANCE>

Then slide the bottom slider toward blue (away from yellow)

Then balance that adjustment by sliding the top slider toward cyan... preview it to get it right.

APR

2007

I am wondering why anyone is getting yellow tones when i thought that was just an issue with film and light

temperatures. this image is shot with digital and tungsten lights???

terrybath

APR

2007

It is usually a problem balancing white when you have 2 different sources - day light coming from a window vs. tungsten lamps vs. flourecent in the kitchen. When they mix - it can be tough.

I agree, mixed lighting is a major problem. Especially in churches for weddings where there is light coming through stained glass windows and overhead tingsten lighting. The stained glass gives a prisim effect as well.

In homes I try to take pictures in mid-day with no interior lights on or in the evening with only tungsten lighting. White balance adjustment is critical.

JUN

2008

this is a great topic. Now that it is little over a year I was wondering how every one is making out. How has the Extra lighting working.

I have heard that using open bulb light source and facing it behind you and using the bounce may be a good Idea. just wondering what you have come up with.

I would rather not use any light at all but the windo blow out is killing me.

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